Swimsuits can feel like a necessary evil. I mean…we could avoid them completely, but that would make me really sad b/c no doubt we’d be missing out on some really fun times with our people if we decided to avoid swimsuits completely. The very best advice I’ve heard in reference to feeling comfortable in a swimsuit is this:
Find a suit you like.
Wear it.
The End.
And some thoughtful advice from Yours Truly: We can feel uncomfortable in a swimsuit regardless of our size or what swimsuit we’re wearing. If we’re looking for our BODIES to give us our confidence, specifically what the world tells us the female body should look like…most of us will be falling short. Bc the size two six-pack abs exist on probably 1% of the female population and most of the time it’s not even healthy.
When we look for the external to give us confidence, we will either end up with pride or shame. But when we look to our Creator to define us…when we rest in our identity as His Daughters and His GOOD creation that takes on all sorts of beautiful forms…there we find confidence regardless of anything external.
Your body? It’s made good. And ya’ll I can preach this bc don’t you know I’ve lived it and Satan still comes at me with his lies? Stand your ground. ⚔️ don’t let him steal one minute of your JOY.
The honest truth is that I really DO want you to have fun with your people this summer, but swimsuits can be complicated. When my husband and I were in the Dominican recently for a week, I commented to him, “If you look around, you’ll see hundreds of different suits for girls.” Not just patterns of swimwear but literally hundreds of different styles! But if you look at the guys…you’ve got basically two options – swim trunks or a speedo, and 99% thankfully were trunks!! Lol. Honestly, it’s not a terrible thing. We all have different bodies and that’s why it can take some time to find the suit that works for us.
Most of the suits below are ones that I’ve personally tried, but rather than just looking at the suit, I’d encourage you to look at the brands b/c these suits might not be the perfect fit for your body type, but I believe the brands are quality and you’ll be able to find SOMETHING that works great for you!
Also, I don’t have affiliations or partnerships with any of these brands. This is my honest opinion that I share without compensation b/c a girlfriend’s got to help a girlfriend out, right?? 🙂
Another question you might be asking – Why quality? Why do I pick quality (aka typically more expensive) swimwear over cheaper brands? I started buying quality swimwear back in my mid 20’s after I had my 1st kiddo. Back then I shopped exclusively at Athleta b/c it was the only brand I knew that had suits that worked for me. For years before that point, I really struggled to find suits that fit my long frame, and Athleta’s suits fit better, stayed in place, AND lasted SO much longer than any other brand I had before.
Over the past few years I’ve branched out to find other brands and more variety. My own personal prerequisites:
- No boobs hanging out 🙂 (I don’t have much up top, but I want them babies covered)
- No tush hanging out – I personally prefer a full coverage bottom
- Must not create a muffin top (I find this can be fixed by getting the size right!)
- Must work for chasing after kids/kayaking/skiing, etc.
And a tip: we should never get hung up on size, but ESPECIALLY with swimsuits. I find swimsuit sizes to be less than accurate. If something doesn’t fit right, try sizing up (or down) before just dismissing it. Don’t get hung up on the size b/c you might be missing out on something cute!! Here are my top picks this year:
Albion Fit:
- Albion Fit Off-Shoulder one piece – This swimsuit comes in multiple patterns, but you’ll have to just scroll or search off-shoulder one piece to see the different patterns. Hands down – my favorite one-piece from last year. It actually fits long torsos and the ruching is SO flattering!!
- Albion Fit Swim Crop and Ruched high-waist bottom – Full disclosure: I was a tankini girl for years after kids until the creation of the high-waist bottom and now I’ve been wearing two pieces more often. The high waist bottom with a modest top really can be just as flattering as a one-piece or tankini, and unlike a tankini, you don’t get that big air bubble under your suit when you get in the water, you don’t get the stretching out that occurs when it gets wet, or the unflattering “stick to your stomach” that happens when you get out of the water! This particular top and bottom provide great coverage and are cute too!
Athleta:
- Athleta Bondi Bra Cup Tankini – Ok, I haven’t personally tried this one, and after I just said that tankinis aren’t my fav, I think this one is really cute!! I don’t need any more suits this year, but if I did, I’d totally order it!
- Athleta Clean Full Bottom – I have a couple of Athleta’s full bottoms from years past and I appreciate their full coverage fit. I find going to the medium coverage is a big difference and never felt like those bottoms stayed in place as well for me personally!
JCrew:
- Crew Ruched Bandeau One-Piece – 2nd favorite one piece I own. I saw Emily Ley post about this swimsuit a couple years ago and then was THRILLED when I saw that J.Crew also sells it in LONG TORSO length! Amazing!! Also, if you don’t love this pattern, it comes in a bunch of other solid colors and patterns. You might have to search or scroll a bit to find them but there are lots of options! I was nervous about this one b/c I thought it might be hard to keep up without the strap, but it actually stays in place well!
- J.Crew Ruched V-Neck one-piece – Ok, this is a super cute suit that didn’t quite work for me. I’m 5’10” and if I would have been about an inch shorter, this suit would have been perfect! It pulled just a little on my shoulders and I knew it would bother me if I kept it. I worried that the V neck would be too low, but it wasn’t bad at all, and the top was tight enough that even if I bent over, nothing showed or fell out! 😉 If you’re larger on top, that might be a different story. The ruching again is very flattering and it comes in lots of colors!
Nani:
- Nani Gingham Avant Crop – Love love this top. It’s adorable and like everything Nani, perfect for running around after kids or water sports.
- Nani Gingham Midrise bottom – This mid-rise bottom worked well for me. It’s still full coverage and came just below my belly button. Love this with the matching top.
- Nani Coastal Ruched High Rise bottom – by far the most comfortable bottom I own. Adjust the rise to wherever you like it and it’s just so easy to wear. It comes in several colors/patterns.
- Nani Moab Surf Crop – I have this style but not this pattern. Again, super easy and amazing to wear playing with kids in the water or for doing any swimming or water sports. There are more patterns available on their website!
Summersalt:
- Summersalt Wanderlust Bikini Top – Ok, I don’t own this and actually haven’t tried it on either, but I’m sharing it because I own something similar and the Rifle Paper collection with SummerSalt is SO pretty!! Go check out their other patterns/styles! The one I got is sold out but I hope their partnership continues because I love both companies. Matching Mid-rise bottom
- Summersalt mid-rise bikini bottom and Summersalt tie oasis bikini top – I have this top in a sold-out pattern from last year, and it’s so comfortable plus I love the adjustable straps to find the perfect fit. Mine came with a high-waisted bottom that I love. In general Summersalt has lots of cute one pieces and two pieces on their website so go check them out!
Ok, there’s my 2022 modest, quality, swimsuit round-up! I could have added more because really there are lots of great options out there! No matter what, remember that YOU being YOU in your own skin, exactly as you are, is what brings JOY and blessing to the world. Your swimsuit can’t do that. The size of your suit won’t do that. But you living in your full design exactly as you are will shine light and love to everyone around you. Live free, friends.
