The Ever-Approaching Swimsuit Season

Despite growing up on the shore and my love for all things revolving around water, the beach, the sun, and summertime, ever since high school I have absolutely despised shopping for bathing suits. Every season it is for different reasons, and every season I dread entering the store to look for a new suit. Freshman and sophomore year of high school I ordered my suits online from J. Crew and just wore them despite the fact that I hated the way my body looked. Then came the summer going into Junior year, and while I had lost beau coup pounds and was slightly more appreciative of my figure, I still hated the swimsuit shopping ordeal. This pattern continued senior year, freshman year of college, and sophomore year of college. Last year I was finally comfortable with myself- not pleased with how I looked, but comfortable with my appearance. 

I'm 5'4"with short legs, curves, and yet I also have the waist of a thirteen year old boy. 

{And extremely picky about fit}

I literally have been everywhere and tried everything when it comes to bathing suits:

1. In middle school, all of my friends swore by Old Navy swimsuits- they were such a steal and you could have a bevy of suits to constantly change up your look throughout the summer. I hated the fit. I have always hated the fit. Sometimes I would get cocky, like junior year when I needed cheap suits for a service trip I was attending and picked one up from Old Navy only to muck up a nice J. Crew one instead while on the trip since I hated the fit of the Old Navy one. The spring I returned home from my freshman year in college I immediately dropped ten pounds (after already having lost not gained the freshman 15.... my mother swears it was the severe lacking of beer in my summer diet) and decided to go swimsuit shopping. Of course I opted for the quick fix and ran up to Old Navy. I bought two suits. String Bikinis. They were never my thing. I bought a size too big in the bottoms and haven't worn either suit in two years. 

2. I love J. Crew suits, but their basic bikini brief fit has never flattered me. Regardless, I would buy suits from there every summer (usually in the basic bikini brief fit that I deplored since I was against string bottoms). 

3. I then decided that the problem lay in where I was buying the suits from, and that more expensive swimsuits would be more flattering. My mother was all for it if it meant I would cease the insanity that was my temperament whilst trying on swimsuits. That was an epic fail. Lesson learned: the more expensive the suit, the tinier it is... aka this chesty girl does not fit any top. 

4. Enter Victoria's Secret. VS completely calmed my qualms about swimsuit buying. Usually I cannot purchase a thing without trying it on since I'm so insanely picky about the fit, but since their returns are so easy, and being a bra/underwear company they are true to size, it is a cinch to purchase suits. Bonus: they're all so cute, and go on an insane sale right around May/June. You can restock halfway through summer! 

So, naturally, where would I find two super fab suits for this upcoming summer? 

Old Navy

I'm not kidding. I have always hated their fit, and yet I found not one, but two .... wait for it.... bandeau (girlfriend, you have zero idea how hard it is for me to find a bandeau that fits) and string bikinis. This is probably due to the new devotion to working out that I have developed. At $20 a piece, they were such a steal! 

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What are your fave swimsuits pieces? 

Happy Thursday! 

ox