Fat women in bikinis?

[HookedOnHooking]

I have 25 hours to decide on what beach/pool clothes to get!!!!! And doing my usual 2 yearly pre-holiday panic about being fat.

However. This year I am slightly less fat and contemplaring a bikini rather than my usual black one-piece. But I am still fairly fat. Particularly when sitting (less so when standing and lying flat).

It's all well saying 'wear what you like' or 'wear what you are comfortable in' but because I am fat I look fucking awful in anything less than jeans and a jumper.

So. Over to the hive-mind. What should I do?

Black one piece

Or

Bikini (with very high waist pants)

We've spent several weeks on French beaches this summer. At least 90% of women have a bikini on - all ages, sizes, whatever. I felt very dowdy in my black one piece - next year, I'm getting something a bit more adventurous and I don't even plan to lose weight for it, no one here cares tbh.

Pack both, but I bet you don't wear the one piece!

as for the 'no-one's looking' - oh yes they bloody well are

They can look, but who cares? Or knows why? If people are going to put their judgey pants on because some people have pale skin, let them look. Who knows what they're thinking or quite what perceived flaw, if any, makes them look. Just wear what you want to wear.

I don't care about the colour of someone's skin (although bright orange is not a good look) - but if acres of flesh (on either men or women) are squeezed into little bikinis or speedos then I certainly will have a "wowser" moment.

Well, I do think fake tan is worth putting on a tummy if going away at the end of the summer, so legs and arms are browner from a summer walking around in shorts and t-shirts/dresses, it can draw attention to the tummy area if it's a different colour to the rest of you, so just 'evening out' fake bake is worth a go!

oh and yes SirChenjin - a swimsuit that fits is definately more important than the cut/style - no one looks good squeezed into something that fit them 10 years ago...

Sure, Dinosaur but IMO there is a big difference between evening up a 2-tone tan and telling fair skinned people they should fake tan, which is what one or two PP have done.

Thing is - a pair of speedos or little bikini (of the kind often seen on the beach!) will not really fit though. A bikini to cover my stomach and arse would end up being similar in size to my swimsuit, for example - and the speedos that would cover DH would require a lot of lycra

I'm glad OP went for her bikinis.

I tried to post earlier but then the website crashed. Personally I bring both and see how I feel at the time. Some countries - Portugal - it was genuinely only grannies that wore one pieces so I felt out of place in my natty Boden one piece, but in Canada round the pool I felt that I drew attention to myself in my bikini.

I don't get tankinis at all. I have one and the damn thing rides up at my not inconsiderable tummy. Far better to have it properly hidden or on show, oh and re bikins - tried the high waisted ones, but for a plumpish hourglass such as myself I actually found the skimpier side tie bottoms to be much more flattering.

AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH - those skimpy tie side ones would sit beautifully under the worst of my stomach, creating a delightful overhang

I know sirchenjin but highwaisted worse for me as acres of bright red material highlighted my huge arse.

Wanders off to find bikini burka....

Like vegplotter I am also on the med atm and have the same experience. There are women of all sizes and shapes all in a variety of swim wear. I would say 75 percent bikinis of some sort but plenty of tankinis and full swim suits, no one really cares. Its not the British that are the ones in full swim suits either. The lady in one of those longer legged swim suits at the beach today was certainly French and in her 30s.

If it's comfortable and suits you best then wear it.

Btw if I wanted fake tan to look natural on my stomach it would have to be sprayed through a sieve.

Bikini with black tan-through semi sheer hip length kaftan top.

Like this

Bikini confidence when sitting down. So you can pull a sheer fringed beach cardi over lumpy bits like this

Pale skin is hot as fuck.

Dark skin is hot as fuck.

Sunburnt skin is certainly hot but in a literal rather than metaphorical sense.

Orange skin is wrong.

Oh good! Glad you got the bikini. I was going to vote bikini anyway, because pulling a sticky, wet, one piece down to use the bathroom is a pain. Then you have to pull it all back up readjust your boobs, etc...

Bulbasaur - don't you just adjust it to the side ?

Bikini for sunbathing but one of those cover up top/dress things over the top for walking to/from the beach.

Oh, good for you, Hooked.

Everyone in Europe wears a bikini, even really massive and elderly people (and people who are massive and elderly). I bet you're not the fattest on the beach, AND SO WHAT IF YOU ARE!

Have a fab holiday!

I'm fat and I wear a bikini. I certainly don't float round the pool looking chic in a kaftan or anything like it it either; there's far to much fun to be had to worry about looking chic so I'm usually bombing down the slides with the kids, building rafts, snorking, zorbing ( I think I probably did look a bit of a sight zorbing tbh!)

A nasty Dutch man took the piss out of me on the slides in France last year but he obviously had not considered that fat+slides=tsunami . Why's it 'ok' for fat men to continue having fun but not fat women.. Fuck that!

Wear what you like, do what you want, have fun!

check out red dolly swimwear on etsy. She makes them and ships from US, so i did get stung a bit on customs, but I bloody love my red polka dot retro bikini from her.

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RedDollySwimwear

Go for it!
I have just returned from southern Spain and didn't see many people in one pieces. There were all shapes and sizes and I would say tanned wobbles look better than white wobbles. I am not v confident at the mo due to carrying extra weight on my tummy and hips due to 2 c sections in a short period of time and also weight gain due to medication. I am also v v pale! I wore a bikini most days but tended to cover up with a kaftan or sarong of feeling a bit self conscious. I found some great panache ones on eBay (new). They do the tops in bra sizes and some of the bottoms are higher waisted.

I got some great Tommy Bahama ones from TJMaxx. Agree the key is buying one that fits so go for separates rather than a bikini iygwim. I need a smaller bottom half to top. Bikinis do look awful on anyone, regardless of size, if they're too small.

Enjoy your holiday!

I'd love to not care about the overhang I have from having children!
Unfortunately it would just paunch over bikini bottoms and I would feel so horrifically self conscious (not that anyone else gives 2 shiny shits about what others are wearing on the beach), I know I'd be paranoid and hoiking it up permanently. I've lost 2 stone this year and am the lightest I've been in a decade and still stuck to my boring sensible black one piece during my holidays this year.

I spend a lot of time people watching at the beach and just wish I could have the attitude of pretty much everyone else I see - it's a fucking body, we've all got one, get over it! All shapes and sizes, in all different colours, enjoying themselves not shuffling about hiding under towels. I'm so repressed

This time tomorrow I will be wearing my bikini in the sunshine. I've not even packed the black one-piece.

Cheers hooked!