When I was in Ocean City in early June, I was shocked to find that one of my favorite swimsuits had randomly gotten all bagged out. It’s like the lycra just gave up on life – the inner layer was fine, but the outer ‘runched’ layer was weird and droopy. I filed the thought away for later and finally this past weekend I took some time to do a full-scale try-on of all my bathing suits I’d packed away over the years.
And when I say over the years, I mean it. There were bikini tops and bottoms in there from BEFORE I had Jack. Who is now 9 years old. Yikes.
I was actually pleasantly surprised to find some bikini bottoms that still fit great, even after almost a decade. Those went back in the box. However, I also came across a few swimsuits that didn’t age well – when I went to try them on, the old lycra basically cracked and stretched like an old rubber band. Those did not go back in the box.
I’ve been thinking about trying the trend of high waisted bottoms and a bikini top, and actually found a pair of solid black bottoms that fit well in my stash. I needed some tops though, so I decided to take advantage of the Independence weekend sale on the Athleta website. It was slim pickings in my size, but I did find a few things I liked.
Here is what I ordered:
Conscious Crop Bikini Top D-DD, $59 on sale for $47.20 (find it here)
I like that this top has a higher neck and a cute t-back. Out of 82 reviews, it is rated at 4.5 out of 5 stars. I ordered it in my typical exercise bra size, which is a large. Fingers crossed though – some of the reviews say to size down. This basically looks like a longline exercise bra, which will be great with a pair of black high waisted bikini bottoms. I’m hoping for just a sliver of skin showing… so basically the ease of a one-piece, but with easier on-and-off in the bathroom!
Madives Printed Tankini, $89 on sale for $71.20 (find it here)
I really liked that this one came in bra sizes, rather than just small, medium, large, etc. I also like the two strap clasps, one behind the neck and one at bra strap level. This top is more of a traditional tankini and is longer on the waist. I’m thinking I can pair this one with my high waisted bottoms, a pair of regular black bikini bottoms or the next bottoms in the order. This one also has good reviews – out of 48 reviews it is 4.25/5 stars. One of the reviews says “very complimentary to a curvy body with excellent support” and that is exactly what I’m hoping for!
I received this suit last night and OHMYGOSH is it fabulous. It has an underwire bra built in with removable padded cups (which I immediately took out and threw away). The fit is by bra size, so the top fits perfectly and holds the girls up so they look nice and perky. And the fabric is substantial enough that it hides any jiggles in the tummy area. This one is such a winner, I went on the website to see if they have it in any other colors, but my size is sold out across the board!
Malibu Swim Boyshorts in Aruba Teal, $54 on sale for $39.20 (find it here)
The Aruba Teal version are no longer on the website, so I’ve linked to the patterned version of the same bottoms. It was hard to tell on the website, but I thought this color bottoms would look cute with the tankini top. I also thought it would be a cute colorblock look with the black crop bikini top. However, the reviews are a little mixed – some people love them and others think they look like granny panties. I figure I’ll give them a try with the two tops and return them if it’s not love.
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How cute! You could also wear that green tankini top with pants, or a skirt.