Weekend Open Thread

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What are your favorite swimsuits this summer, readers? I tend to prefer super-boring tankinis because I'm often at the pool/beach/water park for loooong days with the kids and prefer the ease of a two-piece. However, I am still shook by a bachelorette weekend I attended before the pandemic when all the other girls had muuuuuch cuter swimsuits than I did for our time at the pool. It was super clear to me that even if I don't get to go on a grown-up vacation often, I want a much cuter or sexier suit for when we go.

This suit from Amazon was apparently one of the top sellers last year from Prime Day (I'm so totally behind on my emails that I'm just getting to the Prime Day emails now — #winning!), and I have to say, for a $30 suit the reviews and user-submitted photos are selling it. I'm particularly impressed by how many large-busted women say it's totally supportive, even though there are no cups or underwires. The stripey details are apparently a really good quality mesh. (One reviewer noted that she was worried her fluffy middle would be spilling out of the stripes but was really pleased how the suit, um, contained her fluff in a comfortable but flattering way.)

The suit comes in 42 colors and patterns (!), has 10,000 positive reviews, and is available in sizes 0–16. (Interesting, that, given that it's the “#1 bestseller in women's plus-size suits.”)

Other suits I'm considering include Summersalt, Andie, and I still have to make a swing through the bra-sized suits at Bare Necessities. (If you're on the hunt for plus sizes, do check out some of the fun collaborations at Swimsuits for All, and note that Summersalt carries up to size 22, and Bare Necessities offers bra-sized suits up to 48DDD.)

Readers, what swimsuits are you wearing this summer? How many different suits do you have, and for how many different occasions do you wear them? (For example, lap swimming, water park/beach with kids, weekend away with your partner or friends, etc…)

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Sales of note for 2/7/25:

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
  • J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
  • J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+

Sales of note for 2/7/25:

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
  • J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
  • J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

127 Comments

  1. LA peeps – what’s a consumable that’s nice and local I could send to a friend? I’m in NorCal, if that matters. She’s in Marina del Rey. Not a special occasion, just to brighten her day.

    1. This gift guide is from the holidays, but I thought they had some great suggestions! Definitely check to make sure things are still available, though – so much continues to change in terms of who is open, etc. I sent a friend some Porto’s Bake at Home and he cried when he got it. If she is on the Westside, she may not be as familiar with Porto’s, but by the same token, may never actually be on the east side for cheese roll goodness.

      https://laist.com/news/food/laists-foodie-focused-holiday-gift-guide-2020

    2. I live on the West Side and almost never get Porto’s. It’s delicious and kind of fun to bake them at home.

  2. This suit is very cute. But I’m old and boring and all I care about now is sun protection – you won’t find me at the beach or pool in anything except a long-sleeved rash guard. I don’t care how unfashionable I look, the sun damage on my chest is just not worth it to me now.

    1. I get that. I like the suit b/c I am finding that now that my kids are older, I am at the pool in the evening when it is a bit cooler and sun isn’t as much of a factor in suit choice. This is a pretty good choice. For Fashion Suits, I like something that easily goes on under a caftan (I am here for the caftans) or I can tie a sarong around and look very cute (I have a good sarong and a couple of good scarves for this). The challenge is that I prefer a bikini or 2-piece b/c I eventually have to go to the bathroom. Ruffles are good with a fashion suit only if you won’t wear anything over top of it — otherwise, you look lumpy.

      Drool-worthy things: https://lisamariefernandez.com/collections/destinationwear [This year is too pastel for my taste, but it’s still inspirational for style ideas.]

    2. Cabana life dot com has cute suits, rashguards, and coverups with SPF 50

      I like this suit though. So sad that I am often driving to a pool and walk in with something like crocs or keens on my feet :(

    3. Thank you. I will be spending $2500 over the next three months to correct rosacea that is at least partly related to sun damage on my face, neck, and chest. Wear the rash guard.

    4. Three cheers for rash guards! With a family history of melanoma and arms and legs covered in scars from mole removals I even wear swim leggings. Surprisingly enough they actually keep me cooler when I’m spending the day reading on a pool float…

      1. I usually don’t break out the swim leggings unless I’m in the tropics, but I definitely wear those too when I’m somewhere with really intense sun. And they’re a must for snorkeling, otherwise you completely fry the back of your legs.

