Talk to me about swim dresses....

[Biancadelrioisback]

Are they good? Bad? Ugly?
I am 5'2, used to always be a size 10 but since my last holiday I am now a 14 and very embarrassed about it. I need a swimming costume and the thought of my belly and arse hanging out makes me want to cry. Im not yet 30 so don't want to be old before my time. Are swim dresses a stylish way to hide the flab? Or is it twee and shit?
Help :(

I'm a size 20 and we're off to Tenerife in July. I've bought a swim dress and a normal costume. I'm going to see which I want to wear when I get there. I'm not sure about the swim dress; it covers up my horrible belly overhang but I don't know if it just generally makes me look bigger.
I've got a lovely cover up kaftan and a sarong which I'll probably be wearing most of the time by the pool anyway.

Go on Figleaves. The models are all shapes and sizes and the cossies still look fab. I ordered two and they even make me look great (ish. I left my glasses off)

Ugly! And make you stick out like a sore thumb.

Like this one. 25% off too!

I bought two swim dresses earlier this week for my upcoming beach holiday. I got a lot of stretch marks from my pregnancy and it covers all of them (even the ones on the tops of my thighs. I can't comment on the practicality in the water but they certainly make me feel more comfortable so already a yes in my book.

For me it's not about what everyone else thinks, it's about how I feel and if I'm comfortable I'm going to enjoy my son's first holiday more!!

I had put on a huge amount of weight (7st) due to an illness and felt very, very uncomfortable in swimwear. Last year I wore this style and genuinely felt very comfortable. Even though I’ve nearly lost all of the weight I put on I’m tempted to get another one this year.

I like shorts and tankini top more than a swim dress.

I bought some men's swim shorts from primark, the kind with the mesh inside' that hit just above mid thigh. They had them in every colour so I got pink and pair with a black vest style top.

I have 3 swimdresses and don't wear any of them.
I bought one Tankini top with shorts from Amazon and it is the only costume I take on holiday.
It is so much more comfortable and flattering.

Shorts and tankini tops look way better in my opinion. Swim dresses draw attention to the area you want to hide, and make you look wider. Plus they're uncomfortable once you're in the water.
Size 14 is a perfectly average size anyway - I promise you nobody will be staring or commenting in any way.

Definitely agrees with shorts and vest top. I bought some board shorts for clambering over rocks and rock pooling with my dc and I ended up just keeping them on most of the time. They are comfy and practical - I bought the short ones rather than almost knee length ones and I think they ar3 actually flattering on me.

I'm on holiday right now in Europe and today we went to a water park. There were all shapes and sizes there. To be honest I thought the few women wearing swimdresses did stand out stood a bit- it draws attention to the fact you are trying to cover up and feel conscious. I say this is as a current size 16 trying to slim down to my pre pregnancy size of a 10 after 3 sections in 4 years!

I thought I would be really self conscious this holiday but I haven't - everyone is busy
With their own families and friends to look and I have been manically running after my kids to even think about it. I bought a flattering one piece from m&s with a control tummy thing and have felt ok in it. I've seen a few curvier ladies rocking the high waisted bikini look too and some of them have looked ace!

Having said that - wear what YOU want. It's what you feel comfortable in that matters xxx

Honestly....I’ve got one and feel very self conscious in it. My issue is more my thighs tbh though, as they now run even though I’m ‘only’ a 14. No swim dress will cover that, so I guess it depends what area of your body you’re most concerned about?

Okay, consider me successful talked out of a swim dress.

I am very interested in high waisted bottoms and top. Or an all in one...I need it to be able to keep up with me chasing my terrible 2 year old around.

I am on a budget thought, no more than £30.
I am desperate to lose the weight so I don't want to invest in something I (hopefully) won't need in a year....

Have a look at dresslilly online. They have some gorgeous ones at the moment for about £15 that are high waisted bottoms and a loose top x

Shorts or high waisted bottoms?

I think the key is trying on and seeing how you feel. I have tried a good 10 swimsuits in the last few months and the swimdress was the only thing i liked this is the one i got

Yours also do swim shorts and tops which was going to be my next thing to try

I'm so pissed off at myself for not having lost any weight.
Had to drop my gym membership and it appears my every day exercise just isn't enough!
I am wondering if I start doing squats now, will my arse magically transform before the holiday? And press-ups so my bingo wings can fuck off too... Aarrrrgghhhhh!!! Why did I let this happen???

Size 14 is not big!!!
Having said that, if there's 4 weeks til you go, you really could lose half a stone in that time if it's important to you. Spray tan and pedicure, if that'll give you more confidence?
I'd say no to the swimming dress- not a good look. Yes to a one piece if you feel you want coverage.
Personally, I'm going for a fabulous Roxy surf suit style with high leg and long sleeves- but I'm 52 and will be swimming off the Norfolk coast not somewhere lovely and warm by a heated pool!!
Have a great time.

@MissYeti - you say that for you it’s not about what everyone else thinks, which is fine. But on this occasion the OP asked what everyone else thought.

@StarlightLady I don't see the problem? OP asked for opinions about swimming dresses and I gave mine by saying I liked them because they made me feel comfortable... People tend to not worry about how they're perceived by others if they feel comfortable.

Either way OP has decided not to go for a swim dress so my opinion isn't relevant anymore.

Good luck OP - hope you find something you like!

I might just hide behind a cardboard cut out of a skinny woman for the whole holiday ...

@Biancadelrioisback I would really struggle to hide behind a cardboard cutout of a skinny woman 😂😂😂😂

You're better off wearing some shorts that match your swimsuit. If you get sporty ones in the same fabric as men's trunks, they look fine and are also very good for if you worry about your bum showing.

Sainsbury’s swimwear is easily as good as M&S if not better, imo, and extremely good value.
tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/c/women/women-swimwear?q=%3AnewArrivals&text=#

We go to Florida and at my current size 14/16 I feel positively teeny over there.

But it was a good thing to see so many different shapes and sizes of both men and women.

I wear shorts with a bikini top because I can never get a pair of bikini bottoms that cover my arse cheeks. They are always too high cut and believe me I have tried to find some. So shorts it is.

I also have board shorts that come half way down my thighs which cover my stretch marks so I feel very confident in those. They are these from Amazon. They are true to size.