Are you struggling to find the right swimsuit after kids? You are not alone! I’ve done the work for you to find the best one-piece swimsuits for moms.
Buying a swimsuit is painful. I get a sense of actual dread wash over me when I even think of buying a swimsuit. It is, for me, the most dreaded article clothing to buy. That is especially true after I’ve had kids.
I’ve never felt great in a swimsuit. I was just never comfortable with so much of my body on show for all the world to see. Things certainly didn’t get better in the confidence in a swimsuit arena after I had kids and my body changed completely. Right after my kids were born, I didn’t want to buy swimsuit or even wear one. I avoided wearing a swimsuit and when I absolutely had to wear one, I wore shorts and a t-shirt over top. I was verging on having swimsuitaphobia.
Recently, though, I got tired of being so concerned about how I looked in a swimsuit. I wanted to be able to fully enjoy pool and beach time with my kids. But, I still wanted to feel as good as I possibly could in a swimsuit. So, I set out to find swimsuits that worked for me as a mom of two small kids.
My Quest
When I set out on this quest, I realized that there are a lot of bad swimsuits out there. It was hard work to find decent one-piece swimsuits for moms, never mind the best one-piece swimsuits for moms. Just as in my love life, though, I had to kiss a lot of frogs to find my prince. But, I did it. I found some real winners. I want to share the exact swimsuits that I found, of course, but I also want to give you a guide for what to look for on your search for the best one-piece swimsuits for moms.
The Best One-Piece Swimsuits for Moms
What to look for
I want to start by sharing what I look for when I’m looking for the best one-piece swimsuits for moms. This way, you can take this information with you when you go into a store or click around online so you can feel confident in the swimsuits you select to buy or try on. I feel like I’ve cracked the code with these swimsuit characteristics. I don’t feel nearly as scared to buy a swimsuit as I used to, and hopefully you won’t either!
Straps
The main difference between my body before kids and after kids is that everything is just a bit looser than it used to be. That’s especially true in the chest, as I mentioned in my post about the best wireless bras. That means I’m looking for support when I’m looking for the best one-piece swimsuits for moms. The main source of support in a swimsuit is the straps, so I take great care in examining the straps of any swimsuit I consider buying.
What do I look for in a strap? First, it has to be substantial. None of these flimsy around the neck straps will do. I like a strap that’s a little bit thicker than your average bra strap in my bathing suits. Second, I really like adjustable straps. This isn’t an absolute must-have, but the swimsuits that I feel the most comfortable wearing all have adjustable straps.
Cups
Gone are the days in which a shelf bra will cut it. Your girl needs some cups in a swimsuit. The cups provide the support and shape I need to feel halfway decent traipsing around in what is essentially my underwear. Now, there are many different types of cups that swimsuit manufacturers add to one-piece swimsuits. I’ve tried them all and can confidently say that fixed, soft-molded cups are the ones for me. Underwire cups just don’t work on my post-kid breast shape and those useless removable cups make me want to scream. Fixed, soft-molded cups are the sweet spot.
Coverage
Look, when I’m chasing after my 5-year-old and 3-year-old at the pool or the beach, I can’t leave myself vulnerable to a wardrobe malfunction. Everything needs to be locked and loaded. This means my chest and bum need to be fully covered. If it wants to be considered for my list of best one-piece swimsuits for moms, it can’t be low cut or cheeky.
Illusion
Like many other moms who have been pregnant with their children, I’m self-conscious about my stomach. It will never again be flat, and although I’m ok with that, I don’t need to emphasize my post-baby tummy. So, when I’m looking for the best one-piece swimsuits for moms, I’m looking to camouflage the stomach area.
When I’m looking at a one-piece swimsuit, I want some sort of illusion that distracts the eye from my tummy. That can be ruching, a fun pattern, or color-blocking. I love whatever tricks of the eye I can get!
Color
You don’t have to settle for a black swimsuit, moms! Yes, you’ve been told all your life that black is slimming, but you can look slim in other colors too. Have a little fun with your swimsuit. Look for a fun color or pattern that really speaks to you!
My best one-piece swimsuits for moms
Now that I’ve covered what I look for in a swimsuit, I wanted to show you examples of the swimsuits that I have and love and explain why they are the best one-piece swimsuits for moms. All I ask is that you be kind. I’m being very vulnerable adding pictures of me in swimsuits and I hope you appreciate it. This is me, a mom of two in her late 30s – imperfections and all!
Nip Tuck Amanda
About a year ago, I stumbled upon an Australian swimwear brand called Niptuck. Specifically, the Amanda style. This was the swimsuit that made me realize that I could feel comfortable in a swimsuit again. It has wide, adjustable straps, fixed, soft-molded cups, a little side tie that creates ruching across the tummy, and full coverage where I need it. I don’t see that the blue and white striped version that I have is still in stock, but they have a few other really cute patterns available in the Amanda style. I wear my true size, a US 6.
Nip Tuck Joanne
After having such success with the Amanda style, I looked into other Nip Tuck styles that could work for me and landed on the Joanne. This is another suit that deserves a place on the list of best one-piece swimsuits for moms. It features adjustable straps, fixed, soft-molded cups, ruching across the mid-section, and piece of mind where the chest and bum are concerned. Again, the pattern that I have is no longer available, but the Joanne style is still available in many other great patterns and solid color options. Again, I wear my true size, a US 6.
Gottex Square Neck One-Piece
Surely, Nip Tuck wasn’t the only swimwear brand that made good one-piece swimsuits for moms, so I branched out a bit and found this Gottex Bali Full Coverage Square Neck One Piece. I love the square neck and the fact that the straps are thicker and cover the chicken cutlet. It also has fixed, soft-molded cups and a full coverage bum. Perhaps what I like most about this swimsuit is the pattern, though. It doesn’t have ruching across the stomach, but the pattern really distracts the eye and results in a slimming effect. I did size up in this one, but the US 8 fits great!
Tommy Bahama Island Cays
I also found great success with a Tommy Bahama swimsuit. I was always too scared to try swimsuits that had cut-outs, but the cut-out in the Island Cays Colorblock Tie-Front One-Piece is perfect. It’s just enough to add a little sass to the swimsuit without making you feel too vulnerable while you’re wearing it. This swimsuit has a nice, thick, widely-spaced, adjustable strap, the best fixed, soft-molded cups of any suit I’ve tried, full coverage everywhere, and the colorblocking makes me not look like the rectangle I am. I’m in my typical size US 6 and it’s a perfect fit.
Hilor Tummy Control Front Twist
I know that most of the swimsuits on my list of the best one-piece swimsuits for moms are a little higher priced. I’ve tried lots of more affordable options, and they just haven’t cut it. The only lower priced suit that I’ve found to be really good is the Hilor Tummy Control Front Twist One-Piece. This swimsuit shouldn’t be as cheap as it is. It feels just as well-made as the others on this list for a fraction of the price. It has adjustable straps, fixed, soft-molded cups, full coverage, ruching across the belly, and comes in really vibrant, fun colors. I have the color Bluebird Blue and it’s a perfect color. Here again I’m wearing my typical US size 6.
Other posts
Need more mom inspiration? I’ve got a few posts that you might find helpful:
I hope that my list of the best one-piece swimsuits for moms has given you the confidence to go out and find your perfect swimsuit. If you’ve found perfect swimsuits, please share them in the comments or over on Instagram @sarainseason.