  3. Question for the lawyers.
    I was asked to speak at a CLE and a paper is required. My friend who asked me said the paper from last year is on the website and to just use that one. What’s the protocol on that? If we update it and check if there are new cases, do we just sign our names to it? Do we need to make a certain level of changes to it? Or can we leave it largely the same as long as we give her credit? Just not sure how this works and my friend made it sound like this sort of thing happens all the time. Obviously, I’d rather do as little work on this as possible. :)

    1. Is the other paper signed by an author? (A lot of time they hare not) Who owns the copyright?

    2. You contact the author of the paper and ask if you can use. They invariably say yes. Then, I usually add an updated cover page that with my name, the date of my presentation, and the title of my presentation, with a note that says “Thanks to ___ for use of materials,” and then append the entire material packet (including previous author’s name and title) behind.

  4. How long do you leave something at a repair shop with no communication before you take it somewhere else? In this case, I have a broken horse bridle that I dropped off at a leather repair place last Friday. The woman told me she would look at it and tell me what she could do “within a couple of days”. I called Wednesday, having not heard anything from her, and left a message asking for an update. Today, it’s been a week and I still haven’t heard anything. I’m not expecting her to fix it by now, but I do want to know if she’s able to. This place came highly reviewed from friends, but I was a little apprehensive since I called before I dropped it off and was told she’s always there Thursdays and Fridays, but when I went last Friday, she was not there. How long would you let it go before telling her I’m taking it somewhere else? I’m terrible at confrontations like this…ugh.

    1. It’s not a confrontation, it’s a conversation. I wouldn’t be distressed after a week, but if you are unhappy just pick it up today and say “sorry, but I really need it back quickly.”

    2. Idk what the turnaround time for this type of thing is, so tough to answer. Is there another place you’d take it or are you really counting on her to fix it? Is she a solo/at home type of place or a business with several people there? I think a lot of tiny 1-person shops are quirky with hours and a bit slower than most of us expect with chains and such getting things back to us instantly.

      If you have another place you’d go, and you need it fixed fairly soon, I’d probably call today to see if you can catch her, but I wouldn’t leave a message again. If you don’t hear by next week, I’d probably go in either Thurs or Fri and pick it up to take it somewhere else.

      If you have no other options or don’t have a timeline, I’d probably forget about it until next week and try to call again either on Thursday or Friday when she’s most likely to be in.

    3. Ugh I had this with a contractor. He took away a lot of my home’s interior doors to “dip” and refinish. I thought I was never going to get my doors back and I was so stressed out. It was months. My house is 100+ years old so it wasn’t like I could just nip out to Home Depot for replacements.

      I finally got them back two months later after lots of frustration and Un-returned phone calls. The work was beautiful at the end of the day, but I would never use him again.

    4. The answer with people in the horse world is always wildly different than in any other industry. Definitely reach out but don’t expect expediency.

  5. I have 6 swimsuits and swim most days all summer. Cute bra sized bikini on down to industrial looking sports 1 piece.

  6. Ugh, I’ve resigned myself that I’ll be looking for that perfect suit until the day I die. I’m rather tall (although I don’t feel like I’m THAT tall) so one pieces are apparently basically impossible, plus I have a very large chest for my size. I think it may be the combo of those two things that make one pieces so short on me because I’m basically spilling out of the top. I’m open to a two piece for sure but I’d like it not to show cleavage. Even when I find the ones by cup size, they are pretty bare.

    I actually went to the mall (the mall!) yesterday to try on suits and barely even found any to try on! Everything But Water was sort of cheap and lots of skimpy ones, Neiman’s doesn’t even carry suits anymore, Nordstrom had tops and bottoms and only a few that actually matched (otherwise just a rack of tops and a rack of bottoms with no overlap), etc. Very frustrating day. I really wanted to try on in person so I could stop the endless cycle of ordering and returning and sometimes keeping a suit I’m not crazy about, but it was a total fail. So now I have thousands of dollars of suits coming my way and I am determined – determined! – only to keep what I LOVE or at least really like.

