August 27, 2016

"That being said, there are women out there who just don’t. They don’t wear swimsuits. They don’t go to the beach."

"They basically forgo summer, and the camera, because they hate the way they look. Thus, our excursion to the roof. I put on sunscreen, and lipstick, and a new size 16 swimsuit, black with a ruffled pink trim and a little slip of a skirt. I took a deep breath, pulled my shoulders back, and tried to believe that I looked O.K. and not to flinch as he said, 'Here we go.' Inside, I picked out my favorite shot, skipped the filters, went to my Facebook page, held my breath and hit 'post.' The next time I looked, there were dozens of pictures of women in swimsuits — women who looked more like me, less like the airbrushed, perfected creatures I seem to spend my life looking at."

That's Jennifer Weiner writing on a topic I have seen as long as I've been reading the news for women (i.e., since the 1960s). Body anxieties heightened by the desire to wear a bathing suit. The Facebook part is new, but I don't think that's why the NYT is publishing this piece in late August. Weiner makes no mention of the French "burkini" issue, but I think that's what's pushing this old American topic forward right now.

Here's that Facebook photo showing the suit she picked picked out. It's a lot less silly looking than "ruffled pink trim and a little slip of a skirt" makes it sound. But Jennifer Weiner is 46 years old. Why is she resorting to a skirt with pink ruffles to deal with her body anxieties? I was researching the burkini issue and got to thinking about women who want more coverage for whatever reason — religious or other expression, modesty, sun protection, aversion to shaving — and I discovered these swim capris (and swim tights). I hadn't noticed these before, so I'm thinking there are many women — possibly including Weiner — who are locked into thinking swimwear must expose your legs (if not half or more of your buttocks). It's odd, because Weiner discusses the Olympics, and the Olympic swimmers — female and male — all wore suits that covered their thighs.

I'd like to encourage women to think about wearing swim separates with the longer legwear, capris and tights. 2-piece suits have been around for a long time, so the tops are easily available, both bra tops and tankini tops.I think this is a nice, comfortable option for all kinds of women, and it has the positive side effect of making those who wear covered-up styles for religious reasons feel less conspicuous (which is what covering up is supposed to achieve).

95 comments:

damikesc said...

Do women, honestly, think men have no body issues at all? That these insecurities are solely theirs?

Men just deal with them.

Sydney said...

@damikesc - Men aren't publicly criticized for their bodies the way women are. And when they are criticized- their sins are orders of magnitude greater than women's. Different thresholds, different standards.

Sydney said...

The last time I wore a bathing suit was 18 years ago and it was one with a skirt covering my thighs. I will probably never wear a bathing suit again. And I weight less now than I did then.

Ann Althouse said...

@damikesc

Who said anything about men? The only thing I said about men was that the Olympic male swimmers wore suits that covered their thighs.

Whether men worry about how they look or not, the Weiner style of writing is traditional in magazine and newspapers essays aimed at women. It's about a reading preference.

I'm writing about it because I see a good idea that I think would solve a problem for women.

I think men have been wearing long swimsuits since the 1960s, so the issue of what to wear to the beach was solved long ago. Few men go for Speedos in the U.S. What man struggles with how he'll reveal his upper thighs and buttocks at the beach? It's a nonissue.

But if there are psychological body-issue problems that men want to read about, I'm sure the men's magazines are serving up special for-the-male versions of the Weiner-type essay.

Ann Althouse said...

@ Sydney

What do you think of my 2-piece idea? Or do you just not want to go to the beach?

Ann Althouse said...

Here's the "jammer" (knee lenth) bottoms for women.

Here's a long-sleeved swim top with UV protection.

And here are Speedo "boy shorts."

And here are flared-leg Speedo swim shorts. I could see buying those (for paddleboarding) but the description says "50% Polyester/50% Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxin." What's going on there?

damikesc said...

Men aren't publicly criticized for their bodies the way women are.

Men most assuredly are. "Dad bod" isn't a term of praise.

Original Mike said...

The beach sucks. Hot, sandy, deadly UV rays, usually boring from a scenery standpoint. If you avoid it because of body issues, you're not missing much.

walter said...

