you lot stressing about BIKINIS? LISTEN

[EliotNess]

I was at a beach today. in ENGERLAND and there were all sorts of shapes and ages wearing bikinis

dont let them brow beat us into only letting 1% of the population " celebrate our curves"

Wear and damn them all!

[pooka]

I just don't like bikins. Not because of body consciousness, but just have never felt comfortable in one. Particularly as most of my holidays are in Cornwall and believe me, I'm thankful of the extra layer of fabric round my middle when I'm pottering on the beach with the dcs. Usually have a hoody on too!

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

It's not the size of the tummy per se, or the stretchmarks...it's the looseness and wibbliness. Standing up it looks reasonably flat, bending over it hangs in a sort of purse effect. I could wear a bikini if I never bent my body at all.

[charitygirl]

Oh mine does that too but honestly - no one's looking!

[MoodyDidIt]

mine too too extra

tbh i think it even did that before the dcs came along :o

[fairylightsinthespring]

2 CS have left me with the dreaded overhang, so I often wear shorts and a bikini top, as either bikini bottoms or a one piece show the "fold"

[ubik]

Reporting from the frontline on Majorca:

European womn do not give a monkey's what they look like in a bikini. In fact most seem to stick to just bottoms and key it all hang out.

Frankly if you are a gorgeous 20/30-something you will be noticed - everyone else just gets on with it with saggy bellies, breasts, backsides, varicose veins, stretch marks, scars, hair and everything else.

I wore a bikini, I am a size 10 (12 after holiday and have had 3 CS, my tummy is lumpy stretch marked and scarred. And I the end I just thought fuck it, bought a bikini I liked and wore it with pride.

[Shodan]

Good to know, ubik- am off there in 3.5 weeks. I think I'll keep my top on though.

[ubik]

Yes I did too

[Rexy]

My problem is back fat at the bra line iykwim - does it matter ?

I'm a size 12 otherwise .

[miaowmix]

Rather a bikini than a toddler any day. The point of a bikini is to have a tanned stomach, better fat and brown than fat and pale (speaking for self), it's not about the actual swimming!
Having said that if I was back to my halcyon size 8-10 days I would go to fucking work in a bikini

[Quodlibet]

Back fat at the bra line does not matter.
Nor does cellulite, c-section scars, wibbly tummies, stretchmarks or any of the other perceived flaws.
My mum said when she was young, cellulite hadn't been invented. Everyone had it but there wasn't a word for it and no-one was worried about it, because it is normal.

[Ilanthe]

Thank you this thread. I am going to stop stressing about my big breastfeeding boobs and postpartum tummy and go and buy myself a bikini tomorrow. Not a swimsuit. Then I will wear it on the beach in Europe next week and not give any fucks.

[motherofluvlies]

Just back from Malaga ...everyone wore bikini or topless including women who were about sz 24 .they looked happy and comfort able but brown.I wore a black one piece ( sz 20) and pale but still relaxed.....until I got home and suddenly found myself fretting that even this costume was too low...so I changed it within 1 hr of being back.
those reactions surprised even me.As I was discussing it with a very positive American friend she gave me food for thought....we make the decision to be constrained about what people think of us ...just say you decide not to care and confidently wore what you liked e.g. Something that I considered immodest what would happen?we make the decision to let what people think about us affect us.....mmmmm....interesting

[TSSDNCOP]

I have 4 lovely new Freya bikinis ready for my holidays next week. I may have omitted to relay their actual cost to DH. I chose not to look at my stomach, but lying plank flat on my sunbed I shall admire my gel toe nails.

[Quodlibet]

we make the decision to be constrained about what people think of us ...just say you decide not to care and confidently wore what you liked

Exactly.

[Chandon]

I actually remember when cellulite was invented, it must have been around 1984.

Prior to that it did not exist as a "problem"

Aftre it was "invented" lts of anti cellulite creams flooded the market, all beauty magazines had features on them.

Now we know....it is just there. Hey ho.

[CelticPromise]

Back fat at the bra line does not matter, but may mean you're not wearing the right size.

I'm a pale, wobbly size 16 but I find bikinis the most practical- I have a small back size and big boobs, a swimsuit that fits my boobs will not fit my capacious arse. I like decent underwiring and pants that fit, and tankinis always roll up because I'm curvy. And I do swim, not lie about in the sun.

A flimsy high street string bikini would be no use to me mind.

Each to their own innit.

[ithaka]

OP, you will hate me - I am slim and toned and I have a tattoo - how very dare I?

Looks out for mumsnetters staring daggers at me on the beach

[Littlepumpkinpie]

I am another looking out for mumsnetters dagger eyes then:) After losing a few stone I am now very toned and super slender again. I cannot wait to show it off at the beach I EARNED it with a hell of a lot determination sweating it out at the gym for the last nine months. I have a few stretch marks but in the recent sunshine they have been tanned in so looking forward to my hols.

[choceyes]

Thing is, I'm not that bothered about wearing a bikini. I'm quite happy in my one piece. I'm dark skinned, so I don't need to tan, and I only like laying on the beach (in the shade!) maybe one or two days out of my holidays. We never go on beach holidays. Mostly we go to my in-laws holiday home in France which has a lake nearby with a beach area. I don't feel comfortable in a bikini in front of my FIL!! If it was on a random beach full of strangers, I wouldn't give a damn and wear a bikini if I want to, saggy belly or not!

All the bikinis I've tried on, and as I have 28F boobs, there's not much choice, are expensive and look like underwear. Bizzarely I look quite good in underwear normally even with my belly, but bikinis just make me look yuk. But the bottom line is that I'm just not that bothered about wearing a bikini and I don't want to spend a lot of money on one when I'd only wear it once or twice a year. I take the DCs swimming once a week, but then ofcourse I wear a swimsuit as it's an indoor municipal pool.

[EliotNess]

Ilanthe. You will be so pleased. :)

[EliotNess]

Who's looking daggers? That's not the point of this. seems to have turned into humble brag

[Littlepumpkinpie]

Choceyes your the same size as me then and I agree about the choice side of things I brought Freya ones this :)

[Ilanthe]

I did as I promised upthread and in fact bought 2 bikinis. One is from Topshop, one from M&S. The Topshop one is far nicer and the M&S one might go back.

I looked better than expected in both. Ditched underwired styles and just went for tie tops.

I am pleased.

[HappyAsEyeAm]

I can't believe that I didn't wear bikinis more when I was younger and hadn't had children. Why oh why did I think that I shouldn't?! I looked fine. Actually, I looked pretty good. I am incredulous that I thought otherwise. OK, I was never going to be the best looking, or the fittest, but I looked absolutely fine.

But now. Oh no. I am a 37 yo size 10-12, but I am very wobbly of thigh, bottom and stomach. The only part of me that doesn't wobble are my boobs, and that's because they sag and don't do anything else. I just can't wear a bikini. My stomach is crepey, very wrinkled and puckered and looks awful.

The irony is that I would be the first to say to anyone, and genuinely mean it, that they shouldn't care what anyone else thinks, that people actually aren't lookng at you as they have better things to do/prettier people to look at/themselves to worry about, that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and we should just accept each other etc etc.

But I can't take the advice myself.