Tweens and bathing suits

[ccgirl]

I get what the OP was saying. I do think that kids want to be stylish and they should be able to. I just think that as a parent you have to at the very least buy the right size for your kid. Nothing worse than 10lbs of flour in a 5lb sack. It is the same for adults. I know sometimes clothing costs more money because it is the only brand etc. that fits but that is the cost of being a parent. It stinks sometimes but what can you do? I wouldn't want my child to look ridiculous in ill fitting clothing just to save a buck. I will do without instead.
Of course tween/teen girls can be very self conscious etc. but I have seen what the OP is talking about. It is not just basic bathing suit tugging. It is the whole body language.

I just about peed my pants. Hilarious! But, very true.

FYI - In case this helps anyone -

DD13 needed a one piece suit for summer camp. We found this suit in a size 16 at Kohls:

We found it in the store. I do not believe they showed a size 16 on-line.

Love it!!! Going to Kohl's this weekend to see if they have more.

That's the point. The clothes that "fit" are out there. It may not be so easy to find them though. When I do, I always buy 2 sizes just in case my DD grows. As I said, I don't care what the "in" thing is. If I don't feel it's appropriate that's it. As mean as it may sound.

 

[PlainJane]

I wish the clothing companies wouldn't try to make clothes that make tweens and teens look like well you know. and bathing suits, they all are either string bikini, or have that hoop on each side of the bottom.

i have to get DD12 and 1 piece bathing suit for a youth group retreat, so I will be needing luck with that, the 1 pieces look like the whole back part is missing.

I'm a 21 year old, but I've had good luck with Jantzen, I've been wearing their suits since my early teens, granted I looked like a 16 year old at 12. They describe themselves as retro in style. I've always received lots of compliments on these suits and best of all they fit well and stay in place better than any other bathing suit I've ever worn, and they are more often than not on the modest side without looking frumpy. They start kinda pricey, but I've found them for as little as $20-25 at Ross/TJMaxx/Marshalls stores and a lot of department stores have them on sale now.

Before puberty forced the move to more adult swimsuits, I wore ones from Limited Too which I guess is now Justice which I've seen on this thread.

 

[SaraJayne]

I just about peed my pants. Hilarious! But, very true.



Love it!!! Going to Kohl's this weekend to see if they have more.

That's the point. The clothes that "fit" are out there. It may not be so easy to find them though. When I do, I always buy 2 sizes just in case my DD grows. As I said, I don't care what the "in" thing is. If I don't feel it's appropriate that's it. As mean as it may sound.

Same here.

 

[princessmom29]

LMBO...oh honey do NOT call them hoochie mammas! I'm not discussing hoochie looks either, just basically ill fitting or ill suited suits. It really doesn't help that the people making bathing suits have for the last several years decided that my girls need a low cut bathing suit. Um, no thankyou. They are under teens and really have nothing to show, nor do I WANT them to show that they don't have it, kwim?

I've spent time stitching up the fronts of suits for the last 4 years. WTH?

We have this problem with one piece suits and dance leos for DD. It is another reason we do 2 pieces. She has to wear a full leo for dance however, so they are tough to find. We try on the same leos as other girls in our class, and they look great on other girls. The necline is nowhere near too low, but DD gets on one that fits everywhere else and it droops way too low in the front. We usually do halter leos or the high neck tanks and they fit much better. Mabye a halter style suit would help?

 

[Squirrel!!!]

I think that some teens/tweens/women are uncomfortable walking around in swimsuits no matter the fit, because seriously, it is like running around in public in your undies!!!

I swam competitively from age 5 through college, so while I am now almost 50 and have the body to go with it, I stomp around the pool in my speedo like I look fine. My b'zillion and a half hours of public swim suit wearing...uniform...no body issues.

My DD is 11 and for now wears a speedo or the like for all of her swimming needs. So far she sees no need for anything more fashionable. BUT, when she does, I will look into something that fits her without showing the lady bits. She will likely not wear a two piece since she is such an avid swimmer, can't see her putting up with a suit that risks falling off!!!

 

[hereyago]

Thanks to PlainJane and CCgirl: I can look at both Justice, Ross and Kohl's for the 1 piece bathing suit, and better yet, they are all in the same shopping area.

 

[Sandy321]

Thanks to PlainJane and CCgirl: I can look at both Justice, Ross and Kohl's for the 1 piece bathing suit, and better yet, they are all in the same shopping area.

Dont forget JC Penny and Sears -

DD also has to have a one piece for summer camps... I cant remember if we found anything at Old Navy in the one piece but we spent hours shopping, I know that!!

 

[ccgirl]

Thanks to PlainJane and CCgirl: I can look at both Justice, Ross and Kohl's for the 1 piece bathing suit, and better yet, they are all in the same shopping area.

You are very welcome. I also found some great Speedo bathing suits at Ocean State Job Lot. I don't know where you are from if they have them around you but usually those suits are around $40 and I got them for $9 there. TJ Maxx is the other place that had them.

 

[golfgal]

You are very welcome. I also found some great Speedo bathing suits at Ocean State Job Lot. I don't know where you are from if they have them around you but usually those suits are around $40 and I got them for $9 there. TJ Maxx is the other place that had them.

I see Speedo's at Sam's club every year too.

 

[ccgirl]

I see Speedo's at Sam's club every year too.

Oh man...the one near us went out of business last year. I always keep my eye out for the Speedo ones since my DD is a swimmer and bikini's are not allowed.

