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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wear swim leggings

71 replies

jacqelinedaniels · 06/09/2019 22:17

Just ordered some, to below the knee, not arrived yet so don't know if I will actually like them yet... but really hope they are the answer! I hate my legs, HATE them, feel so self conscious in normal swimwear, and have a big group holiday coming up. I've literally never seen another woman wearing any, but would it be so weird? It really bugs me how men can cover up in big shorts but women have to be so visible. DH says it's more obvious when you try and hide and it's better to just be confident but it's not that easy! Anyone else wear any? How much does it stand out?

OP posts:
pantsville · 06/09/2019 22:23

Your husband is right, you will stand out more and catch peoples eye because you will be in very different attire to everyone else. I’m not saying don’t wear them of course, but if you’re expecting to “hide” in them then I’d rethink it

Ginkypig · 06/09/2019 22:30

Your dh is right because of course it is always better to be confident but my opinion is you do whatever you need to to be comfortable and gets you in the pool! Yes people may notice but who the fuck cares as long as you are happy!

By the way there is no reason why if you want to wear men's swim shorts too if you want.

AccioCoffee · 06/09/2019 22:35

Op I am paranoid about my thighs and so buy tankinis that have shorts instead of pants. No one bats an eyelid and I just act normal I feel ok in them so don't care.

I think leggings is more obvious and so will stand out more.

Cryalot2 · 06/09/2019 22:36

Do what makes you happy..I am older and no model figure and have psoriasis and wear a bikini. ( the sun helps my skin) No one notices what others look like , unless they are upset or something unusual.
Just go and enjoy yourself .

MeadowHay · 06/09/2019 22:38

I have worn legsuits my whole adult life. Never noticed anyone staring or paying me any attention. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else wearing one but I rarely swim. You can buy them tho so people must! For me it is so that I don't need to keep on top of intimate hair removal as I'm unorganised and have eczema!

BarbarAnna · 06/09/2019 22:45

I wear full length swim leggings. People would stare at me either way. I wouldn’t swim without the leggings. Be proud to stand out.

YeahNahWhal · 06/09/2019 22:48

I wear cheap active wear 7/8 leggings at the beach. I'm extremely fair and live in Australia, so it's more about sun protection than anything else. I truly don't care what people think - their choice to risk skin cancer. Don't let other people rule your life, OP. Wear what you want.

Femodene · 06/09/2019 22:49

Wear them and enjoy your trip. I wear swim clothes that cover my gut and arse when I go to my local pool, I won’t wear Lycra that fully cups my pubic mound and exposes my arse cheeks and outer labia and huge gut to the general public just because that’s what’s normally worn there. People can cry about it all they want, I’m not there for them.

NiceAnd · 06/09/2019 22:52

I don’t think people would notice. 🤷🏻‍♀️

pooboobsleeprepeat · 06/09/2019 23:00

Life is too short to care what people think. If you want to wear them and will feel mor comfortable then crack on!!!

TillyTheTiger · 06/09/2019 23:05

I wear a tankini top with swim shorts that are just above the knee - nobody has ever looked twice and I feel so much more comfortable in them. Wear whatever you feel happy in!

Original poster
jacqelinedaniels · 06/09/2019 23:06

Thanks for the replies! I'm feeling torn and think I will have to wait to see what they look like. I've tried the swim shorts tankini thing before but it's my thighs that are awful and so they honestly look just as bad in those as not, they don't go low enough to hide anything. I was feeling in reasonable (for me) shape earlier in the summer and still hated my legs, and spent the last two months unable to exercise due to a fracture, so now I'm really hating how I look! Frankly dreading the trip now. But hopefully it won't be that bad in the event. Maybe.

OP posts:
IsItMeYourLookingFor · 06/09/2019 23:09

I've worn gym leggings for swimming on holiday a few time. People really don't care, your OH is right if you feel confident in them then that's all that matters, it won't feel strange. Trust me it's really not a big deal, everyone's doing their own thing and remember your never going to see theses people again so who cares lol Wink

CazY777 · 06/09/2019 23:09

I've started wearing men's shorts, the surfer board shorts kind. Wore them to the local swimming pool, nobody looked at me in a funny way. Not great for swimming lots of lengths as they flap around your legs a bit, but fine for messing around in the small pool with my 4 year old, and fine for the beach.

