Hi ladies,

I find myself in the dismal position of having to buy a swimsuit (or well-covering 2-piece/tankini). As a plus-size girl I am totally overwhelmed with the choices and the prices. My biggest fear is that I might show up and clear the beach because the patrons are so frightened by the sight.

Where do you buy your swim suits? Which brands/styles do you like. Can someone please point me in a constructive direction? I looked at Land's End and found the nip and tug variety of all sorts of control but boy are they expensive......

I HATE SHOPPING! When it comes to swimwear, I even hate it on the internet.

I usually just go to Macy's and spend far too much, but have seen and bought some cute one's at Target. The Land's End ones hold up really well, and stay on place around the butt area, so are well worth it.

I have purchased a couple from Land's End. If you sign up for their e-mail notices they have sales going on all the time, or at least coupons. Just this weekend they had a 25% off on swimsuits. I need to get one myself but I think I missed that sale. they put these "sales" on all the time thru e-mail. My next one will be from them.
I have also found suits (I am a big girl too) at J.C. Penney. I try to look for the better quality suits, I have had too many "cheap" ones that don't last of stretch out really quickly. Macy's is another good place.

I have purchased only one bathing suit in my life and it was at Macy's lasted me years. Hard to believe since I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and when you are there, no matter where you are, you are close to the beach.

I hate bathing suit time, I'm just a little chubby and nothing looks appealing on me.

I find mine at Penny's mostly. I love the mix/match as it helps with the difference in the top/bottom sizing.

Lands End... they do cost a little more my last one was 50.00... they have a 100% return ,no questions asked, no limits on time, wear etc. the fit is great ( they have suits for long torso , that's me.... no riding up your hinnie). I bought my first suit from them last year to train for a Triathlon, I wore the suit maybe 30 times trainning ... this past winter when I went to take my grandson swimming at the rec center, I noticed after we were in the pool for a while my suit looked funny when I came out of the water, like the exterior had stretched... I called them, they exchanged it for another suit I picked out online, sent me a refund for the difference and a 20% off coupon. I am sold.. I paid the same price for a tankini at Kohls, it doesn't fit near as well; I use that for sunning in the yard.... as far as size goes... I'm a 14 , hippy, busty....

I just bought a bathing suit for the first time in 5 years. I'm determined to just go for it and wear a bathing suit in public this summer. I'm tired of being left out everytime my family goes swimming. This is the suit I bought; http://www.unique-vintage.com/esther...it-p-2468.html A little pricey but I really like it and it looks decent on me. What I really liked about that website was the fact that they have a plus sized model in the same suit that you can see. You can see how it actually looks on a normal woman, not just a beanpole. :) (no offense to those of you who might be beanpoles!)

I buy suits that feel comfortable, but since I don't like the cut of most of the bottoms, I always buy a pair of swim shorts to wear over them. Everything is covered that I want covered, and they rinse out easily and dry quickly like the suits.

DD#1 is a larger gal, and she buys the same way as I do. She likes the option of having the shorts to wear at some public places, but at friends she is comfortable just wearing the suit.

I agree, I buy my swimsuits at Costco, under 25 dollars, and I also bought a pair of men's swim shorts. I swim 5 days a week with a handicapped client and the ladies swimsuit lasts about a year, due to the exposure to the chlorine in the pool. Funny, the men's swimsuit doesn't show any fading and it's been a few years now. I buy the largest size and squeeze myself into it!!