The chosen pic of Weiner is pretty high angle..likely downplays the silliness of the suit as well as the wearers dimensions.
SOP for the "butter body" selfie.

damikesc said...

The beach is shit. Sand sucks.


Whether men worry about how they look or not, the Weiner style of writing is traditional in magazine and newspapers essays aimed at women. It's about a reading preference.


And it continues the false narrative that women ALONE have these issues. Men have them, we just don't celebrate them. Women judge men and women (men aren't the ones judging women in their swimwear beyond "Well, she's hot") harshly and then expect the world to applaud them for making it thru the day without melting under the unrelenting heat of the judgment of...other women.

It's writing targeted at women, but more importantly, it's REALLY BAD writing targeted at women.

walter said...

Blogger Ann Althouse said...
I think men have been wearing long swimsuits since the 1960s, so the issue of what to wear to the beach was solved long ago.
--
Well..for those men comfortable with exposing everything above the waist..that level of "solved".

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I clicked on the link, saw the photo of Ms. Weiner, and thought to myself: That plant needs some water.

Sydney said...

@Althouse - I would wear a capri style. Maybe tights if the top were long enough to cover my butt and thighs.

Bob Boyd said...

Is better than nothing a high standard when it comes to swimwear?

rhhardin said...

The point of the bathing suit is to get men to imagine what's not revealed. That's the feminine operation. Full nudity is not even interesting, or anyway not past the time of novelty.

But you have to get men imagining in the first place.

The microbikini is the ultimate compromise, in appearing to be clothed and hence still interesting, but actually showing what you're supposed to be imagining.

Lacking that, the cameltoe is probably the best bet.

Ann Althouse said...

Here, Sydney: A nicely skirted pair of swim capris!

It's closely fitted enough that you can pull it to the level you want (in and out of water) and swim in it without any billowing.

There are other similar options, easily searched on Amazon.

I didn't know about this until a couple days ago.

Oso Negro said...

Swimmers wear jammers because of the reduced resistance moving through the water. People who grow up in competitive swimming rapidly become accustomed to the shapes of their bodies and everyone else's as well. I have had the pleasure of holding the towel while a female Olympian "deck changes". I think it would be better to look elsewhere to justify extra material as a cover for feeling bad about your body. At my place, we are not above peeling everything (usually shorts, ha ha ha!) and swimming in the lake naked. I guess that is seldom done in beautiful Lake Mendota.

Ann Althouse said...

"Well..for those men comfortable with exposing everything above the waist..that level of "solved"."

And for men who don't know about T-shirts, the search goes on. Poor guys!!

Ann Althouse said...

"The beach sucks. Hot, sandy, deadly UV rays, usually boring from a scenery standpoint. If you avoid it because of body issues, you're not missing much."

In my city, lakefront property is highly valued, but I often wonder why. It's in the nature of things that it's going to be flat, and generally people say that flat landscapes are boring. Why is flat water not boring too?

MadisonMan said...

One thing the (ocean) beach has that I can't get enough of: the awesome sound of surf, and the smell of salt tang.

A favorite childhood memory is driving from PA to the beach, and finally smelling the ocean.

(sigh)

Paul Snively said...

It's very weird to read about body image issues and swimsuits without a single, solitary word about diet and exercise, as if one's body were simply something one is handed at birth, and stuck with for life. And of course journalism is overwhelmingly a career pursued by urban elites, who, unless they get a pricey gym membership and actually use it, or hire a personal trainer, are not going to get good exercise on a day-to-day basis.

God knows the situation is no better for us computer scientists. But at least we seem to know we have some agency about it.

Original Mike said...

@MM - The surf is nice. And I love craggy landscapes along the shore. There are places along Lake Superior I love to go to. But the classic big sandy beach? Meh.

Original Mike said...

"Why is flat water not boring too?"

Water has its moods. And it can be interesting if the opposing shoreline is close enough to observe.

Laslo Spatula said...

"Why is flat water not boring too?"

Asks the woman who takes a fair amount of photos of Lake Mendota.

The water teases with what lies underneath.

I am Laslo.

walter said...

