The Tankini

So it’s getting on summer (Although it doesn’t feel that way in NYC), and blog posts will be shorter and there will be no blog posts on the following dates: 7/29, 8/5, 8/12, 8/26^th. Normally I might take a summer break but fat hatred doesn’t. If I don’t post those days it’s not because I had a combo heart attack, diabetes, MS, plane crash, global warming catastrophe, I’m going to be on vacation, enjoying good food and fun exercise.

Last Sunday was the Big Fat Flea (Formerly the Fat Girl’s Flea). My favorite fat positive annual event. (Love it to be a bi-annual event, hint, hint). This year I paid $25 to get in a half hour early. And for $53 I walked out with: 2 pairs of pants, an awesome torrid dress, a hippie shirt, beads for my niece, sunglasses, a bathing suit, a swimming shirt, and tankini top. (I now have more tops than bottoms.)

Recently I joined an outdoor pool  and despite the weather have been swimming 2-4 times a week. Unlike the once a week I was doing at the pool from hell. This meant a bathing suit upgrade from the 3 regular and one emergency bathing suit (the emergency suit was fraying.)

So off I went to Marshalls which has been going downhill for a while. I don’t blame Marshalls for the fact that two piece bikinis vanish after size 12, or that thin women’s bathing suits look like string and fat women’s a full-on evening gowns but I do blame them for their lack of inventory. Once we get pass the fat ceiling of size 16, selection and quantity becomes horrendous. I understand that not all fat women want to wear tankini, bikini and some even like the skirts but we are 2/3 of the majority, why do we have to get crap. All they had in my size was a few one piece dresses. I found one bathing suit, saw the long line and figured I might do better at Sears next door.

I did. Even though I call Sears the store of the most returns. If Sears didn’t have a better selection of bathing suits, I would tell them to stick to appliances.

Sears had tankinis, one pieces and skirts. But the tankini bottom and tops were sold separately and even with a half-off sale the pieces were $25 double than what the were in Marshalls. I ended up buying $125 worth of bathing suits. I'm not against spending more to get good quality, but I had a feeling that in one or two years I would be replacing them.

I thought about waiting for the flea to get my bathing suit but the one thing the flea doesn't have is quality control. It is all based on donations.

Doesn't mean I'm disappointed. I never am. I always find a great piece (This year being the Torrid dress) At the flea I got a bathing suit, a top and a swim shirt for $15. Two of them were from a sample sale and never worn. I also feel like I'm a person at the flea because I know that the organizers are looking out for us. They want shoppers to go away with that one or more great article of clothing.

 

Comments

[JeanC]

There are so many times I wish I wasn't living in the wilds of North Idaho, I would love to go to the Big Fat Flea.