Help... Teen daughter needs a new swimsuit for summer/Disney...

[mamahas5]

Tie a square knot in the sides before tying the bow on the bikini bottoms. Thwarts troublesome MS and HS boys every time. My 12 year just got her first bikini (I finally gave in and frankly if I had her body, I'd want to wear a bikini too) and I showed her how to tie the sides so that even if someone pulls the ties or one snags on something, nothing unties or comes off.

-Astrid

Good advice! My 12 and 13 year olds just got their first bikinis and I will be using your tip.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Name brand at SAMs, tons to sort through but something for everyone. Bought dd a Speedo there at least four years ago nd still looks great.
JCPenny store suits were tiny tinie bitty things for dd or way to $.

 

[Aliceacc]

I took my 13 year old out for suits last weekend.

We found a bikini in the Juniors section of Macys that's not too bad. I'm not sure she'll be absolutey comfortable in front of her brother's friends, but we have a backyard pool so she could always wear a T shirt over it if she's self conscious. It did take a LOT of legwork to find one that covered her... and she's pretty petite.

But we hit the gold mine at Kohls. Lots and lots of Junior Tankinis; I got her two: This http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-c34114/chaps-ikat-swim-separates.jsp with a bikini bottom and this:

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-c31210/croft-barrow-fit-for-you-swim-separates.jsp

 

[DMGeurts]

Ok, I have all boys, but let me tell ya', I watch those girls! Holy moly, I keep,having to tell my oldest DS that most of the girls hanging on him are just too old for him. He doesn't get it because he is actually older than them, but I just keep telling him that proves my point. lol

I do have 8 nieces though, 11 - 24 years old. Girls should be covered to a degree (bellies don't bother me, but full butt coverage is a must and proper chest support), but the need to be cute and trendy too. I think most girls need two suits. One for hanging out by the pool/beach and one for swim/water parks. Check out the sports stores for the latter. They'll have suits that can hold up to swimming, skiing, etc, but still be fairly cute. They aren't all swim team suits. Look for the former at just about anywhere, but purchase separates. It helps to get what each girl needs individually to fit her body--not just looks, but support.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Yes - this is exactly our dillema! She wants to be cute and fun... But I want her covered... I understand the need to be stylish, but so many suits out there these days barely cover anything. It's rather embarassing for her and for me as a parent that it's almost impossible to find something that pleases both of us.

At this stage of the game - you are exactly right - we are searching for two suits... One for swimming and one for fun.

divine modestee carries great suits with coverage and support options. I think you may find a compromise here. They are not cheep suits but they are great quality classy swimwear. Most tops are adjustable. Wear them like a tankini or a swim dress whatever your comfortable with for the I occasion. Best I have found for price is $99 with free shipping but its worth it. I won't be buying elsewhere again.

Thanks SO MUCH for this link - I think you are right - this may be exactly what we are looking for... Super cute, but doesn't expose everything either. I have an email into them right now to find out exactly what "full bra support" means... Is it a "shelf bra" or is it an "underwire bra"... That will be our deciding factor. Love these suits though - they are super cute, and I don't mind spending the $$ on something like this. Again - AWESOME!!! Thanks for posting about it!

D~

 

[Nina1]

How about Athleta? I am a Land's End girl (tankini and shorts), but if I wanted a bikini, I would buy Altheta. Sporty, yet cute.

 

[Svhadden]

My DD is 12.5 yrs old, and isn't feminine AT ALL. She's the classic tomboy (like I was lol), so she isn't into swim suits as fashion statements. I do stress modesty, so we've always done either a tanking with a bottom that covers well or a rash guard/swim shorts. She absolutely prefers the rash guard/swim shorts, and this year I lucked out at Old Navy and found 4 pairs of XL swim shorts in their children's section that fit her well enough to take her through the summer and our WDW trip in Sept, and a couple of rash guards. She's quite picky about colors--can't have ANY pink, no flowers, etc--, but otherwise she's easy to please, thankfully.

My problem is always finding shorts that don't have a flipping' 2.5" inseam. We almost always end up with half a dozen pairs of Bermuda shorts or basketball/athletic shorts (which she loves, me not so much lol). Really, there no way I'm getting shorts for my girl that leave her dang BUTT CHEEKS hanging halfway out 0_o. It makes me so mad. There aren't a lot of choices if you want to dress your girl modestly, and its a shame.

