Mom Bathing Suits for Your Vacation

Mom bathing suits don’t have to be frumpy! But I certainly want to make sure they cover the places that I don’t want to be exposed. When I was planning for our recent spring break trip, I knew I was going to need some new swimsuits. I wanted a mix of one piece and two pieces that were cute and flattering for my mom bod. With summer just around the corner, I wanted to share my favorites in case it will help you find the perfect suit. Because God knows shopping for bathing suits can be SO hard!

I only share things I love and think you’ll love too. This post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase through one of these links, I am compensated. 

I’m not sure if you noticed but I’m pointing at a giant iguana.

Mom Bathing Suits That are Still Cute

I very rarely put on a swimsuit when we are at home. I only go swimming if it is 110 degrees or more (which almost never happens). So it’s usually reserved for vacation or if someone forces me to go to the beach (I don’t hate visiting these beach bungalows, though…). 

For our trip to Mexico, I knew we’d spend a lot of time doing water activities (Xel Ha Park is ALL about snorkeling and swimming with the fishes) so I wanted to bring suits that would be comfortable and still cute. I also knew we’d be spending a lot of time on cozy day beds on the beach so flattering two-pieces would be needed too. 

Where to Buy Bathing Suits for Mom Bodies

To me, the term “mom body” just means someone who is not comfortable parading around in a bathing suit. I am not intending to use it in a derogatory way the way others may use it. I’m a 42-year-old woman who is not super fit and has cellulite and stretch marks. I’m not totally overweight but I’m soft, and not as thin as I once was. 

I think you can find flattering suits for moms almost anywhere. You just have to know what to look for. I know my “flaws” are different than someone else’s so it’s important to think about what you need from your suit. For me, I need my full butt covered (and to stay covered), I need a little padding up top and a little optical illusioning in the tummy area wouldn’t hurt either.

These are the stores I shop at first:

• Target | Target is always a good idea. And Target.com sometimes has a wider selection than what is in the stores. They offer cute junior suits that might work but also they offer tons of suits that include skirting, cinching, controlling, etc. While I didn’t want to go with something matronly, I did have great success finding bottoms. More on that below. 
• Old Navy | Bathing suits can sometimes be very expensive (especially ones that include a bit of shapewear). Old Navy is a great place to start because they generally feature modest cuts at a great price point. 
• The Swim Spot | The suits on SwimSpot.com cost more than most of these other places, but they have so many great options. I’ve had luck finding cute designer suits here in the past so I always swing through to check it out. They feature a “fit specialist” section on the site that helps you find the right suit for your shape. But you should expect to drop $100 on a suit. If I spend $100 on a suit, I am not sweating in it. I will literally only sit carefully in it so that I can keep it for life. 
• Amazon | Amazon is a great option if you have plenty of time to shop before a trip. You can have them delivered right to your door so you can try on at home (which is awesome!). Returns are super easy (see more about ordering bathing suits from Amazon here). BUT, sizing can be hard. And if you order 7 and none of them work, you may have to do another round. This is not ideal if you are heading out of town in a week. 
• Kortnie Jean | Although they have one piece suits, I’ve only tried (and love!) the Kortni Jeane separates. These are made in a wide variety of sizes and come in cute prints and cuts. These are super modest but that’s what some of us need. But they’re really cute! They often have sales so get on their mailing list so you don’t miss them. 
• Rad Swim | Rad Swim has some super cute suits and tons of sizes. I found out about them through Carly of Lipgloss and Crayons and her #JustWearTheSuit movement. 
• Aerie | Aerie is doing some awesome things in terms of body positivity and trying to include a wide range of sizes. But I found that the cut of the bottoms are too narrow for my wide back side. Their tops, on the other hand, are perfect for me! 

Other Stores to Check Out:

• Land’s End | Land’s End usually has cuts that look they will cover and suck in those places moms usually want a bathing suit too. 
• Macy’s | Macy’s usually has SO many bathing suits to sift through plus they are a wide range of designer, juniors, performance – meaning not, like active, but working to make you look better.
• Miracle Suit | Miracle Suits are made to hide your flaws so if that is what you are looking to do, this is a good place to start. But these are pricey (almost $200!) so for God’s sake, don’t even think about wearing this in the water…just kidding. But it should last you a lifetime. 

Tips for Finding the Right Suit

• Don’t be stressed | Give yourself plenty of time to shop. Whether you are shopping in-store or online, make sure that you don’t have somewhere else to be. It can take time to browse the sites to find the shape that is in your head. Stress is not going to give you that open mind you need when choosing the right suit!
• Do your hair | I know this sounds crazy. BUT – you are already going to feel bad about yourself and picking apart your flaws. If you at least feel cute up top it will go along way with cutting yourself some slack. I really noticed this when I was trying on suits this last time! 
• Keep your eyes out | When you are at the pool or beach, look around to see those cute suits that moms are wearing. If you see someone with your body type who looks super cute in a suit, ask where she got it! I always do this! 
• Give yourself grace | Have some self-talk with yourself before you try suits on. In my head, I can still wear things like I did 10 years ago. The reality is my body is totally different. Instead of beating myself up over not dieting or working out (I’m just not feeling that right now), I am trying to find flattering suits for the current moment. 

I made sure to start my swimsuit shopping early so I could feel less stress trying to find cute mom bathing suits. Not feeling stressed when trying on swimsuits is key! 