Bohn vivant

Sebastian said...

"It's in the nature of things that it's going to be flat, and generally people say that flat landscapes are boring. Why is flat water not boring too?" If you enjoy seeing or being near water, you are bound to enjoy flatness. Sure, you might like to see some waves, or live near river rapids, but water tends to go, umm, flat. Best, of course, is to live near flat water surrounded by unflat terrain.

"And it continues the false narrative that women ALONE have these issues." Right. Though I don't read women's magazines, and cannot judge the extent of the syndrome -- but most "feminist" laments take this form. Variations on the women-are-special trope. I agree that they are, at least in the way they think about being special.

William said...

Between the attractive and the repulsive, there's a large segment of the population who look comfortable and respectable. Ms. Weiner looks perfectly ok. She won't turn any heads at the beach either in avoidance or to get a better look. Why can't she live with that?

rhhardin said...

I prefer flat landscapes. Mountains only block the view.

The trouble with water, at least out of sight of land, is that you can't see very far, and distant water looks the same as nearby water.

A decent landscape gives you fences, corn, soybeans, wheat, houses and if it's any good goes on forever.

Original Mike said...

Water is about the sky and horizons, I guess.

walter said...

Water has rhythm, movement, tides...our heritage ;)

rhhardin said...

Women think they are special owing to men liking them.

Feminists deplore the cause but take the effect as god-given.

rhhardin said...

Perhaps women are drawn to tides.

rhhardin said...

I take it that the point of burkinis is to remain unattractive in a culture that works by hitting the guy on the head and taking his stuff.

Original Mike said...

Blocking the view.

rhhardin said...

Breasts and hips are there so that men can distinguish gender at a great distance. You have to know who is likely to be a threat.

I've noticed this bicycling - I can tell which a pedestrian is at huge distances.

Breasts are particularly effective, not in being big but in altering the illumination pattern owing to slight angle changes on the clothing.

robinintn said...

This is such a good idea! I knew the weird tutu skirts weren't doing the job on 56 year old legs, and I love the beach, but I didn't know about swim capris. Also, swim shirts. And once you're over at Amazon, there is a lot to choose from. I also like the idea of board shorts - long, quick dry, not skin tight, and lots of colors and patterns. And cheap.

SGT Ted said...

"Men aren't publicly criticized for their bodies the way women are."

Yes they are, they just don't whine about it like girls do.

FredwinaD said...

This is a very odd conversation, imho. I spend most of every summer at the shore, and I love the beach. I can understand people who don't like it, but to dismiss its appeal to others is ridiculous. Also, there are people of all ages, shapes and sizes on the beach. I'm a female over 50, and I'm long past the "hot" phase of my life, but who the heck cares? Even if my body looked great "for a woman my age," I still wouldn't be "hot." So, why worry that much what I look like in a bathing suit? I mean, I wouldn't wear a thong bikini or anything, but I wouldn't have done that at 20, either. I know a lot of women have insecurities about the way they look in a bathing suit, and the whining gets old. I'm learning from these comments that men apparently have similar insecurities about their bodies. The whining from them is tiresome, too. There aren't that many people who care t all what *your* body looks like, and the ones who do are shallow. Ugh! Who cares?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

You know, maybe this Islam religion is not so bad, once you get to know it better.

Captain Drano said...

Some wear extra covering due to radiation therapy.

I still look great in a bikini, but would have to stay in the shade due to rads. So it's sunscreen, a tank, and a white tee shirt over that.

walter said...

Fredwina,
After all that whining of your own, care to share what you wear when swimming?

Wince said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sydney said...

@Althouse- thanks for that Amazon link. I would wear that!
Re: flat landscapes vs. lakes. I love truly flat landscapes myself. You can see the weather coming from far off, for one thing. The sky is beautiful. That's the appeal of water, too, for many. Plus with the water you get the sound of surf, even at a lake, and the hypnotizing waves. Also, a breeze that feels refreshing off the water.

walter said...

Geena Davis' black beach dress, women sexualized in cinema..and her plastic surgeon hubby

FredwinaD said...