 

[NotUrsula]

My DD is 12.5 yrs old, and isn't feminine AT ALL. She's the classic tomboy (like I was lol), so she isn't into swim suits as fashion statements. I do stress modesty, so we've always done either a tanking with a bottom that covers well or a rash guard/swim shorts. She absolutely prefers the rash guard/swim shorts, and this year I lucked out at Old Navy and found 4 pairs of XL swim shorts in their children's section that fit her well enough to take her through the summer and our WDW trip in Sept, and a couple of rash guards. She's quite picky about colors--can't have ANY pink, no flowers, etc--, but otherwise she's easy to please, thankfully.

My problem is always finding shorts that don't have a flipping' 2.5" inseam. We almost always end up with half a dozen pairs of Bermuda shorts or basketball/athletic shorts (which she loves, me not so much lol). Really, there no way I'm getting shorts for my girl that leave her dang BUTT CHEEKS hanging halfway out 0_o. It makes me so mad. There aren't a lot of choices if you want to dress your girl modestly, and its a shame.

The problem isn't the length of the inseam -- 2.5" is a reasonable length for a boy-cut swim bottom. The problem is the cut of the shorts' leg; it is too wide. If you sew a tuck in the outside of the legs to make them fit tight around the thigh, she won't flash. (Look at so-called "square-cut" trunks for men; you will notice how tight the leg opening needs to be for lycra shorts to stay put.)

Another choice that I do for my DD is to have her swim in lined running shorts; the sort that are made of ripstop nylon that have a tricot or mesh panty lining. They are still short, but the lining prevents cheek-flash.

BTW, the competition-focused site www.swimoutlet.com is having a sale on many of their women's board shorts right now. You might want to take a look and see if there is anything there that would work for her.

 

[MOpGrad2013]

DD15 needed a new top...She has a full coverage tankini bottom that is black with neon color sash. Victoria Secret catalog came and her eyes popped out of her face..."Mom! The bras cover more!" I told her to buy a bra and wear it then. If you put a t-shirt over it no one will notice. LOL.

She ended up at Walmart and bought a triangle type bikini top for $5. She is still looking for another suit but this is good for just being in the backyard with her brother (age 2). She was willing to wear my "lender" full suit to hang out with friends. Again, it's with her favorite colors...black and lime green.



ETA: Oh! She just informed me that there is one at SamsClub with ruffles, white with black polka dots, longer tankini..."covers more than a one piece."

 

[Pesky]

There is a retro bikini -- think Betty Grable pin-up. Great shirring that is flattering and underwire with soft cups. Guess where? Wal-mart. Lots of gals on another board have recommended it, plus 97 cents shipping can't be beat. The gals posted pics and everyone looks great. It's a great swimsuit and coverage but still very come-hither.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Catalina-...ed-Halter-High-Waist-Bikini-Swimsuit/22176213
and here's the one-piece:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Catalina-Suddenly-Slim-Women-s-Shirred-Halter-Swimsuit/17804485

 

[cobright]

Gonna have to see pictures, can't make a recommendation with out knowing what I'm working with here.

Seriously though... Some real cute dive skins out there. Like surfer-girls wear.

My daughter is 9 so enforcing modesty is not really the issue, we like them because of the sun protection. But for a teen, I imagine the form fitting nature would allow for a girl to feel feminine (or whatever they want to feel at that age ... jesus) but the near complete coverage enforces the notion of not getting the milk without buying the cow... (sorry, there are no good euphemisms for a guy commenting on this)

 

[robinb]

Dd16 wears string bikinis, just like every other teen I know (and she runs with a VERY mild crowd - honor society choir kids). Dd10 and dd12 started refusing to wear LE bathing suits years ago (they were always my go-to, they hold up very well, and yes, I wear them). They just wear Target bikinis - won't even wear tankinis.

Granted, my kids are thin (dd16 is curvy thin - tiny waist - while the others are very muscle/lean thin, so they look like little body builders - definitely not sexy!).