      1. I actually did order some from there today, but that particular style doesn’t come with matching bottoms in the prints that I like. And on that note, I found their website incredibly annoying. It took forever to click between different pages and trying to find matching tops and bottoms was a pain. Plus they were sold out in lots of prints and sizes. But I persevered and ordered a few, just not the ones I really liked. :( Still, this is what I didn’t want to do – now I have thousands of dollars of swimsuits coming to my house from every corner of the earth when I would more than willingly go to a store anywhere in a 25 mile radius of the fourth-largest city in the country.

          1. There’s nothing wrong with venting. :) I also find the “order a million things online and return them all” process to be frustrating.

        1. Do they have to match? I have a handful of black swim bottoms and non-matching tops.

          1. I’m tall with a large chest (38F) and a long torso and rather, mmm, specific requirements for bottoms (not too revealing, not too high, not too low, I’m the Goldilocks of bikini bottoms).

            I embraced non-matching a long time ago and have a handful of tops that fit properly (I also can’t do halter necks because of spine surgery so that cuts WAY down on the availability of tops) and a handful of bottoms that fit comfortably and they’re in a wild mix of colors and patterns. I just pick whatever feels right that day and go with it.

      2. How is this brand IRL? They are all over my social media feed (along with Carve, which my local SUP place sells, so possibly vouching that it work for activities and not just lounging).

    1. It’s not just swimsuits. It’s impossible to shop for anything in person anymore. I think stores have become just places to return things people buy on line. I would love to be able to browse stores and find things to try on, or to go to the store to try on something I’ve seen on line instead of ordering two sizes and sending one or both back. But stock is so limited and weird, especially in smaller sizes. If you are shopping for something like a swimsuit that requires two coordinating pieces, good luck.

      For tall/long torso swimsuits, try J Crew. For cute non-skimpy styles, try Carve Designs.

      1. Yup I have no ability to buy pants in person. Even the short or petite versions are way too long on me, to the point that hemming messes with the silhouette and looks stupid.

    2. Yea, judging what I saw at the beach last month, thongs/cheeky bottoms are apparently a thing in swimsuits again. Not for me. I bought a new bikini from Athleta and a new one piece from Land’s End (because they carry talls for long torsos)

    3. My big thing is that I can’t find a good, sporty bikini top with a little bit of lining, but NOT removable padded inserts. I don’t want those – they bunch up, take forever to dry, you have to try to straighten them back out with one finger in the tiny little opening, and every time I jump off a rock into the lake, they turn into the shape of hot dog buns. I hate them, but every suit seems to have them.

      1. I got some from Athleta a while ago — they exist but concur that they are hard to find. Like I ordered a spare in case something happened to my primary.

          1. It wasn’t this year, sadly, but one of the black bikini tops with a hook back and straps (not ties). Hopefully it is a staple.

      2. I’ve solved this issue by tacking each of the corners of the pad with a couple of stitches that go through the insert and the inside lining of the suit.

        1. That doesn’t solve the “takes longer to dry” issue, though. Better than nothing, of course.

    4. Lord & Taylor used to have great in-store selections, RIP. Bloomingdale’s had an ok selection last year. Shopping in store at Nordstrom is always a bust – I’ve had the same experience. I’m tall too and there are some brands (usually the more $$ ones) where larger sizes are just longer, and other brands where larger sizes are the same length but wider. It’s so confusing.

    5. I think you are also a little late to buy swimming suits for this year. (Annoying, I know. Now is when we need them.) We went on an impromptu beach vacation last month and I ended up with two suits off the Old Navy clearance rack (there wasn’t much left).

      1. Well, that’s an interesting tidbit I hadn’t considered. I will try to go earlier next year (although that still doesn’t help the lack of in store options at most places – they were categorically not carrying swimsuits in store).

      2. Ridiculous. Stop whining bout the good old days like a grannie and shop online. There are plenty of suits.

    6. I don’t know if you are in an area with Dillards department stores, but I went swimsuit shopping a month ago and Dillards had more suits than the rest of the mall combined.

      1. Dang. Thanks for the heads’ up. I skipped Dillards because it is in an inconvenient place at our mall but it sounds like I should have made the effort.

        1. Wait, you would drive 25 miles for a selection of swimsuits but you didn’t want to walk or drive a few hundred yards to a different part of the mall?