Walter, what, specifically, did I whine about? And I just wear a one piece bathing suit, though I admit it can be hard to find a good one because my boobs are so big. Sigh - the struggle is real. What did you imagine I would wear?

Paul Snively said...

rhhardin: Breasts and hips are there so that men can distinguish gender at a great distance. You have to know who is likely to be a threat.

Video games changed forever once they started doing motion capture. In the 2013 reboot of the "Tomb Raider" franchise, for example, there's no getting around the fact that Lara Croft... runs like a girl. Because Camilla Luddington is a girl. And somehow, this actually helps make the character both more approachable, more vulnerable, and at the same time more of a bad-ass, because the fact that she's a tiny woman in no way hampers her capability, either psychologically or physically. So instead of feeling ridiculous for playing what might have amounted to a cartoon Playboy centerfold, I greatly enjoyed witnessing the evolution of a smart, desperate, and yes, sexy young woman under extreme circumstances. Crystal Dynamics did a fantastic job with the reboot, and Camilla Luddington is the best Lara Croft.

Linda said...

I think the best solution is to wear board shorts. These can be paired with a regular swim suit top or a sleeved upf swim top. Shorts are comfortable and cover up your butt and thighs and yet provide enough skin exposure to "get a tan". Board shorts and a swim top are my go to outfit for kayaking, skiing, jet skiing and just regular boating. Comfy and provides sun protection, which is more and more important! Here is an example of a fun pair of shorts - http://www.titlenine.com/product/real-deal-womens-boardie-601381.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=4

mockturtle said...

Is this Weiner Week on Althouse?

walter said...

FredwinaD said...Walter, what, specifically, did I whine about?
--
Men..the struggle IS real.

cacimbo said...

Please stop pretending the burkini is anything but a dangerous garment foisted on women by a misogynist religion. Olympic swimmers wear long suits for speed. The swim capris you keep linking to are fitted, the exact opposite of a burkini. A burkini swaddles a women head to toe in LOOSE layered fabric. All that loose fabric creates weight and drag making swimming very difficult. Swimming in the ocean in this monstrosity is dangerous and should not be promoted or treated as normal.

Carol said...

OK, those Jammer shorts at Amazon might go to YOUR knees, Ann, but they're supposed to be mid thigh! The capris all seem to be mid-calf. Meh.

Kate said...

This topic is so fraught.

1- What I could wear when I was -- well, more fertile -- is quite different from now. Estrogen loss has turned my legs to cottage cheese. Yeah, no big deal in the grand scheme of things, but confronting aging is hard.

2- I need to go to the bathroom more often, and peeling away the coverage suit is a lot more difficult. I tried a triathlon suit, which a one-piece with bike shorts. The fun of swimming isn't worth the effort of getting in and out of the thing.

3- And, as I always complain with every women's garment, most clothes are built for apple bodies. To get something that fits a pear butt, the waist is enormous. Very discouraging.

Malesch Morocco said...

"And few men wear Speedos in the U.S."

And it's a good thing too, says my wife, a German.

FredwinaD said...

Walter, I love men. I just don't like whining. :-)

buwaya said...

Gentlemen, this is like telling your wife what to wear.
Personally, I dont dare.
They have their own reasons for everything.
That she is clothed is sufficient.

MayBee said...

Please stop pretending the burkina is anything but a dangerous garment foisted on women by a misogynist religion.

My feeling too.

I'd go the Geena Davis route. In fact, that's what I do. A maxi dress or a caftan. Caftans have been around for a long time! If you aren't going to go to the water, or can get in discreetly, dresses are perfect if you want to arrange them to still get some sun.

walter said...

Meanwhile..
Topless day Keeping it Rael

damikesc said...

Crystal Dynamics did a fantastic job with the reboot, and Camilla Luddington is the best Lara Croft.

Agreed on both. Of course, Lara was originally a man, but the dev said if he has to spend an entire game looking at its ass, he'd rather it be a woman's ass than a man's.

The new Lara is terrific and the last two games in the series have been outstanding.

