Modest Swimsuits -- Would You Wear This?

I want to start by saying that I'm not a prude. (Not a complete prude, anyway.) But, I'm in my 30s now and I've had a kiddo. Let's just say that things have shifted slightly, and I seem to have misplaced my 18-year-old body. With the weather starting to warm up, I've begun thinking about pool season. This past winter, we moved to Texas where the temperatures climb up early and can hover in the 80s well past Halloween. So, while I managed to avoid "swimsuit season" for the last couple of years, I have a feeling it will be back with a vengeance this year. With that in mind, the official hunt has started. Since I haven't worn a suit in a few years, I dug through my drawer and pulled out what used to be my version of a modest suit for a quick try-on. It's a fairly simple one-piece that didn't ride up (or down) anywhere. But, I couldn't help but feel so incredibly NAKED in it! I had this overwhelming sense of "I'm not going out in this!" Would I want my mother- or father-in-law to see my strutting my stuff pool-side in this? No way! With that said, I'm searching for a suit that covers me, but doesn't leave me feeling, well, Amish. Here's an example of a suit that I found on Modest Swimwear Solutions:



As you can see, it's almost like wearing a dress with spandex shorts underneath. It definitely clings to the body, but I wonder if it would it look odd going for a swim in a dress? It might. But, I can certainly see how you wouldn't have to worry about your skin getting too much sun exposure. Some of the prints and patterns that the suits came in were really fun. They also offered them for children:

My verdict? Really adorable for kiddos! Again, no worries about burned tummies, backsides and shoulders with these suits.
But, again, I'm not sure if I want to go to the extreme of wearing a dress at the beach. So, I kept searching and found a modest swimwear maker named Lime Ricki. You'll discover that she sells some super cute traditional bathing suits that make an effort to cover up your "essentials". Here are my favorites from her site:





Prices for a Lime Ricki suit averaged $20-$25 for a set of bottoms and around $25-$35 for a top. For women wanting to add a skirt, the site offered a variety of swim skirts like the one below:

What an easy way to cover up and still feel semi-beach bunny-ish.
My third strop was to the Mod Be online catalog, which offers styles geared toward women who preferred softer patterns. I also appreciated the fact that their tankini tops were cut on the long side for less ride-up.




So, with that said...how modest can you really get? Well, I found the ultimate suit if you're looking for complete cover-up. From Wholesome Wear, you can purchase a suit that promises not to cling to your body. (I can see the plus-side to that!) Below is an example of a two-piece outfit that snaps between your legs when you want to go in the water and unsnaps for walking along the beach. While the style isn't for me, I wanted to showcase this suit as an example of what you might want if a traditional suit just won't cut it.




They're also offered in culotte styles and can be made for children:


So, what did I choose? Though I haven't placed my order, I'm tempted to go with one of the Modest Swimwear suits featured at the top of this post. You can have a suit custom made at whatever skirt length you're comfortable with. Will my husband fawn over it? Probably not. But, then again, I'm doing this for me. I want to use our pool with comfort. And, I want to feel comfortable inviting friends and relatives over without feeling like I'm running around in my underwear. (I promise, honey, I'll save the really sexy stuff for the bedroom!)
What will you be wearing this summer?