          I also agree with the commenter who pointed out it’s late in the swimsuit-buying season.

          1. The commenters here are very unique.

            I didn’t know that Dillard’s would have them. And it’s not a few hundred yards. Anyone who has been to the Galleria in Houston gets it – Dillard’s is across a busy street by itself but still considered part of the mall. The crosswalk to get there is itself very inconvenient. I obviously would have gone anyway had I known that they would have swimsuits – but I didn’t.

    7. Re: one pieces, you’re probably long-torsoed which is what matters for a one piece swimsuit. A short person can have a very long torso and a tall person can have a short torso if most of their height is in their legs.

      1. I am tall with a long body and short legs. The J. Crew “tall” one piece bathing suit was still too short. I bought “high waist” bikinis bottoms that on the model covered the navel but on me were about two inches shy of it.

    8. Try La Blanca online. Plus tops and bottoms don’t have to match. My college age daughter and her friends come to our house to swim and none have matching tops and bottoms.

  7. Any recommendations for southwest Michigan beach towns to visit and what to do there? Looking to take a day trip from the Chicago area.

    1. My friend just bought a B&B called Garden Grove near Union Pier. It is currently very…floral and doily, but she is a great host and the area has a lot going on. Even if you don’t need to stay there, the website has a lot of good resources about local restaurants and breweries, etc.

  8. I’m looking for a wall clock for my kitchen. I found one I like a lot from Shinola, but at $500 it seems really expensive. I’ve found lots of super cheap ones, but nothing good in between. Any recommendations? I would like it to be analogue, have digits, be somewhat large (diameter of at least a foot), and colorful (because my kitchen is basically all white). Any ideas?

      1. I would just go to Home Goods too. Clocks are not interesting enough to warrant an expensive one for me.

        But OP, if you like the $500 clock and can afford it, get it!

      1. +1 And she’ll look at the cheaper one and wish she got the one she loved. That would drive me crazy!

        1. Exactly. I’ve done that in the past and kicked myself, and now I just buy the $500 clock.

      1. OMG this is PERFECT for the bathroom I’m remodeling. Can’t wait to get home and bust out my measuring tape to see if there’s room for the 15.8 inch version!! Thanks!!

      2. I love that the review says “Delivered undamaged”. Consumer expectations are in the sub-basement.

    1. I love the clocks at Schoolhouse, which fit your specs and come in at $250-300 (still pricey, but not $500.)

    2. I kind of want you to give the money to Shinola. Such a great success story, that company. My husband’s watch came with a hand signed note from the person who made it.

    3. I got a cool vintage ceramic one on Etsy. It’s smaller than what you are after, but way, way cheaper. And it was from shipped from France.

    4. Ok seriously how do you people have enough money that you can spend $500 on a clock??

      1. Eh I think to some degree it’s budget priorities. I would never ever in a million years spend $500 on a clock, but I don’t care about clocks, or really stuff in general. If I wanted a $500 clock it would not be hard for me to get one if I were willing to cut back spending on other luxuries. We are affluent compared to the average American family, but definitely not Big Law money and I know many here earn much more (my husband and I earn ~$120k combined).

  9. I have the pictured suit and would definitely recommend it. It’s flattering, supportive and comfortable. For reference, I’m late 40s and a size 16, with a fairly large chest and plenty of padding around the middle. My teenage daughters spontaneously commented on how much they liked it when they saw me in it, so it’s now my favorite suit!

    1. It’s super pretty in the picture, but your recommendation is probably the best testimonial ever!

    2. I also have it – and typically see it on other folks at the pool I go to! Agree it flatters all body types.

  10. Am thinking on jumping on the jumpsuit bandwagon (pun intended). I’m 5’4”, size 12/14, large bust. Would love any recs!

      1. +1

        I also love this jumpsuit and am 5′ 7″ pear shaped, very small bust. Very flattering.

  11. Has anyone interviewed as a senior lateral at a place where the leadership was almost entirely men? Did you discuss the gender disparity at all when discussing your own future possible progression at the firm? How did it go?

