what to wear over racing bathers?

anne

While my daughters have swimming lessons this week and next I have been trying to get some laps in myself. I have to wear my racing bathers, and I am absolutely flat chested in them!
Nothing I have tried looks good worn on top with nothing to fill it out (my usual outline is heavily indebted to padded bras!), and so I have resorted to just wearing a skirt over the bathers themselves.
Has anyone been in this situation and/or have any suggestions?

13 years ago

Dressing

9 replies

Latest reply was from Kim

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Do you mean to get to the gym and back, Anne? Not when you are in the water, I assume, right?

13 years ago

Amy

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Veteran

I just toss a loose t-shirt over the swimsuit and wear comfy bottoms.

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I might wear a button down shirt on top, tucked into the skirt, so it blouses a bit, and disguises what isn't there.

13 years ago

Anonymous

I'm in the water a lot & I'm flat too. Excellent suggestions, Amy & Suz! Here in the Seattle area, it might be colder than where you are, so I wear fleece over my swimsuit a lot, & swim indoors, so it's a different situation in that I wear coverups to stay warm to & from the pool. But I do wear loose t-shirts & button-downs, & I think they they work well for skimming over what I don't have up top. I feel fortunate that I can wear swimsuits that just have light lining or a shelf bra, while others need more support.

Megan

13 years ago

merwoman

Veteran

I'm in the pool several times a week. Comfy outfit (and quick to change out of) for me is BFs on the bottom half, and as Suz and alldogs have suggested a button down shirt - semi tuck. Layer over that as needed for weather,. Also bulky knit sweater can create the illusion of a chest...I'm all about illusion and magic. Another good combo is skinnies on bottom, and loose garments on top.
Have fun in the water!!

13 years ago

anne

Veteran

Thanks everyone!!
I did mean to and from the pool Suz!! And some of the time sitting around the pool waiting for the kids to finish or play etc. It is quite a public area, with people I know there. So it is not just like me heading down to the gym or pool for a workout.

The weather is too hot (I am in Australia) for jeans or sweaters but I am intrigued by the suggestions of buttondowns. One of the reasons I am not keen on buttondowns is that I see my small bustedness glaringly in them (and that is when I AM wearing a bra). I do have one patterned one that could probably work.

Amy I have one loose t-shirt (from the last HM I did) but I hate wearing shorts outside the privacy of my house. I could manage clams on the cooler days though.

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Anne, that is very interesting. I find button downs are somewhat disguising of my small bustedness and as someone small busted it is also easier to find ones that don't gap. If you tuck the top and let it blouse a bit, it's a good way of presenting the illusion of fullness up top. I think perhaps tucking is key. Also, you might want to experiment with the style of the button downs. It might be that a very tailored one would make you look more flat. Maybe it needs to be a looser style.

Another option, if you are willing to buy something new, would be some type of blouse (loose and floaty) or even a kaftan/ tunic type garment.

13 years ago

anne

Veteran

Excellent ideas there Suz! Thanks

13 years ago

Kim

Veteran

As another member of the "nothing much up top club" I'd probably go with something that had ruffles on top to create the illusion of something there. I'd probably try and find a dress made of jersey of some other light weight fabric so that it would be comfy in the summer heat. Something like this: (from JCrew, but I don't know if it's available, I just googled "Ruffled Dress Images")

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13 years ago

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