 

[Poohforyou]

I see Speedo's at Sam's club every year too.

I get my DD Speedo's at Costco. I guess I'm lucky that my DD who just finished 6th grade today isn't into fashion or the latest trends. She dresses stylish but conservative which I guess she gets from me.

As far as telling a tween/teen girl that something doesn't flatter her body that's a very slippery slope. The last thing anyone wants is a child with body image issues or an eating disorder.

 

[bjscheel]

Yes, I see a lot of little kids in suits that don't stay put. At WDW earlier there was a toddler at the pool in what I assume was a "looks different when wet" situation. The material was so thin you could see right through and the crotch sagged down to her knees. Fortunately within 10 minutes she was changed into something much better! (It was a bikini but it fit and it covered)

My DD12 wears swim shorts and rashguards, with a swim top underneath. One-pieces like the one shown above that a previous poster found in girls 16 do not work because they don't have any built-in support, even at size 16. She doesn't want her belly to show. Most tankinis still show some. So yes, it has been a challenge finding something. She now has an assortment of swim tops, shorts, and rashguards in lime and aqua that she can mix and match.

As for those complaining about "padded" swim tops for little girls...often even by the age of 8 girls are getting a little 'pointy' and padded is better than a clinging single layer!

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

If it were a girl I knew, I would have made the suggestion (and probably even offered my DDs extra top), but NO, I'm not going to tell a stranger that she might want to cover up, just as I do not tell parents in the grocery store how to handle their screaming child. Too many unbalanced people out there.

I do like the idea of the board shorts. My DD usually chooses a tankini. They are cute and they cover things up without being frumpy or old lady-ish.

So you will just hide behind the computer screen and tell all of us parents, that you do not know, to do it instead.

 

[Pigeon]

As far as telling a tween/teen girl that something doesn't flatter her body that's a very slippery slope. The last thing anyone wants is a child with body image issues or an eating disorder.

I agree completely. They will develop their own sense of style and figure out what works and what doesn't. It won't cause lasting damage if they pick out an outfit that mom doesn't think suits their shapes. But I can still remember, 40 years later, my mom making a comment to me about an outfit. And not in a good way.

 

[scrapquitler]

So you will just hide behind the computer screen and tell all of us parents, that you do not know, to do it instead.

A general statement to think about the suit you are buying for your child and consider if it actually fits properly is a LOT more benign and less confrontational than saying something to a perfect stranger.

If I hear something on a radio talk show and think about how it applies to my life and take it into consideration its one thing, but if some stranger on the street stopped me and told me the same thing, I'd likely not listen to them and be offended. Same thing here.

It was just an observation....

 

[scrapquitler]

I agree completely. They will develop their own sense of style and figure out what works and what doesn't. It won't cause lasting damage if they pick out an outfit that mom doesn't think suits their shapes. But I can still remember, 40 years later, my mom making a comment to me about an outfit. And not in a good way.

If done in a nice way, pointing your child toward something that IS appropriate and flattering isn't going to cause lasting damage. I wouldn't say to my daughter "That outfit is hideous, it makes you look fat", that would just be mean. Instead, if I said "The green one looks better than the yellow one because (insert whatever the reason is, stated nicely)" and explain what is better about it, then she can understand how the cut of the outfit works. I watch what not to wear all the time, and though they do make some snarky comments, they always explain the type of cut that is flattering to the persons body style and WHY.... we moms can do the same with our children in a nice way and not leave them remembering us as insulting them 40 years later.

 

[Anjelica]

If done in a nice way, pointing your child toward something that IS appropriate and flattering isn't going to cause lasting damage. I wouldn't say to my daughter "That outfit is hideous, it makes you look fat", that would just be mean. Instead, if I said "The green one looks better than the yellow one because (insert whatever the reason is, stated nicely)" and explain what is better about it, then she can understand how the cut of the outfit works. I watch what not to wear all the time, and though they do make some snarky comments, they always explain the type of cut that is flattering to the persons body style and WHY.... we moms can do the same with our children in a nice way and not leave them remembering us as insulting them 40 years later.

 

[Poohforyou]

If done in a nice way, pointing your child toward something that IS appropriate and flattering isn't going to cause lasting damage. I wouldn't say to my daughter "That outfit is hideous, it makes you look fat", that would just be mean. Instead, if I said "The green one looks better than the yellow one because (insert whatever the reason is, stated nicely)" and explain what is better about it, then she can understand how the cut of the outfit works. I watch what not to wear all the time, and though they do make some snarky comments, they always explain the type of cut that is flattering to the persons body style and WHY.... we moms can do the same with our children in a nice way and not leave them remembering us as insulting them 40 years later.

And you could still have a child that wants the yellow outfit anyway or even more so because mom doesn't like it as much. It all comes down to picking battles.

 

[graygables]

And you could still have a child that wants the yellow outfit anyway or even more so because mom doesn't like it as much. It all comes down to picking battles.

and then you use that grossly underused parent word: "no".

 

[Poohforyou]

and then you use that grossly underused parent word: "no".

Trust me, "no" is not an underused word in this household but I also don't just use it because I can. My point is that as long as both outfits are appropriate (i.e. everything is covered and the style is age appropriate) I let me DD have the final choice. It just isn't a battle I want to fight. Fortunately she's pretty conservative and is also tiny so I don't really have problems that some other parents have.