    1. Yes and I let it go. But my own personal experience has been that the firm I worked for a woman partner was hell on earth with zero chance to advance because she hated other women and the one with the two men was fantastic so I tend not to equate women in leadership roles with how happy or successful I will be.

  12. So I think I’m getting close to needing to make a decision I’ve never made before: when to euthanize a beloved pet. I am seeing the vet tomorrow to get advice and obviously a medical assessment. Geriatric pet is having several issues that are alarming but death does not seem imminent. (Yes, I have googled “is my cat dying?”) My priority is that he shouldn’t suffer or be subject to lots of expensive, ultimately ineffective treatments that will only nominally prolong his life.

    How do you weigh all the pros and cons of letting him enjoy a few more days/weeks/months, and letting go and saying goodbye? I have known for a while now that I would likely be facing this decision sometime this year, but now that we’re here, I feel lost and sad.

    1. I’m so sorry that you’re facing that decision. Some of the advice I found most helpful the last time I had to make that decision was to think about the things that make life worth living for your pet, and then consider how many of those activities are still enjoyed by the pet. It was a good way to think about her quality of life and when it had declined to the point it felt selfish to prolong the decision.

    2. I had to make that decision last year and I just ‘knew’. My partner and I tried to have a plan about quality of life for the pet but one day you could just tell there was no happiness left and we drove to the vet immediately. It was awful, I’m sorry.

    3. It depends what is wrong and what sort of treatment or comforting measures are available or not. My 10 year old dog had cancer but wasn’t showing any signs (just a melanoma growth in his mouth). I had part of his jaw removed and now he gets an immunotherapy injection from his vet every 6 months. He has been in remission for 3 years. Still shows no signs of illness. Was absolutely worth it. On the other hand, the one I had prior went through the chemotherapy wringer before passing. I was begging my husband to let me put him down when the dog became so frail and needed hand feeding (the vet made it sound like we really needed to agree–in retrospect, I’m not so sure of that). I don’t want to see another living thing like that suffer ever again. I would look at day to day quality of life. Can the animal still eat and drink? Is it in pain, and can that pain be managed? Is it frightened or suffering in any other way? I’m willing to put an otherwise healthy animal in diapers if it’s purely an incontinence issue or learn to give shots if it is diabetic or learn how to help it navigate if it goes blind. But I won’t put a pet through painful treatments if the outcome for a reasonable quality of life isn’t there or isn’t likely. I also don’t want to risk a painful death (an internal tumor that will burst or that sort of thing). The reality is most pets don’t just “pass away” during the night–the kindest end is usually euthanasia.

    4. I’m sorry. That’s a really tough situation. With my kitty, it came down to a quality of life issue. She had kidney disease which was getting progressively worse. It was a struggle to get her to eat even with an appetite stimulant. She also had issues with constipation which required a couple of visits to the vet hospital for deobstipation procedures. She started spending most of her time upstairs in the bedroom. I knew she wasn’t going to get better. In her case, I knew she wasn’t feeling well or enjoying life.

      It makes me tear up even typing this and I miss her terribly, but I know it was the right decision. I didn’t want her to be alive if she was suffering. I’m thankful for the time I had with her and I’m glad she’s no longer in pain.

      We scheduled the appointment for Friday so we could have the weekend to recover. Sending lots of love. I know it’s hard to make this decision.

    5. You don’t have to make a decision right now. Follow your cat’s lead. So much can happen so fast; everyone pictures a long, slow descent into misery and not knowing exactly when to say enough. But it’s not always like that. They can be chugging along, happy and content, and then be clearly dying.

      People talk about quality of life, but I think a big part of it is how the animal is feeling. It’s often rather clear if the furball is content and enjoying life, or if the pet is suffering, confused, and ready to be done.

      When my own cat went downhill a few years ago, he very much wanted to live. He was cuddly, affectionate, and opinionated until the end, and had only a bad few days before he died (at home, in bed). There was no question that he wanted, fiercely, to be alive. We played with his teaser hours before he died.

    6. I had to make the decision for my late cat, one of the greatest cats of all time. He let us know when it was time. One day he didn’t want to get up and walk around anymore, didn’t purr like he usually did, and wasn’t grooming himself to be as impeccably clean as was his normal standard. It absolutely broke our hearts but it was the right thing to do.

