A Barbie Girl in a Bikini World: How I FINALLY Found a Bikini

This is gonna be a little vulnerable. But then again, so is strolling around in a bikini which, if we’re honest, usually covers less than our underwear.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone else in the world has as much trouble finding a decent fitting bikini as I do. My guess is no, because if more people had a body type like me, they would make more bikinis to fit people like me. I’m not honestly saying that I look like barbie. That sounds pretty cocky and my legs aren’t even close to that long and lean. But the other day I was watching The Today Show and this girl had made a life-sized version of Barbie. She was a bit extreme — her boobs were each the size of a watermelon while her arms were like twigs and her head the size of a matchstick — but there were some things about her that I could relate to. No, Barbie’s proportions aren’t realistic however, when I start trying on bikinis, I start to feel like I have some crazy sized body.

Please know — I am happy with my body. It’s cute and athletic and all mine. My husband loves everything about me and would never want me to change. But I don’t have a body that fits well into bathing suits. The main culprit is a large chest and small bottom. I know, I know… you’re thinking, “That sounds amazing!” and perhaps it is, but when every bathing suit I try on leaves little to the imagination (think bandaid) or leaves much of my chest hanging out half-hazardly, I don’t feel very amazing. Letting it all hang out is anything but flattering, especially when “it all” is not cosmetically enhanced (stupid gravity). So far this season I’ve tried on at least 50 bathing suits to no avail. Some years I try on about 100 without a single winner in the bunch. And that’s not even me being picky — I gave that up a long time ago — but I do wanna look like the fun, youthful girl that I am. I don’t need anything that looks like a grandma bra in an ugly watercolor pattern wrapped around my top all the way up to my neck.

Then there was yesterday.

I was meeting some friends in Orange County for a little shopping. I was early so I tucked into Macy’s to continue my quest for a bathing suit –anything really — that would fit. Sure, I hoped for a cute pattern, perfect support, but my hopes were extremely low. And yet, after searching all over San Diego AND Maui, I found a suit that actually fit! AND it’s adorable! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked like a normal girl!! Of course I had to buy it. What are the odds that I’d find 2 perfect fitting bikinis in one season (not possible… I’ve had about 15 years of experience looking at this point)? So it was more than I’d want to spend (another thing I’ve learned to accept after years of trying to make Target bikinis work for me. The bottoms… great… tops… not so much) but I couldn’t resist actually having a matching bikini (I’ve never had one) and in the cutest floral print with ruffles and little wooden buttons!!! Can you tell I’m excited?

The bikini is Lucky Brand, which is actually known for having extended top sizes. Their main problem was, up until yesterday, I’d never seen a pattern that I like. The bottoms are just a side-tie bikini bottom, not the skirt in the photo, and also adorable.

I must note that before finding and trying on this bikini, I was seriously considering trying on one of J.Crew’s adorable bikinis, which they also sell in special sizes. But since I couldn’t actually get to a store to try one on, I felt better about just going with this one. Plus those wood buttons! I love them.

So here’s my plea to bathing suit designers: PLEASE design bathing suits that fit and actually COVER the chests of young women who have boobs. We aren’t all trying to show them off and a string does not equal support for many cup sizes. While small, medium and large would be enough sizes for things such as tshirts, they just don’t cover enough size variety for something that usually would be over a dozen different sizes.  That’s my soapbox. Now I am gonna go to the beach and show off my pretty new bikini. Thank you, Lucky.