Pages

Ticker

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

June 2, 2012

Swimsuit Woes

I have a handful of friends who have little girls a bit older than A and B.  For a year or so now, I've noticed a couple of them lamenting shopping for swimsuits for their girlies.

This year, I joined the lamenting.

I bought the girls their first swimsuits -- size 18months -- a couple of years ago.  They each had a one-piece and a two-piece tankini.  I quickly discovered the one-piece was not particularly fun to get on and off...off, when wet, specifically.  The girls wore their tankini suits the last two summers.

I bought the girls a new tankini -- size 3T -- at the end of last season.  When we decided to enroll them in swim lessons, I thought I'd look for something with a little more coverage.  I was thinking about someone other than Hubby and me handling them in the pool, and I just wanted to be extra conservative.

I found what I thought was the perfect solution, a little "surfer" set (as I call it, anyway).  In addition to a fuller cut, I wouldn't have to be quite so diligent around the edges when it came to sunscreen application.  Win-win!

But...when I tried the suits on the girls -- super cute as they were...the bottoms fit more like pajama bottoms...very loose.  (At this age are the suits still designed for swim diapers?)


I think these will be great for running through the sprinklers in the yard, and maybe even the dancing fountains downtown...but I'm afraid they would fall right off with any real water-weight in a pool.

[I have athletic swim shorts myself, and they have a built-in "liner".  I didn't remotely think to look for that when I bought these for the girls.]

I went shopping earlier in the week for another swimsuit for the girls, and I had the hardest time.  I wanted a two-piece, but one with decent coverage.

I only looked at Walmart and Target, but there were so many higher-cut suits...not to mention itty bitty tops.

I ended up with another tankini almost identical to the one the girls already have.  That's OK, but I would have loved to have found something different for them to enjoy.

I know this conundrum is nothing new to mamas of little girls, but this was my first real foray into that world.  Ugh.  And I'm probably in for this battle for the next, um...25 years???

Hmmm...I wonder where the Duggars get those swim dresses.

8 comments:

James said...

As soon as summer starts winding down, I go online and buy the kids' suits for the following year (Lands End, usually). Cheap and more selection than what's in the stores.

Amelia has zero butt, so I buy one size down from her age and that seems to work. This year she's sporting a one-piece from Lands End that has a mini-skirt thing for added bottom coverage and I got her the matching swim shirt for good upper body coverage. Meets all my requirements: Doesn't fall off. Maximum sun coverage. Super comfortable for a super active girl.

Johanna at The Baker Twins said...

We buy all of ours online. I refuse to put the twins into a bikini, and there is a better selection on the internet. We try to catch the sales that start happening near the middle of the summer (when school clothes start appearing) - doesn't help you now, but for next year (and the end of this one, it is great. We LOVE CWD kids online for swimwear. Gap also sells great swimsuits (at least they did last year), so I bet Old Navy sells cheaper ones too.

And let me know if you find any of those Duggar swim dresses. ;)

Kristen @ Hope Abound said...

I'm thinking the Duggars referred to Modest Suits or something along that line on one of their shows. I'm sure you could google it or something.

Mandy said...

Ha Modesty Suits! Bwhahaha! We're two different sizes as well, HOWEVER, the 3T suits I bought are too large and last year's suits fit perfectly!
I hate the one piece on Emma, and it is a little high. I hate that despite being a 18-24month suit, Claire has a perpetual plumber's crack. But I don't hate them as much as I hate shopping for new suits!

Jayme said...

I am a huge tankini fan for my girls too- because of how hard it is to get them in and out of them when wet and also because Lili has such a long torso, when a one piece is long enough to fit her, the butt sags.

Old Navy has some decent tankinis and they were $9 when I went the other day!

Cecilia said...

Swim dresses!!!!! Ahahahahahah!!

cat said...

We use sunsuits like the ones you have bought, but ours sit nice and tight.In the South African sun it is really the only great choice for say, a day at the beach.

Trish said...

Check old navy! I bought some the other day that had a rash guard top that had sleeves and went well below the belly button, with a cute little side tie, and then full coverage bottoms. So it was two pieces but offered maximum coverage. I do wonder, though, if they still make them for swim diapers, because the bottoms were a little baggy in the behind. I was SHOCKED at all the itsy bitsy teeny bikinis I saw in the Target girls section!! My hubby would KILL me if I came home with something like that!