I want women's swim wear that is accepting of every body!

April 16, 2022 7:27 PM

I am a big, beautiful woman of 62 years of age. I do not want to wear a bikini, or any other swimsuit that I see advertised. I want swim clothing that I can get into a swimming pool and swim around in, but is comfortable enough for my body that I can climb out of the pool without worrying it is going to fall off.

When I'm talking about swimming, I'm talking about leisurely doing the breast stroke or side stroke up and down the pool. I'm not doing anything vigorous or that I need to worry about too much drag from the swim wear.

I have a big bottom and a belly that lops over. I'm 5'11", so I am a big woman. I'm not sure that what I'm envisioning exists. I'm thinking board shorts meets tankini top. Does that make sense to anyone? Does something like that exist for someone who wears size 22? Also, I want to look like I'm wearing swimwear, I don't want to look like I'm just hopping into the pool with a t-shirt and shorts on.

I feel like I'm asking for too much, but then I tell myself that even though I'm big, I deserve to feel good in my clothes and in my body.

posted by furtheryet to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (22 answers total)

Tomboy X has lots of options of cuts and colors and goes up to a size 6X. I haven’t tried their swimwear but really like their underwear.
posted by Pretty Good Talker at 7:44 PM on April 16, 2022 [11 favorites]

Calypsa.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:44 PM on April 16, 2022 [6 favorites]

I'm about your size with similar needs, and I wear Land's End swimwear. They have a variety of separates in various shapes and sizes, and the pattern selection is decent. And I've found they don't pull or stretch out or ride up in ways other brands do.
posted by decathecting at 7:45 PM on April 16, 2022 [11 favorites]

Mondetta sundress, with a tankini bottom of some sort. Just long enough for getting out of the pool or ocean. Dries fast.
posted by Oyéah at 7:59 PM on April 16, 2022

I have found good plus sized swimsuits at Walmart, because that is the only place that sells clothes in the town near the cabin we used to visit. I have 2-3 of them and they have each lasted more than a year. I also got some exercise shorts in black and they work well paired with a one piece.
posted by soelo at 8:08 PM on April 16, 2022

I can’t speak to sizing but I wear board shorts for all water activity because I don’t like feeling like I’m running around in my underpants. I feel comfortable and appropriately attired at the lake, river or pool. So I think a board short tank combo would be great for this. I enjoy being in the water so much more now that I feel more covered up.
posted by hilaryjade at 8:09 PM on April 16, 2022 [3 favorites]

Swimsuits For All is a plus-size swimwear company and the only place I have shopped for swimwear over the last decade or so. They have a whole category of "shortinis," or two-piece swimsuits with tankini tops and shorts as bottoms. Some of the shorts are more board shorts, some more bike shorts. They also sell mix-and-match separates, so you can tailor a set to your liking. Highly recommend.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 8:15 PM on April 16, 2022 [6 favorites]

If you’re concerned about a tankini riding up you can also layer board shorts on top of a one piece that fits your longer torso (as a short torso person I sometimes wear a one piece that is too long with shorts on top to keep everything covered). If you get a one piece that is high cut it will be more comfortable on larger hips since you won’t be squeezed there, but you can slip some looser board shorts on top for coverage (and pockets.) It’s the tucked in shirt of swimwear looks!
posted by Mizu at 8:26 PM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

I'd recommend Swimsuits for All. Your question is basically the whole point of the store. They have a large range of style options in size 8-34 (and also a section of extended sizes that go up to size 40) that are actually fashionable and cute. I really like the fact that the size range isn't the normal "plus size" store where it only goes up to 22 or whatever, that they're purposefully making good options for people who might have a lot of trouble finding clothes at all.

The thing I got there was a bikini (a bikini top with underwire!), after never thinking (at size 18 with the 36GG's) that I would ever be comfortable wearing a bikini, it fit really well and was more flattering than my Land's End one piece (which was fine too).