One-Piece and Two Piece Bathing Suit Options

This cute leopard one piece is from Target.com (available in the Plus Sized version). I like to have a mix of one-pieces and two pieces but I still want to be cute. Even though I am carrying a little extra weight, I’m not dead. Even a few years ago it was super hard to find one pieces that were also cute. They were more about function than fashion and I felt terrible wearing them. 

This suit doesn’t seem to be on the site any longer, aside from the Plus Sizes. The suit is by Kona Sol and they actually have a ton of great one-piece options, very similar to the one I got. 

I fell in love with this tye-dye one piece from Rad Swim. The colors are perfect and that pop of pink makes it feel a little young. The pattern helps to take the focus off my protruding midsection. And my buns are fully covered! AMEN!

I feel like this suit felt young but not in a “Wow, Sharon’s trying to hard to not be 40” kind of way. Just a “Dang. That mom is pretty cool and dressed in a super cute suit” way.

Rad Swim offers free shipping over $50 and the prices for the swimsuits are pretty reasonable. 

This is a one-piece and a two-piece all wrapped up in one cute suit! I got this one on Amazon last year and still really love it. The bottom section is high waisted so it provides a lot of coverage to the areas that I need. And the open middle and back make it feel like you are in a two piece. 

It is super flattering for a lot of body types. But since I got it on Amazon, I did have to try a few sizes to find the size that worked best. This one also comes in several patterns! I’ve never met a strip I didn’t like so this was the obvious choice. 

It says it is currently unavailable but I know it comes in other color combinations. And I know if you are like me you can take a look at the information Amazon provides and play Nancy Drew to see if you can find it elsewhere! 

This style suit has become pretty popular so you can probably find it at Target also. 

I had posted on my Insta stories that I was looking for bathing suits. And one night I got a text from my niece suggesting I check out Aerie (from American Eagle). She’s 16. Clearly, she is in the prime of her life and doesn’t understand camouflage dressing your body yet. But since I’ve had great luck with their jeans in the past I decided to take a look. 

They were having a great sale so I decided to try a few things out. They offer free returns so I wasn’t worried about having to send any back. I would have loved to go in-store to try them on, but our closest location hasn’t opened yet so I settled for online. 

I could tell from the images (even though they use fuller bodied models) that the bottoms were not going to cover my buns the way I wanted them to. So I ignored those an focused on the tops. They had tons of colors, patterns and cuts to choose from. And the pricing, even when not on sale, is totally reasonable. 

I am tiny on top so I went with the Medium (I prefer things to not make me feel like a sausage casing). The large didn’t really have any more room in the bust, but the fabric was not clinging to my body. From that point of view, these may run on the small side. 

Also, you can see that the tye-dye version is a little bit longer than the others which is super cute with a high waisted bottom. I picked up the black to wear under some jumpsuits I have since I really liked the cut and the material doesn’t scream “bathing suit.”

Black top, tye-dye top (they no longer have the tye-dye but here is the longline suit in black!), red-orange and pink top (They already have no styles and patterns from when I shopped a few months ago!)

This is my Kortni Jeane suit. How cute is that ruffle on the bottoms!? You can see this suit on all different body types on the site which is awesome and will give you a better idea of the kind of coverage it provides. There are a few different styles of tops and bottoms to choose from. 

I also tried the super high waisted bottoms but they weren’t flattering at all so I returned them. 

This top is racerback and pretty long. I actually tuck it under a little to make it hit my in the skinniest part of my torso. It’s all about tricking the eye, people! 

Some of their popular prints, and the basic black pieces, sell out so get on their mailing list so you know when they offer new products and also when they are having a sale! 

Target had so many great options this year but it was hard to actually get them. I ordered a ton online, for in-store pick-up, and multiple suits were canceled because they didn’t have the inventory.

I can’t not buy leopard so this top was a given. The material is not shiny so I also figured I could wear this under jumpsuits or dresses that needed a little coverage. 

Target is where I found several pair of black bikini bottoms. They were high waisted and had a lot of coverage without feeling like it was an old lady suit.

This pair, shown, actually has criss-cross cutouts (where I placed the flowers). I was a little worried I would ooze out of the holes but it’s actually really flattering! They come in a stripe version too which is adorable! And a tropical palm pattern!

By buying tops and bottoms separately, I could mix and match everything and it created an enormous swimsuit wardrobe. 

I ended up with so many cute mom bathing suits that I didn’t even take them all on vacation with me! 

I really think these are the best bathing suits for moms! No, I still didn’t want to parade around on the beach but I felt cute in my suit. Which hasn’t happened in a really long time! 

More mom style for you to check out:

• Cute and Comfy Long Kaftans
• Outfit Ideas for Spring with Cabi
• Small Cross body Purses for Moms

My Biggest Swimsuit Advice

A spray tan is a MUST! If you’re not feeling great about your body, do yourself a favor and get a spray tan! My body may not have looked any better, but I felt more confident with a little bit of a tan!

Also, go read all the captions from the #JustWearTheSuit hashtag on Instagram. No one cares as much as we do. And are we sending a positive message to our kids with our fear of wearing a bathing suit?

Don’t forget to give yourself some grace. Not only in accepting the current state of your body. But also if you just can’t make yourself wear the suit. 

Pin these Mom Swimsuits for Later

If you’ve had a hard time finding cute mom bathing suits, you are not alone! Women, everywhere, hate swimsuit shopping. Just hang in there and eventually, you’ll find one! I promise! 

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