Utterly Unsuitable: Choosing a Swimsuit for an Older Woman

American women on North African beach, 1944

Don’t get me wrong. I think that modern bathing suits are a huge improvement over the suits we wore in the ‘50’s. My father sent me a ghastly picture of myself taken in 1956 as I was emerging from the swimming pool, encased in an aqua, shiny, suit made of some miracle fabric I can no longer name. The bra resembled twin mortar shells, and the unforgiving, girdle-like fit of that tough fabric made my flesh bulge along every edge. You may be sure that my children will never see that picture.

I was still young enough to appreciate the sleek fit of the Speedo suit when I first discovered it. Alas, after my children were born, I could no longer wear those styles. I find myself looking with envy at the young women at our local Y, who wear suits designed for efficient swimming.

Today’s bathing suits are often quite comfortable, and the fabrics and colors and multiplicity of styles are great, at least for the young. They just don’t work for older women.

What is it that we need?

For one thing, we need simplicity. Those of us who do water aerobics or who swim seriously don’t need or want little skirts or panels that provide drag as we stroke along. Neither are we interested in huge patterns or little ruffles.

We need durability. Surely there are dyes and fabrics that will hold up well despite hard use. We need coverage: no high-cut thighs, no plunging necklines, and definitely no low backs. We need support: soft bras, and good straps that either crisscross or are “T” back, or regular straps that can be switched to a halter style. We need lots of “give,” especially in the abdomen. Maybe there could be a small, tie-on panel or skirt for those of us who actually wear the things out of the water.

We need suits made for women under 5’4” (the national average) and for women over 5’4”, in other words for women with short waists and for women with long waists. It seems to me that the suit length could be designated as “ST” or “LT,” standing for “Short Torso” or “Long Torso.”

If I were a swimsuit manufacturer, I would make my fortune by reaching out to the older market. I’d make simple, durable suits designed for exercise, styled with the older woman’s body in mind. I would market them in Y’s and health clubs, as well as in department stores. I would not worry much about varying the styles, because a swimmer who finds one suit that fits wants only to replace it with its clone (which, of course, she can never find). I would keep detailing to a minimum, possibly offering instead a wide range of colors and small patterns. I would offer suits in all the usual sizes, but in two torso lengths. And I would advertise them with great fanfare and pride in a product whose time has come.

But I don’t make ‘em
I just wear ‘em:
Stretch ‘em, shrink ‘em,
Fade ‘em, tear ‘em.
Though we have laws
I dare not flout,
I’d really rather
Swim without.

Photo: Members of the Womens' Army Corps during recreation on North African beach, 1944. Franklin Roosevelt Museum and Library, Marist University

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Utterly Unsuitable: Choosing a Swimsuit for an Older Woman

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