    7. You’ll know. I know it is a huge responsibility and frightening to think about, but when it is time, you will know. The vet will also give you some clues. One thing you might want to look into is at-home euthanasia, especially if this is a cat does not like to leave the house. We were comforted having a plan in place and knowing how much lead time we would need (not necessarily much) in advance. The pet we were most worried about making this decision for ended up dying suddenly. She collapsed at home and died on the way to the vet’s office. I wish she had not suffered in her last 30 minutes, but she was pretty happy and eating (her favorite thing) right before that, so it was really just the very end that was bad.

    8. I’ve deeply regretted waiting too long. Cats hide pain well.

      Figure out what your plan will be, in case he goes downhill quickly. You don’t want to be panicked and freaking out on the phone while he suffers. I have a traveling vet who comes to the house within 24 hours of calling her.

      1. I appreciate your perspective. I do think my kitty is in pain. He also is pretty happy whenever his favorite human (me) is near and still cuddles. Eating and drinking okay, but I can tell he’s not quite himself. It’s really hard to tell whether he’s doing “well enough” or if I’m making him suffer unnecessarily. I’m not sure I *will* know definitively until it’s really dire, which also doesn’t seem fair. :(

        1. It’s possible you’re still going to view this, so I hope it helps. I put down my 13 year old cat with cancer earlier this year, so I understand the concern. I used the “JOURNEYS Quality of Life Scale calculator” once or twice a week to see if she was maintaining her current quality of life, or whether she was declining. It helped me to quantify how she was doing, which felt a little more quantitative. In the end, I did end up knowing when it was time – her fur was unwashed, I was having to bathe her paws to get the feces off, and she ended up laying on a table for most of the weekend, unmoving, not eating, except for a little tuna broth. It sounds awful as I type it out, but she did a pretty sharp decline (ie, her fur was better the week prior, I did have to bathe her, but she was eating and moving around). It’s clearly not worth the extra week, but it’s a hard call. Obviously, the nicest thing is to catch it before the decline, but for me that was ~3 months of decline. I’m sorry, it is a really hard call and I wish you the best.

  13. Does anyone eat those bean vermicelli noodles? I bought a huge thing from Costco (Long Kow I think) and never make them.

    1. I do. I think they are great. I usually use them in soups, typically to replace a different noodle in the recipe. I think they are great. How were you planning to use them when you bought them?

    2. I like them in cold salads, Thai style. After cooking them, rinse in cold water immediately, and dress.

    3. Easy! Thai food is your answer. Look for yum woon sen (cold salad with seafood) or pad woon sen (stir-fried noodles) recipes.

  14. Um. My bathing suit count is double digits. I have a few that are “in law vacation friendly” (Lands End tankinis) and the rest are a mix of JCrew, Lilly, and Tommy Bahama.

    What can I say, we love beach vacations…

    1. On the opposite note, I’m planning a trip with my friend who doesn’t own a single suit because she feels too fat to wear one. It makes me sad that so many women sit out on swimming, sailing, wakeboarding, kayaking, and other fun, active water sports while on vacation, especially when it’s due to body image. I’ve been there and I know how hard it is – in fact, I’m at my highest weight ever and I really don’t love how my body looks in a suit. That being said, I realized a few years ago that I was letting body image issues stop me from having adventures. I want to follow your example and get a ton of suits that are fun and cute and appropriate for different vacations and activities. The alternative is sitting out of vacations.

      1. I’m 15 lbs above my happy weight and have to say – a good quality swimsuit is worth every penny. Flattering ruching and fabric with just enough stretch = confidence even though I’m a little jiggly.

      2. Preach. I decided the world can handle my cellulite and have been much happier swimming and paddle boarding than sitting in a wrap and reading.

    2. Haha, this is definitely a “to each to their own” thing. I can’t even think of the last time I wore a swimsuit and have never taken a beach vacation (I actually live within walking distance of the beach, but the water is always too cold to swim without a wetsuit). I think I own a swimsuit, but I’d be afraid to see if it even fits. I’d probably be like to commenter above and buy a rash guard if I actually needed one- I just can’t take the sun anymore and try to stay covered up as much as possible.

