Swimsuits for (almost) all

July 13, 2014 6:15 AM

I think I've found my perfect swimsuit: the bike shortini from plus-sized swimsuit site Swimsuits for All. Problem: I'm not plus sized. Does anyone know where I could find something similar that's a couple of sizes smaller?

Guys, I think I have found my dream swimsuit! It's a tankini with bike short bottoms, which eliminate the need for bikini-line shaving. You can buy the bottoms and the top in separate sizes. Everything fits relatively close to the body, so there's not a lot of fabric flapping around when you swim. It costs less than $50.

The problem is that the smallest size for the shorts is a 12, and I probably need more like an 8. Does anyone know of any place to buy something similar in a slightly smaller size? I'm looking at triathlon suits, but they're fancier and more expensive than I need. Extra bonus points if the top either comes in bra sizes or is a compression-style top that can smoosh my ample boobage in.

posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Best answer: Searching for "aquatard" will find you stuff like this.
posted by hollyholly at 6:25 AM on July 13, 2014

I love Land's End tankini tops. They are supportive. They don't come in particular bra sizes but you can buy them in D and DD. I have this in two colors. The straps never fall down and is super comfortable to swim in. If you can't find a swimsuit bottom that are bike short length, why not buy a regular close fitting bike/compression short?
posted by Fairchild at 6:27 AM on July 13, 2014

Land's End is the best bet, I would think, but they do not do the racer shorts. They are more loose, or they do a skirt. Another skirt. Third.
posted by oflinkey at 6:39 AM on July 13, 2014

Response by poster: A little clarification: I'm specifically interested in the bike skirts. There are lots of places to get skirts or loose shorts, but I want something that fits closer to the body. I'm also looking for a swim suit, not just standard bike shorts, because I don't think that standard clothes hold up very well in chlorine.

Thanks for the suggestions! Keep them coming.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:48 AM on July 13, 2014

Searching for "swimshorts for women" gets a bunch of hits that don't match what you want, but also several that are bicycle short style and length.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:10 AM on July 13, 2014

This is a pretty standard exercise swimsuit here in Japan. Perhaps a search using the terms "athletic" or "fitness" (or the aforementioned "exercise"...) might yield results closer to the image you posted? Or you could order via the Rakuten site here. Or here.

I think the 11 is roughly a US 8.
posted by squasha at 7:23 AM on July 13, 2014

L.L. Bean has one, though it may be a bit long.
posted by SillyShepherd at 8:20 AM on July 13, 2014

There was a question about a similar topic last month, which had links to a lot of shorts-style suits that I had never heard of before. You might find some clues in those links.
posted by CathyG at 8:25 AM on July 13, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Coolibar has swim bike shorts, but not the tank tops that you like. I like coolibar's stuff, but I, too wish they had that type of top. They do have short sleeve swim tops and a convertible top that is a high-neck tank and a separate long sleeve overlay you can put over the top for extra coverage. They are expensive, but maybe if the top from somewhere else works for you it would be worth getting the swim shorts from coolibar, and you can at least get 20% off from the many sales they run.
posted by dawg-proud at 9:34 AM on July 13, 2014

Title Nine has a couple of swim short options
posted by munichmaiden at 9:53 AM on July 13, 2014

Another search term to try is "boy short" which are typically short-shorts, not bike-short-length, but you can find ones with a bit of an inseam that are long enough to avoid bikini line maintenance on many women. These are quite often an option at places with mix-and-match tops and bottoms, for example.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:20 AM on July 13, 2014

I got these shorts at Kohl's for about $20 and have used them as swimsuit bottoms for a couple years. I love them so much I got a second pair so I would never be without. They've held up fine in chlorinated pools and over repeated washings.
posted by selfmedicating at 5:18 PM on July 13, 2014

Oh, and I tried triathalon shorts and unfortunately many are padded (so that you have butt coverage during the bike part of the triathalon). I got a danskin one that wasn't too padded -- but the bike shorts, or yoga shorts, that I got from Kohl's were much better. Less like swimming in a diaper!

The top can be purchased separately, since places like Kohl's, Target, JC Penny, etc., have a million tankini tank top options. The bike shorts I got were in the same part of the store where you would buy workout gear.
posted by selfmedicating at 5:24 PM on July 13, 2014

Athleta has a variety of swim shorts. Macys : 1 These on Amazon are quite close (with more options linked at bottom). Also, in my experience if you buy really low end, cheap tri swim shorts, they will have no padding. And you can just buy whatever nice swim tank you like at Kohls or wherever.
posted by bluefly at 8:20 PM on July 13, 2014