Bathing beauties
Posted on June 23rd, 2008 – 7:00 AMBy Maura Lerner
One of the nice things about living in the land-of-the-endless-winter is that you can put off wearing a swimsuit in public as long as possible. Well, summer’s here, and Lands’ End and More Magazine are trying to coax the over-40 set out of our cocoons with some words of encouragement.
Would you believe that nearly half of all women feel more confident in swimsuits after reaching 40? That’s one of the claims of a survey of more than 1,400 readers of the magazine, which caters to women over 40. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the survey was cosponsored by Lands’ End, which makes a line of beachwear designed to hide women’s “swimsuit anxiety zones.”
Here are some of the body-image secrets revealed:
- 46 percent say they have rectangular-shaped bodies, compared to 34 percent with triangle- or pear-shapes.
-32 percent say they usually can find a swimsuit they like, though it can take longer than expected.
- 51 percent think one-piece swimsuits are the best way to “complement and balance” their body types; 40 percent prefer “tankinis.”
- 75 percent would rather have a custom-designed swimsuit than free! plastic surgery to look good at the beach.
“Forty-something body confidence is in,” More’s fashion director, Regina Haymes, enthused in a news release.
Maybe. But that only goes so far. Fewer than ten percent would say they “fully embrace wearing a swimsuit.”
When it comes to body image, perfection is an elusive thing.
2 Responses to "Bathing beauties"
I’m still trying to figure out why swimwear has to be so small? Unless you actually do much swimming, don’t you just need something that dries quickly, is comfortable in the heat, and can hold up for a season or two? When board shorts first became popular I opted to wear a pair with a bikini or tankini top, just because it seemed so much more practicle. Really, with all the maintenance required in grooming bikini lines, preventing wedgies, and worry over imperfect thighs, this seemed like the solution! But alas, swimwear still consists of suits resembling lycra underwear…I don’t get it ladies! This season you’ll find me sporting the maternity variety of swinwear…of course they don’t make maternity board shorts when I could use them most!
From a 37-yr-old mother of 2: Tankinis rule! I had a black Land’s End tankini through my first pregnancy and the bump just kept pushing outwards until it looked like I had a giant watermelon wedge between the tankini top and bottom….causing a lifeguard to shout from across the pool “Hey lady, when are you DUE??”