CazY777 · 06/09/2019 23:13

Mine are flowery so they don't look like men's really, and they cover my flabby thighs well.

Femodene · 06/09/2019 23:20

Search for surf shorts for women, or ‘boyleg’ in women’s swimwear, it saved a lot of wasted time looking at ‘sexy’ swimwear options. Ffs, you’d think it was difficult for suppliers to know what women want-constant listing of SeXy WomEns swim HotPaNts. Nah, sell items that cover our 3D genitals and arse, you won’t sell products by having your photo being a computer generated thrust-out pubescent bum with a strand of polyester vaguely on part of it. I won’t wear bog standard genital-cupping swimsuits/shorts, sellers need to level up.

TheVanguardSix · 06/09/2019 23:26

Oh I hear you, OP. I was eyeing swim leggings all summer. I'm all for burkinis! I used to be a Pretty Polly leg model. You'd never bloody guess it now. I have dreadful legs. Age has been a bitch to my legs.
I wear swim/surf shorts and a lovely tankini top from Lands End. The shorts are loose, not bicycle shorts. So you can see my ugly legs, yes but at least one of the worst bits of them is covered. And nobody bats an eye. Anyway, I wouldn't think twice if I saw a woman in swim leggings. I'd be wondering where she bought them! You're not alone, OP. Not at all.

ILearnedItFromABook · 06/09/2019 23:27

They might not be common, but who says it has to be a bad thing to stand out? If I saw someone in unusual swimwear, I might notice, but if I gave it more than a passing thought, it would be because I wondered where they found them. (I hate wearing traditional suits-- too much fuss and bother removing hair to look decent in them!)

ErrolTheDragon · 06/09/2019 23:28

I've not seen swim leggings but they sound like a good idea.
Holidays we've been on were active so normal cossie under rash vest and board shorts were the norm , some women would take the latter off to swim others wouldn't.

And in the U.K. it would be wetsuits ... swim leggings are nowt beside those!

dollydaydream114 · 06/09/2019 23:38

You will probably be the only person wearing them, so you might stand out, but literally nobody will actually care or think anything of it.They'll think 'Oh, that lady's got leggings on' and that will be the sum total of the time they spend on it. And it's certainly no reason not to wear them - wear whatever you're happiest in. They sound like a good idea and probably handy for after swimming as you can just chuck a floaty top or an oversize t-shirt on and look dressed and be comfy.

As others have said, you could wear swim shorts if you wanted. I personally can't wear men's ones as they are completely the wrong shape for me, but you can get women's swim shorts online. You can also get one-piece swimsuits with cycle-short style knee-length legs, like the ones professional swimmers wear, from sports shops and sports brand websites.

WhyBirdStop · 07/09/2019 00:18

Have you tried women's board shorts? They're a looser fit and any length between mid thigh and knee, comfy, dry quickly and can be worn with a tankini top, bikini or over a swimsuit.

LiveInAHidingPlace · 07/09/2019 00:20

I don't think people would notice or care tbh.

Just do what feels comfortable.

But I feel sad that you hate your legs, but it's not easy to change that mindset.

Marlamoos · 07/09/2019 00:41

I wear women’s swim board shorts. Lightweight water resistant loose fabric. About 10 cms above the knee. The pair I have has lasted nearly a decade. I wear them because I don’t feel comfortable in just a swimsuit when spending lots of time by the pool or beach. Although if it’s just a quick dip in and the out of the pool I will just wear the swimsuit as it dries faster. I couldn’t imagine wearing leggings, I think that would be uncomfortable.

ErrolTheDragon · 07/09/2019 00:45

I couldn’t imagine wearing leggings, I think that would be uncomfortable.

A wetsuit isn't uncomfortable, so I can't imagine why leggings would be.
Although boardies can be good, some women find they induce 'chub rub'... the leggings are increasingly sounding good to me.

Scattyhattie · 07/09/2019 01:11

I've some men's swimmers like cycling shorts ( women's were all short shorts) and a tankini top, looks a bit like a triathlon style suit, I mainly wear under wetsuit though.

Swim leggings sound great to me & those that notice could be thinking the same. When your self conscious of a body part is its difficult to forget & just muster up some confidence, so go with whatever works to enjoy the pool with everyone.

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