      1. Yeah we go to the Caribbean or Hawaii 1-2 times per year in normal times and also visit beaches in the mainland US, but I live in a rash guard and even swim leggings like someone above said. I love a cute bikini and have no issues with my body, I just don’t want to deal with the sun. Only time I’d wear a bikini would be to an indoor pool or waterpark and those kind of grossed me out even pre-Covid so I’m not sure when I’ll visit one again.

  15. What is your favorite summer lip product containing spf? Bonus if there’s some rosy color and a nice texture.

        1. The Fresh ones are great—used to have several in different colors for years. Kiehls are just as good, I’ve found, and a bit cheaper. Recently I switched to Coola Mineral Liplux, which are now my favorite. And they let you recycle their tubes, bonus!

          1. Thanks! I’m OP and your post reminded me I bought a Kiehl’s last year. I found it rattling around in a drawer. Not sure the SPF is still good so I will buy another but it was good to find I had one on hand to check whether I still liked the color (I do.)

  16. Ladies in rash guards – please spam me with all the places to buy them. I’ve looked at the few places recommended here and would love more places to consider. As a practical matter – what do you wear on top? A bikini top with the rash guard over it? I’m not really wearing bikinis but I guess I could to have support on top. Do you wear it over your one piece? That seems like a pain for the bathroom. I have my young kids in rashguards but they can wear trunks and plain bikini bottoms without needing support on top. Maybe I am over thinking this but help!

    1. I wear them over any swimsuit (one piece, bikini, tankini) but I wear loose rash guards, not tight. I think the ones that look more like a wetsuit are meant to be a standalone piece? Lands End is my go-to for loose ones (check early in the season as the more classic patterns like Breton stripes tend to sell out, and their florals and bright colors are a little Red Hat Society for my taste). JCrew often sells pretty patterns that are the tighter fit, and Athleta is good for a sporty look and fit.

      FWIW, going #1 “lifeguard style” is a life-changer for one-piece swimwear…

      1. +1 to Lands End having good loose ones with SPF 50+ (I also have a bunch of their SPF clothes (light jackets, light long sleeve tops, etc.) that I throw on with a wide brim hat for walks so I don’t have to deal with sunscreen other than on my hands). I may look like a crazy old lady despite being in my early 30s but I grew up in a beach town and can attest that skin cancer isn’t a good look on anyone and the sunbathers don’t age well at all.

        If you’re somewhere close to a beach, a surf shop will also usually have a good selection. Surf rashguards tend to be a bit tighter fit/sporty. I wear them over whatever bathing suit I happen to be wearing.

      2. I thought “red hat society” was a reference to MAGAs and was so confused :) I looked it up and it makes sense now. Although I do love the Lands End florals for a Hawaii vacay. It’s the rash guard version of an aloha shirt.

      3. Thank you for “lifeguard style,” because I didn’t know what it was called. I’ve put in many years in tight competition suits and on lifeguard stands and I have never once had to remove my suit to pee.

          1. Lifeguard style refers to female lifeguards going #1 (using the toilet)without removing their suit bottoms and then rinsing in the shower after.

      4. The super tight ones are actual rash guards meant to be worn under a wetsuit. I do not surf and don’t know whether actual surfers wear a swim top underneath. I wear the tight ones for sun protection over a swim top. The loose ones roll up in the water and annoy me.

    2. I buy rashguards at Landsend. I bought a bikini top from Title Nine that has an underwire and gives good support. But I’ve also worn a regular sports bra under the rashguard, it just doesn’t dry as fast but works fine.

    3. I wear a normal bikini and wear a 3/4 sleeve rash guard on top. I bought my rash guard from a company called UVSkinz. I got a v neck, which decidedly provides less protection than a crew neck, but I hate crew neck or mock turtles and everything else besides a v neck and I wanted to get a rash guard I would actually wear.

    4. Check out NRS for their water sports tops. I prefer the ones with hoods and wind up living in them all summer long. Yes, wear with a bikini top underneath.

    5. I wear Uniqlo zip up hoodies with UPF (50? I think?) instead of rash guards. They have a slim fit, but not too baggy or too tight, easy to get on/off, can be worn in water. And they’re inexpensive and can double as a light jacket in the evening. Also, they look cute open, over any kind of swimsuit.

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