And women need to learn that men have the same insecurities. Girls go on-and-on about how they are judged on their bodies, but never seem to realize that boys have the same judgments and take them more harshly (boys do successfully commit suicide quite a bit more than girls). The plight of women isn't special. There is little unique about them. You think your period monthly is a problem? Imagine existing where the odds of you dying at work DWARF what the opposite sex's risk is.

damikesc said...

And the same women who chastised Christian fundamentalists complaints about women showing off too much skin seem quite understanding of Muslims having the identical complaint.

Boxty said...

Well they now make swim shirts for men. They call them "rash guards" but I never see surfers wear them. I guess they are for men whose skin is sensitive to sand. Still, fat old men with graying chest hair will still go topless and not even think about it.

It's too bad for women because I don't think women who don't look good in a swimsuit will look any better in a tankini and swim capris.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I go to the beach, the lake, the river or to private pools to swim. Wearing clothing while swimming is tedious and makes the experience less enjoyable. Drags you down and doesn't dry off when you get out of the water. The places that I go swimming are, mostly, clothing optional. I like to "swim". Not just wade and splash around. Although floating weightlessly with eyes closed, almost napping is a pretty great experience, when in a pool or lake with no current.

However, swimming in public does require some consideration of the other people :-) and conformity with societal norms. In that case I wear a tank style swim suit made out of a lightweight fabric so that once out of the water you can air dry off and not be wearing a clammy wet moldy and bacteria laden piece of rubber, spandex or neoprene that will chafe and be just darned uncomfortable.

I would never ever wear those full body, pant spandex thingies. It isn't about being body conscious, cuz I don't care about that. It is about swimming and being comfortable. If I'm just lounging at the beach and not sunbathing, something I don't do anymore due to my fair Welsh skin, I'll wear a gauzy loose dress or a cotton gauze jumpsuit NO need to look like a shrink wrapped piece of meat in a black burkini.

That's just me. If other people want to wear whatever they want, then they should be allowed to do so without being harassed.

Laslo Spatula said...

Amber, the Blacked-Out Possibly Raped College Girl says:

I was out at the beach with friends, enjoying the sun and the water and the warm mellow vibe. The thing about possibly being raped led to a lot of body issues for me, and the result was I lost a lot of weight and look pretty good in a bikini now, so there is that...

I can tell when men are staring at me: I was pulling my bathing suit bottom out of the crack of my ass when I turned around and -- sure enough -- several men were staring at me and smiling. I'm sorry: sometimes your bikini bottom crawls up the crack of your ass...

We were drinking wine -- good times -- when I realized that the wine might not be a good thing on top of my anti-depressants. I felt woozy, and a friend's friend offered to let me lay down in the back of his orange VW van. It was a cool van, totally Seventies old school, and I said yes: I now desperately needed to lie down, everything was swimming...

I woke up on my stomach in the back of the van and realized that my bikini bottoms didn't seem to be on right. I can't quite articulate how they felt different, but I know that is not how they usually were. There was also some wadded up tissue by my side; I don't remember it being there before, but then maybe I just didn't notice...

I asked a friend if anyone had happened to come into the van with me, but she just shook her head: she had been pretty drunk by that point, and didn't really remember anything except maybe giving some guy a blow-job....

Maybe I wasn't raped. Maybe I had consensual sex but just don't remember it. Maybe I didn't have sex at all, I was just irritated by sand in my bikini. The friend's friend was kind enough to drive me home in his van, but I told him 'No' when he asked to come inside -- I wasn't feeling like company, and everyone now was giving me a bad vibe...

So I took some of the Vicodin I had left from my ski-boarding injury, and went back to sleep.

I thought being raped would be different.


I am Laslo.

Ann Althouse said...

"And, as I always complain with every women's garment, most clothes are built for apple bodies. To get something that fits a pear butt, the waist is enormous. Very discouraging."

This is a subject that came up in an article linked earlier today about how women's clothing stores are doing terribly these days. Link.

The commenters there say the problems are in the sizing and make the same point you are making.

I don't know why there are not more on-line places that take your measurements and make things to order. The chest-waist-hip proportions vary a lot. Even within the hip level, there's variation in where the width is happening -- on the sides or in back.

