Can't Tell the Suits Without a Scorecard

As I continue with the water aerobics, I continue with the needing more swimsuits than I ever have in my life. I find that even I'm getting mixed up on what I have and what I've gone through, so I decided to do a recap (more for my own sake than yours, sorry).

First, a moment of mourning for my old, much-beloved suit, which was a high-necked Lands End suit that I'd probably had for ten years (obviously before this year, I haven't been swimming all that much). It died back in January.

I loved that suit. Sigh.

So in January, I bought this one, from Overstock.com.

As you can see from this photo versus the one in that post, it faded a whole lot from January to June, and fortunately I found one at Old Navy before it absolutely died. It's a little less coverage than I like for exercising in, but it is firmly in the "it will do" category.

At the same time, I ordered a couple of chlorine-resistant ones from swimsuitsforall.com. When they came, I mentioned that one might do, while the other was too tight. Same brand, same size, by the way. This is the one I kept, since it "would do," though it feels a little loose, without the support I like to have for exercising in it.

The other one felt so constrictive, and that wasn't all in comparison to the looser one: when I looked in the mirror, it was essentially pushing me in so tightly that my back was bulging out of the center. I did not look like this model, let's just say. And I don't expect to, but it was .. excessively unflattering.

Not a good look. Back it went, for credit, and I will try another one from them sometime. No rush, because I found three in Florida on my recent trip.

First, this one, which is a swim dress. I tried it in class, and the design (as I suspected might be the case) is not ideal for exercising. Which is too bad, as it's both comfortable and supportive. I will certainly wear it to the beach very happily, or in a pool if I'm not exercising.

This one has a sort of flap front, but it worked better in the pool than the dress style, and is also comfortable. It's a keeper.

Finally, this one, which I tried last night. Also good.

So here is the full lineup I have available right now; two "it will do" and two "very good" as well as the dress one. That ought to hold me for a while!

Now, while we're talking swimsuits, I noticed something on the beach last month that surprised me, but that I saw enough to conclude that it just must be a fashion trend I haven't been aware of before. It's where a woman is wearing a bikini-style top with more than one back strap, like this.

It took me a little while to figure out what it reminded me of, but I finally pinned it down. I have a fun comic collection, a gift from my brother, called Fur and Loafing in Yosemite, which is about some bears who live in San Francisco, but go to the national park regularly.

And at one point the matriarch, Hilda, shows up like this:

I don't think she's shown from the back, but that's what I was thinking of.