Am I the only one that hates women’s swimwear/beachwear options?

[Mudonstairs]

A total first world problem…Just wanting a rant really. I have booked my first holiday since becoming a mum and am finding the bikini options quite depressing. I’ve never liked one piece swim suits so bikini/tankini is really my only option. I just find them all so revealing and I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing them. The tankini options tend to look so plain and unattractive and I find they are marketed at the plus size market so unavailable in my size sometimes. I am finding most styles are either too revealing or on the other end of the scale just frumpy 🤷🏻‍♀️ I just want something pretty that covers the bottom a bit better. I don’t want to have shave or wax while I’m away for two weeks so knickers are a bit too revealing. I feel annoyed that men don’t have to decide whether they want their pubes on show!!!

I am late thirties, a size 8 but I do go up a size or two on bottoms to get more coverage. Another rant: why do the bottoms only cover half a bum cheek?! 🤬 perhaps a lot of retailers believe that women want to bare as much flesh as possible, especially if they are of a smaller frame??? I don’t get it.

I have bought a skirted bottom from M&S online (can’t remember which brand) which is ok and still feminine without looking frumpy. But I can’t find anything else remotely pretty but still not too much flesh on the bottom area on show. People have suggested sarongs/cover ups but honestly I just want something I can go in and out of a pool without too much faffing. I will have a two year old to run after!

Sorry, rant over! Does anyone else feel my pain?

Davy J

I thought I was the only one- fortunately, there seems to be a choice of swimming shorts around now

Lands End - excellent quality, unbeatable customer service.

You might find the tankini tops vary in size, but returns couldn’t be easier.

They have offers on most of the time.

Definitely board shorts. I wear them over a one piece swimsuit. And trust me, no-one would mistake me for a surfer! Got mine out of mountain warehouse.

But the thing is, there are loads of shorts available - but you've said you find them all frumpy. You don't want to wear anything revealing, but you seem to be in the mindset that if it's not revealing it's 'frumpy' and not 'feminine'.

I have to agree with this! I am not bothered about looking pretty or feminine, so I wear Land's End or Speedo.

Panache has lots of high waisted/fuller figure bottom options. They also do tops in cup/band sizes, which I love.

😂 haha yes, I hate this! I refuse to wear high waisted bikini bottoms for this very reason. I am a pear shape like op, have a tiny waist, so it would just look huge! I have a flat stomach, but stretch marks from having my dcs, which means i can't wear a bikini. If I don't want a one piece, I am limited to monokinis if I want to feel remotely myself. I have a long torso, so getting it to fit right has been a nightmare! Finally I find one, and the pants are slightly low at the back. You can't win!

Long board shorts aren't my style, I have managed to get a little pair of black crochet shorts from amazon which may be an option for you too op. I'll post them next.

You can go in the water with these, they're fully lined (as in the underwear part you see in the pic is attached if that makes any sense!). @Mudonstairs

Quite. And why are little girls swimsuits also cut so that they only cover half their bottom when boys' ones aren't? This even applies to UV suits!

Wouldn’t the board shorts style kind of show everything to anyone behind you if you were actually swimming? I mean, I can see how they’d work when you’re upright, but surely as soon as you move your legs they gape and flap from below?

I’m with you. Even when I have sorted out my bikini area I always worry about a stray hair or the bikini moving so would feel more comfortable in some swim shorts to go with bikini top but it seems harder to find.

My bottom doesn't hang out of anything. I am not plus sized and have had no problem finding swim wear for both the pool and holiday that I am comfortable in and don't show pubic hair.

I have Landsend swim shorts (not board shorts), I have two boy leg one pieces, a Speedo tankini where the pants are lower cut and large and have just got a lovely pair of White Stuff shorts.

They usually have 'knickers' inside, either the same fabric as the shorts or net.

We are all different shapes and size. It cam be more difficult if you're curvier on the bottom half.

I know we are all different shapes and sizes.
I don't know what you mean by curvier. I have curves (i.e. a waist and hips) and find the shorts cover my bottom. This is what OP is looking for I think?

I have never liked bikini's, but this is the first year I've felt confident enough to wear one. I found some great ones on Cupshe and can definitely recommend them.

I actually think we've never had so much choice in the bottom department. Look at Boden or Bravissimo or any of the bra makers, Pour Moi etc, they all do a selection of bottoms mix and match with tops, from stringy, to pant, to fold over, to short..... I generally go for the mid rise option, which have good bum coverage. I'm 58 and not skinny.

Fatface do swim trunks for women.

I'd encourage you to give one piece swimsuits a go, I never liked them but have found some really nicely fitting patterned ones since having DC, I feel great in them (although still need to shave).

OP I'm the same size and age as you and I totally agree. Options seem to be either shorts, tummy-control-all-in-one or half your arse hanging out. I just want a pair of normal sized bikini bottoms, the kind that used to be everywhere back in the day.

Surf brands are no better, I've tried them. I end up buying a load of bikini bottoms online and sending them all back because they're either instant wedgie or showing half your pubes. It's so so frustrating.

Swim skirt?

You got it in a nutshell! 😂

Options seem to be either shorts, tummy-control-all-in-one or half your arse hanging out. I just want a pair of normal sized bikini bottoms, the kind that used to be everywhere back in the day.

I don't know where you're looking but I disagree. I think it's very easy to find regular bikini bottoms - M&S, Next, Tu

I find cyclist shorts or boy shorts in a dull colour frumpy im afraid 🤷🏻‍♀️ I like to be feminine in other ways such as nice colours, patterns or well designed in some way other than half my labia on show 😂

This! ^
Shorts would be lovely. Why do they have to be ‘boy’ shorts or cycling shorts which to me are still revealing and just not nice looking. Board shorts are probably the closest style out there but even those can be too surfer type and off putting. Just nice normal looking shorts for women in a range of colours/patterns, is that so hard? I wish I was a clothes designer. There is definitely a gap in the market!