They have A LOT of more modest options too--tankini tops (some long), board shorts, swim dresses, swim skirts, cover ups.
posted by picardythird at 8:28 PM on April 16, 2022 [3 favorites]

I find that the best swimsuits for just looking like a swimsuit are the high necked ones designed for race training - less drag, simple design, and flattering to just about all body shapes. You do want the training suits - they are tougher than the racing suits and stand up better to chlorine. I have something like the TYR Women’s Hexa Maxfit on this page, only in plain black.

I'm not an athletic swimmer at all, I just like how the suit has very little drag, great chest support and never feels like it's going to fall off. I'm 5'6" and a size 16 (with big thighs), and I think it looks good on me. But more importantly, it feels really good and lets me swim without thinking about my covering.

The downside compared to a tankini is, of course, that it's a one-piece, with all the washroom inconvenience of that.
posted by jb at 9:08 PM on April 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Sisters! Thank you all for such wonderful answers! I'm sitting here on my laptop opening up online stores and going crazy doing some online window shopping...trying to hold off on buying 20 swim outfits for this summer. I appreciate all of you! Thank you!!!
posted by furtheryet at 9:10 PM on April 16, 2022 [15 favorites]

Land's End has lots of tankini/shorts/swim skirt permutations. I'm plus sized and have been buying swimsuits there for about a decade. Their DD cup swim tops tend to run large.
posted by Lycaste at 9:23 PM on April 16, 2022 [2 favorites]

I rock the board shorts + tankini look too and have for years. A couple of items that I found on amazon recently here and here.
posted by selfmedicating at 9:35 PM on April 16, 2022

Nthing Lands End. I don't swim all that much but my LE swimsuit is still holding up after ten years (?).
posted by praemunire at 9:50 PM on April 16, 2022 [2 favorites]

My awesome ladyfriend rocks the board shorts.
posted by vrakatar at 10:12 PM on April 16, 2022

I do regular sports bra + Tomboy X swim tank/rashguard (whatever it's called) with regular bikini bottoms that I then put a pair of board shorts or the Tomboy X capri swim shorts or sometimes plain old leggings over.

Which sounds like a lot when I write it all out, but none of it feels bulky in the water. And as someone mentioned above, I don't like feeling like I'm swimming in my underwear.

(FWIW, I find Tomboy X bikini/bra tops run quite tight, and I'm not particularly large chested. But I adore the swim tank I have from them. The material is nice, it's got a very comfortable amount of stretch, but it doesn't get too loose/baggy in the water, and it just sort of skims over my torso without clinging.)
posted by litera scripta manet at 4:02 AM on April 17, 2022

Junoactive has a lot of options
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:06 AM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]

I have had good luck with Lime Ricki. They specialize in modest swimwear, have a decent size range (up to 4X), and although they are a little pricey, everything I've gotten from them is good quality.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 7:04 AM on April 17, 2022

Beefcake Swimwear might be another option--some of my friends are big fans.
posted by box at 11:30 AM on April 17, 2022

Response by poster: It is heartening that there are so many good options for large-sized women who want to be comfortable while being active. I ended up going with Swimwear for All. I bought a black capri legging and topped it with a long tankini top in turquoise with bright multi-colored fish print.

A lot of your suggestions also turned me on to places that have clothes and underwear for BBW, as well, so that was an added benefit of this thread.

Thank you, one and all!
posted by furtheryet at 2:06 PM on April 17, 2022 [6 favorites]

Just saw this question. Depending on exactly what you bought and how it fits, you may find this answer to my earlier question about some tankini tops from Swimwear for All useful.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 6:31 AM on April 18, 2022

If you want to think out of the box and be very comfortable - this suit from aliexpress is what I swim in (this one is out of stock, but there are others like it)

BTW, I tried a Tomboy X swimsuit and found it uncomfortably tight and with a seam pressing in the crotch area.
posted by mirileh at 11:30 PM on April 18, 2022