Us Moms, we love ourselves some swim skirts. I say this, because every time I’m at the pool, the moms in swim skirts are out in force. And I get the appeal. After baby, there’s just a bit more cellulite, a bit of softening, a bit of droop. Yes. But swim skirts are tricky – they are hardly the panacea of mom-friendly swimwear.
What Swim Skirts Are
- A great way to cover-up any bum issues:Â cellulite on bum, a droopy, saggy bum
- Modest — a great way to provide more bum coverage when bending and chasing around the little one
What Swim Skirts Are Not
- Something that will camouflage all lower body issues:Â cellulite and stretch marks on legs, big hips and thighs
- Something that will fool others into thinking that underneath that skirt, she has hidden a smoking-hot pair of skinny, perfectly toned legs.
When in doubt, keep at least one of these tips in mind:
Tip 1 – Keep ‘Em Short
The key to getting a swim skirt right is proportion. A swim skirt must look like – gasp – actual swimwear. Which means that the bottom of the skirt must hit right below your bum. Any longer and you will look like a little old lady in her swim dress. No matter how bad you think your lower body issues are…..a too long swim skirt will make your overall appearance worse.Â
Tip 2 – Keep ‘Em Tight
In general, swim skirts should not swish around when you walk. They need to fit fairly tight to your
body. Not so tight as to appear to be a sausage casing, but tight (and short) enough to require built-in bikini bottoms underneath.
The bottom line? If your swim skirt is long and flowy enough to swish like an actual skirt…then it’s an actual skirt. Aka…your cover-up.
Tip 3 – Balance Them Out with the Right Top
Because swim skirts are fairly modest, they simply look better with a bikini top. And if you choose to stick with a slightly longer swim skirt, then it’s imperative that your top be just a wee bit more revealing.
If you had your heart set on a tankini top & swim skirt combo….it can be done, but it’s essential to find the right tankini. You’ll need something that shows more skin than the average tankini to offset the coverage of the swim skirt. Look for tankinis with plunging necklines, or a little sex appeal. One final word of caution: if you are looking for a tankini – skirted bottom to completely camoflauge your post-baby body…you might be better off in a sexy one-piece suit with a great cover-up.
- DKNY Beyond Glam High Waist Skirted Bikini Bottom – Beyond GLAM they are. If you’re loving the high-waisted look, these are for you. The black is classic and as always, slimming plus the shirred material works out some imperfections. Pair them with the U-Wire Bikini Top and a sunhat and work-it over to the water.
- Ingrid & Isabel Ruched Maternity Skirted Swim Bottoms – To all pregnant mamas who aren’t forsaking the water: this one’s for you. These bottoms can be worn high on the hips or low, during pregnancy AND after thanks to the stretchy, ruched material. Pair ‘em with this cute little banded swim top and you (and the bump) are ready to go.
-  Athleta Encintas Kata Swim Skirt – Here’s one for all you active mamas! Athleta has managed to deliver sporty and fun with this suit. Think – your favorite workout outfit turned swimsuit. This skirt is a great length, breathable with some stretch. So whether you’re hitting the sand for a run or doing laps in the pool this suit can keep up. If you’re not sold on the horizontal stripe for your body type, try a solid.
- Kenneth Cole Reaction Coastal Escapade Swim Skirt – Kenneth Cole Reaction has a great handle on fun swim skirts that fully cover the bum. Not only does this one stay true to the tips, the mixed pattern works as a camouflage so you won’t feel like you’re putting it ALL out there. Can’t tone it? Tan it. Print it.
- Kenneth Cole Reaction Zig to my Zag Rouched Skirt – Another similar option by Kenneth Cole. Again, this great print could work as camo. The matching top is halter-style for those of you who prefer that kind of support…but keep in mind – this skirt (and the rest) would also work with a solid top of your choice. Mixing and matching almost always works with swim and that’s what we love about it.
- Coco Rave Striped Skirted Bikini Bottom – This one hits just below the bum (tip 1) and doesn’t swish like an actual skirt. It’s tight enough to appear youthful and sexy but no SO tight that nothing’s left to the imagination. The matching top is lined with adjustable straps and a self-tie back so if you need a little extra room (or less) you’re covered, literally.
The good news? There are a ton of completely practical yet totally sexy swim skirt options for moms. Check out the Swim Guide for more.
Is it fair to be suspicious of an entire profession because of a few bad apples? There are at least two important differences, it seems to me. First, no one doubts that science actually works, whatever mistaken and fraudulent claim may from time to time be offered. But whether there are any “miraculous” cures from faith-healing, beyond the body’s own ability to cure itself, is very much at issue. Secondly, the expose’ of fraud and error in science is made almost exclusively by science. But the exposure of fraud and error in faith-healing is almost never done by other faith-healers.