Buying Maternity Swimwear - Tips and Style Guide



I think there is a collective thought out there that Maternity Swimwear is ugly! It's not, truly. It's just so different to what you are used to looking at. Most fashion swimsuits you look at have bright prints, padded or wired bras, power mesh tummy panels etc. Let's face it, for most pregnant ladies the last thing they want to do is make there bulging busts look any bigger and something designed to flatten the tummy is not exactly ideal in a maternity swimsuit. "Well that's pretty obvious" I hear you all say but what then is it you expect a maternity swimsuit to look like?

I think it is a little like the first time you walk into a maternity store to buy a pair of maternity pants. You see the big knot band and think "Grandma pants!" Then you try them on and instantly the comfort takes your breath away and you don't want to ever take them off again. Actually, I digress slightly when I tell you that many women continue to wear maternity pants long after they have finished having children, simply because they are so comfortable and nobody would ever be able to tell that they were maternity pants, so why not?

The same can be said of a maternity swimsuit. I twist and contort to try and put my everyday swimsuit on because of all the power mesh etc. Getting it off once its wet is a very funny sight indeed.  What a nice change to be able to easily slip a maternity swimsuit on.

So what I am saying is that maternity swimsuits look much better on you than on a hanger and they feel incredibly comfy.

OK, so now that I have convinced you to give them a go you are wondering where to start.

Probably the best thing you can do is ask the experts. At Maternity Revolution we are happy help you select the style best suited to you and we can even post out a selection for you to try.

As a general rule it's best to decide first what you are using the swimsuit for. Will you be doing laps or simply lying on the beach? If you need it for laps then most pregnant ladies prefer a one piece maternity swimsuit for a more streamlined shape in the pool. This can be tricky because in order to cut a one piece swimsuit that will suit early stages and late stages of pregnancy without giving you a wedgie or having your boobs fall out the side is no easy feat. Having said that, we believe that the ones pieces we stock do accomplish this, although still some styles are better suited to later stages.



One you have decided on one piece or tankini you need to decide on whether you will be wearing the swimsuit in mainly chlorine or fresh and salt water. Chlorine is really hard on fabric and will break down the Lycra fairly quickly. I'm sure we are all familiar with the bagging pants look you get once the Lycra breaks down in your swimmers. It looks like you've had an accident in your pants...not very flattering. The fabric loses its stretch and becomes see through. Even when you are careful and rinse them after every swim, they are still going to break down.

The answer if you intend to swim in chlorine on a regular basis is a chlorine resistant or even better, a chlorine proof fabric. The Lycra used in our Ilant swimsuits is a top quality Italian fabric that is 4 1/2 times more chlorine resistant than most other Lycras but still it won't last as long as a chlorine proof fabric. A chlorine proof fabric is 100% polyester and has no Lycra in it.

So why wouldn't they make all swimsuits chlorine proof? Unfortunately chlorine proof fabric is a lot duller and coarser than the smooth, shiny appearance of Lycra and it isn't available in a range of colours or prints like Lycra is. So if it is fashion and looks you are after then it might have to be Lycra but if you don't mind plain black then there is a fair choice of styles available in chlorine proof.

The next thing to consider is support.

Not many maternity swimsuits have built in bras, as this is what brings the price up considerably in a swimsuit. I will let you in on a little secret, some manufacturers are currently working on styles with built in bras and seem to have been able to keep them at a reasonable price so what this space.

The best style of maternity swimsuit I have found from a support perspective, is the muscle back style, in particular, the Ilant Maternity Muscle back tankini and one piece. I think because it spreads the loan and doesn't make the shoulders carry so much of the weight. Avoid skinny straps (unless they are crossover) if you have a larger bust.



What about maternity bikinis? Well Ilant did try this once but really, what's the difference between a maternity bikini and a normal bikini other than the fact that many pregnant ladies have a larger bust than normal and bikinis are ofter the territory of ladies with smaller busts or those that don't mind having much more than their nipples covered. Bikinis designed for a larger bust often have underwire and that rules them out for pregnant ladies. So a maternity bikini has a fuller bra top than a normal bikini (much like a crop top). Overall they weren't all that popular because you do have to be very confident to wear a bikini while pregnant.

Most maternity tankini briefs sit under the belly and have an adjustable drawstring waist but there are some styles that have over belly briefs and others that have boyleg briefs.

If you love the swimsuit but don't feel comfortable showing so much leg, there are maternity boardshorts. One style is in a chlorine proof swimsuit fabric (long and short style) and the other option is the typical quick dry fabric boardshort that most major brands use. The chlorine proof ones are much comfier but the quick dry ones are most popular because they look like normal boardshorts.



Unless you only plan to wear your swimsuit a few times, I don't suggest you buy a cheap swimsuit from one of the major discount chainstores. Even if you do rinse it out after every swim, you will be lucky if it lasts more than 3 months. Could end up being false economy of you have to buy 2 swimsuits each pregnancy.

Well I think that covers just about everything but if you need more info or advice on anything to do with buying a maternity swimsuit, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Bye for now.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
Ph: (07) 3205 1818
lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au