You can get things tailored, but most people just reject what doesn't fit them, I think, or buy very stretchy things. That's how LuLu Lemon get into trouble with yoga pants, isn't it? People buy small so it fits the waist and then let the stretch do the work of covering the lower body.

If you have a true apple shape, you still have a problem. The waist is tight unless you accept a lot of bagginess around the hips.

Maybe this is why low rise pants are so prevalent. Just forget fitting the waist.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

@ Linda

I could get into the idea of the board shorts and a form fitting top like the tankini or the sports bra look top shown in your link. The shorts are loose enough to be able to dry out. Those are pretty nice.

As you pointed out, going to the bathroom in one of those form fitting whole body outfits, especially when the thing is sopping wet, is a real struggle.

Function over form. How does it work? Is it practical? Does it impede my ability to swim?

walter said...

damikesc said...the dev said if he has to spend an entire game looking at its ass, he'd rather it be a woman's ass than a man's.
--
Did they create the animated pinup shaped gal demonstrating how to swipe yer credit card at self checkout stations? Wonder Woman proportions in a pony tail wearing form fitting yet utilitarian style pants and and shirt.
I always laugh and think of the programmer passing that animation up the chain..superiors either liking it or not sure how to respond..ultimately rubber stamping it.

Ann Althouse said...

"...I wear a tank style swim suit made out of a lightweight fabric so that once out of the water you can air dry off and not be wearing a clammy wet moldy and bacteria laden piece of rubber, spandex or neoprene that will chafe and be just darned uncomfortable.... I'll wear a gauzy loose dress...."

If you have the right kind of tent dress -- caftan -- you can take the bathing suit on and off under the dress right out in public.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

If you have the right kind of tent dress -- caftan -- you can take the bathing suit on and off under the dress right out in public.

That is a very good point and I do often do this when I'm done swimming and want to relax on the shore with a nice cool drink. But, if I want to swim, take a rest, get back in, swim some more that wouldn't work for me. Too much work :-)

I was on competitive swim team in my "youth" and I guess I approach swimming a bit differently as I want to swim distances and laps, generally, not just wade and splash around. People should do what makes them comfortable and what makes them feel good about themselves. I'm not denigrating the swim pants. Just not for me.

Pete said...

In the movie, Brooklyn, the character Eilis, played by the actress Saoirse Ronan buys and wears a swimsuit that is modest by the standards of the day - the movie is set in the early '50s - and looks breathtaking on her. (Or maybe it's because Ronan herself is breathtaking.) Modesty can be beautiful.

walter said...

Saoirse Ronan Rocks Retro Swimsuit During Brooklyn Beach Scene

By the way..pretty unforgiving male "suits" ;)

MacMacConnell said...

Pete & walter
Thanks for the heads up on Saoirse Ronan, er I mean the movie Brooklyn.

Women shouldn't concern themselves with body image, we all had / have mothers we think are beautiful. Kudos to MS. Weiner, she looks fine.

Stephen Taylor said...

Size 16 women in swimsuits? Oh, where are these goddesses to be found? The author of that piece is smokin' hot. Her imperfections make her all the more human, and even more accessible. And larger women are a bit of a Roadgeek fetish.

damikesc said...

Did they create the animated pinup shaped gal demonstrating how to swipe yer credit card at self checkout stations? Wonder Woman proportions in a pony tail wearing form fitting yet utilitarian style pants and and shirt.
I always laugh and think of the programmer passing that animation up the chain..superiors either liking it or not sure how to respond..ultimately rubber stamping it.


The boobs were an accident. A wrong value entered into one of the fields. It was just buried in the code. Bust was supposed to be considerably smaller. By the time they found the error, the marketing blitz had begun and they couldn't correct it. They could either scrap the launch or hope nobody noticed or cared. They guessed wrong.

They (Eidos), however, did offer a trade-in of the original for a less busty version at time of release.

walter said...

Boobs happen?

walter said...

Maybe they can figure out a way to store user preference attached to your card. That way roadgeek can oggle a size 16 "goddess".

damikesc said...

Boobs happen?

Millions of lines of code. A typo in one. Good luck finding it. Would only take ridiculous man hours to find it.