Thank goodness my teen is not the only one! She wears a (get ready for it) bikini from Pink. She started with a bikini from Target but it literally fell off her so we returned it. She also has this suit, the A3 Stealth in red. It has a bit more coverage LOL :

 

[Svhadden]

The problem isn't the length of the inseam -- 2.5" is a reasonable length for a boy-cut swim bottom. The problem is the cut of the shorts' leg; it is too wide. If you sew a tuck in the outside of the legs to make them fit tight around the thigh, she won't flash. (Look at so-called "square-cut" trunks for men; you will notice how tight the leg opening needs to be for lycra shorts to stay put.)

Another choice that I do for my DD is to have her swim in lined running shorts; the sort that are made of ripstop nylon that have a tricot or mesh panty lining. They are still short, but the lining prevents cheek-flash.

BTW, the competition-focused site www.swimoutlet.com is having a sale on many of their women's board shorts right now. You might want to take a look and see if there is anything there that would work for her.

NotUrsula, I'm so sorry I didn't clarify--I was referring to regular shorts lol. But I LOVE your idea for the swim trunks!

No, I meant shopping for regular shorts. They're so revealing . My DD is petite and healthy, but she has a *package* if you know what I mean, haha! Keeping her rear end covered would never happen in the Daisy Dukes that pass for regular girls shorts.

 

[robinb]

No, I meant shopping for regular shorts. They're so revealing . My DD is petite and healthy, but she has a *package* if you know what I mean, haha! Keeping her rear end covered would never happen in the Daisy Dukes that pass for regular girls shorts.

Aeropostale has shorts that might work. Their "midi" shorts have a 3.5" inseam and their "boyfriend" shorts have a 4.25" inseam. My DD doesn't have any junk in her trunk, but she's not allowed to show the underside of her cheeks so the midi and boyfriend lengths works well for us. They come in sizes are small as 00 (about a 12-14 in girls sizing).

 

[mjkacmom]

Dd12 had a pool party yesterday, and had about 20 girls there. Four had on either one piece suits or tankinis, and the rest wore bikinis, with about 5 of them wearing string bikinis. The girls with the full coverage were on the heavy side, and the girls with the string bikinis were the early developers. My dd wore a regular bikini - I don't think they even make string bikinis in her size (she hovers between a 6/6x and and 8).

Sixth grade girls come in all shapes and sizes!

 

[kbnmommy]

I also have a sixth grade girl and she is still in the Justice phase, as are most of her friends. She has developed some, and the teen suits there cover her up and have support where she needs it. No underwire though. We have also got one at JCP. It's the triangle kind and a little too grown for her IMO but she wears that one around our pool.

 

[NotUrsula]

No, I meant shopping for regular shorts. They're so revealing . My DD is petite and healthy, but she has a *package* if you know what I mean, haha! Keeping her rear end covered would never happen in the Daisy Dukes that pass for regular girls shorts.

Ah, that's a current fashion issue; short-shorts are in this year. I bought most of DD's shorts from thrift stores this year, because they have a lot of the bermudas that were popular last year and the year before. DD has long legs and prefers longer shorts.

There are some stores that sell shorts with measured inseams. JCPenney has some of what they call mid-length; the inseam on them is 5". Eddie Bauer sells a range where you can choose the length: 5", 8" or 10". Old Navy also has a couple of lines of longer shorts this year. If all else fails, go for khaki uniform shorts; those always are longer.

 

[DMGeurts]

I find the same problem with shorts too...

My oldest dd - the one we were trying to find a swimsuit for - she is just a hair above teen sizes - she has been very densely built her entire life... So, even trying to find short for her is next to impossible. We have been on the hunt for just plain ol' denim short this year - and no luck at all. She doesn't want short shorts, but she doesn't want the midi-length either, and everything must be tried on, since not matter the brand (or with in the brand) everything fits her differently. Looking for one item for her often turns into a several day affair.

Now, my youngest dd - we can walk into Hollister, pick out a size 7 in everything and just leave. Easy to fit and easy to please... and yes, she gets the midi shorts there only. LOL

I did want to update on the one swimwear site... Divine Modestee... I just loved all of their swimwear - but for anyone interested, I did contact them on their Facebook page and none of their suits offer underwire bras for support... Shelf bras only. It's too bad that they don't offer underwires, which would have been a PERFECT solution for us, as that is exactly the type of suit what we were looking for.

D~