Romper: Old Navy. Swimsuit: JCrew. Hat: H&M. (similar and here.) Flipflops: Target. Backpack: H&M.
(too bright… ;-)
Last week, for spring break we flew down to Southern California with our kids to go to Disneyland, and basically just frolic around in that beautiful California sun for 5 days. We flew in late Tuesday night, and since our flight was delayed by 3 hours (we’re talking nightmare in the runway delayed) we didn’t get to our hotel until almost 4 am. Yeah. Blah.
Luckily, our first day we’d planned to be super low-key (as in no Disneyland) so we all slept in, ate a leisurely breakfast and then threw on our suits and grabbed an Uber to the beach. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, it was all sunshine and light breezes. Just complete heaven.
It was so fun to bring the kids to a beach I used to play on as a child and watch them fearlessly chase waves and get doused with icy ocean water. They really are Pacific Northwest kids. Just running in and out of that cold water like it was a hot tub. Even Ava was cautiously fearless, gripping my hand and making me run in and out of the surf over and over with her. I can’t imagine a better start to our trip.
If I’m being completely honest, bathing suits are not my favorite thing in the world to wear. I mean, I LOVE cute bathing suits, I just don’t really love me in a bathing suit, if you know what I mean. But it’s really important to me that I play with my kids, and also that they remember me being in the moment when we’re at the beach or at a pool and not self-consciously fidgeting with my bathing suit.
Like most women, I’ve got my own body image issues, things I don’t love, but these are things I don’t want to be thinking about or worrying over when we’re in a moment like the one we had last week. And it would have been a shame if I had been, because it was a perfect afternoon, and those thoughts would have tainted it.
I also know myself. I’m a little obsessive, and if I don’t feel confident/comfortable, I have a hard time being in the moment. The key for me is making sure that I feel good in what I’m wearing, then I can get dressed and forget about myself.
I’ve found a few tips to be really helpful in feeling confident at the beach, no matter what my body looks like.
1. Buy a suit you love, and feel great in, no matter what. I know it seems impossible, but there is a suit out there that flatters everyone. Find a suit you feel great in, even if you’ve got a food baby from all the vacation treats, or it’s that time of the month. My go-to is this black strapless one-piece from JCrew. It’s my fail-safe. I always feel good in it, it hides things I want to hide (thank you ruching) and it’s a classic style.
a few more great classic bathing suit options:
2. Get a great coverup. If you’re not swimming, or laying out, chances are you’re in a coverup, so make it a cute one that still looks summery, and fun. Plus, I’m guessing everyone is more comfortable in a cover-up so if it’s a cute one, you’ll still feel fab and beachy but not self-conscious. I’m a huge fan of rompers as cover-ups. I think they look adorable on everyone, they slip on easy and you can be a little more active in them. (rather than a wrap around or something.)
a few more of my favorite cover-up options:
3. Wear a fab sunhat and a big pair of sunglasses. A great sun hat and glasses will make you feel instantly glam, and takes your beach look from just a swim suit and cover-up, to an intentional look. Plus a hat does wonders when you’re hair starts getting frizzy from all that salty ocean spray air. My biggest advice is to invest in a good pair of sunglasses. My sister has been telling me this for years and I always kind of scoffed because, “they’re just sunglasses” but I bought myself this Kate Spade pair last summer and it’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I wear them everyday and I love the way they look, they’re super comfy, really high quality and because they cost more I take really good care of them and they haven’t gotten scratched, broken or lost like the other 20 pairs of cheap sunglasses I’d bought in the past.
a few more favorite sunnies and hats:
4.Workout everyday. Even if you’re body isn’t where you want it to be, a little workout with tighten everything up and give you more energy. Plus I find, when I’m working out, I feel more confident because I’m taking control of my body. That confidence translates into feeling better in my bathing suit. If you haven’t been working out, get a quick one in before you go. Do 20 minutes on the sworkit, do some squats, and push-ups, or do a little pilates. It will energize your muscles and make you feel instantly more confident. And, double bonus, working out does wonders for my mood.
Now go forth and get beachy!