And, then when you DO find it, you can fix it and scrap the entire launch of the product until whenever...or release it and offer a means of getting a less busty version.

What do you choose?

walter said...

Yup. That explains it. Probably leaned on the keyboard. ;)

damikesc said...

Yup. That explains it. Probably leaned on the keyboard. ;)

This isn't exactly unknown news. They've said, repeatedly, that they had no intention for her to look like that. And they've shrunk her bust down to what they wanted for a while now. When they've done remakes of the originals and newer versions, bust size always goes down to where it is now.

walter said...

Ha! No..never heard the supposed news. But give me a break. The explanation sounds like complete BS CYA.

Freeman Hunt said...

When I go to the beach, I don't like to sit in the sun, I like to swim and to play with my kids. The less I have to worry about adjusting my suit the better. Plus, I hate having to apply sunscreen all the time. I am not self conscious about my body, but I do think I'll look into getting a pair of swim tights or capris next year. I already have a long sleeve swim shirt that I wear when I'm tired of the sun beating down on me.

damikesc said...

The explanation was said at time of launch. It's been repeated in multiple stories for years. People not employed by CORE Designs have verified the story.

Sometimes, a mistake is made.

walter said...

I'd be curious to read about that..

mockturtle said...

Maybe this is why low rise pants are so prevalent. Just forget fitting the waist.

This is probably true. I guess women aren't supposed to have waists [or hips] nowadays. But I don't like exposing my navel whenever is raise my arms. Although it's a nice-enough navel. An 'innie'.

mockturtle said...

Whenever I raise my arms, that is.

mockturtle said...

I thought being raped would be different.

It is, Laslo. Very.

Smilin' Jack said...

"That being said, there are women out there who just don’t. They don’t wear swimsuits. They don’t go to the beach."

And I thank them for their consideration.

"They basically forgo summer, and the camera, because they hate the way they look. Thus, our excursion to the roof. I put on sunscreen, and lipstick, and a new size 16 swimsuit, black with a ruffled pink trim and a little slip of a skirt.

Size 16 swimsuits should be illegal. If I want to go whale-watching I'll charter a boat.

Maya S said...

43, mother-of-two, size 8. Best suit I found this year was a vaguely retro, black one-piece at Target. Paired with a big hat, sunglasses, and a short black swim skirt, it perfectly occupies the territory between "I think I'm still 25" and "Swim Nun. Nothing to see here."





mockturtle said...

If I want to go whale-watching I'll charter a boat.

Speaking of whales, those bare beer bellies are none too attractive, either.

SweatBee said...

Sydney,

Here is another skirted option.

Coolibar, UVSkinz, Girlshorts.com, Solartex, or pretty much anywhere that sells surfwear or UV-protective clothing might also have options.

Pete said...

Good get, Walter. A great looking actress in a great looking swimsuit and furthers the plot as well.

SukieTawdry said...

I can spend hours in the water and often put on a tee shirt for sun protection. The swim shirts at Amazon are a great find. Thanks, Ann! (I ordered one through your portal.)

Paul Snively said...

walter: Ha! No..never heard the supposed news. But give me a break. The explanation sounds like complete BS CYA.

Problem is, it isn't. It really is well documented, and you can see side-by-side renderings of different stages of Lara Croft here.

If you want to criticize Eidos management for keeping the accident in play, that's one thing. But that it was a fat-finger on a number in Lara's geometry is simply historical fact.

the gold digger said...

"Why is flat water not boring too?"

Because flat water is the best water for waterskiing.

CStanley said...

Board shorts and a zip up rash guard (I use a tankini top like a bra underneath) are great when doing a swim activity that involves a lot of walking around (lake, boating, or water parks.)

The capris are cute but I'm not sure I'd like the wet fabric on my legs. I wonder how quickly they dry?

Generally I'm fine with a modest, supportive suit (Lands End has a good selection, and there are more and more companies making tops with bra cup sizing.)

Joe said...

Go to a nude beach, like Black's Beach in San Diego, and you get over a big part of body image bullshit really fast. It's quite liberating.

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