Friday, May 1, 2015

Swim Dresses

Swim dresses are adorable and right now they are the number one trend that I love to hate.  I honestly can't decide if they are the cutest thing to hit the swim wear scene since....almost forever or the worst thing that has happened to the beach and pool since swimsuits with suuuuper high cut legs were all the rage in the late 80s.

So maybe, Dear Readers, you can hear my points and help me decide.

First, swim dresses are generally modest.  In a sea of micro bikinis, cage details, and low cut monokinis, swim dresses provide demure coverage while still being flirty.  And of course, covered skin can absolutely still be sexy and attractive.
The black ruched swim dress pictured above is absolutely adorable, flirty, and modest.  It is available on SammyDress.com and looks to be a very flattering style for many body types.  

Second, swim dresses are more functional and practical if you do a lot of moving around, getting into and out of the water, and chasing kids.  I love my bikinis but there have been a few near misses with wardrobe malfunctions while I have been chasing my kids.  Thankfully I had felt them about to happen and was able to avoid losing a top, flashing a nipple, or mooning the pool...but really, who wants to constantly be worried about ending up accidentally partly naked at a children's party?  Not me!

Third, Swim dresses are an adorable and modern nod to retro swimsuit fashions.  I love when vintage styles come back and get reworked in a more modern way.  Some of the swim dresses I have seen lately are cute, modest, and so fun while being vintage inspired.  Below is another example of a swim dress that I like.  It's available at Torrid.  I like that the straps are adjustable and love the polka dots.


And now let's discuss the drawbacks to swim dresses.  

Not all swim dresses are more flattering than normal cut bathing suits.  Adding more fabric to your swim attire does not necessarily make it more complimentary.  In fact, just like with a regular dress, the wrong pattern or misplaced ruffles can you look much larger than you are or call attention to an area you wish to hide.  

Next, not all swim dresses are exactly practical to swim in.  The swim dress below is sexy but I am having trouble imagining being comfortable in the water with all that flowy material floating and flopping around you.  I suppose if you just sun bathe then it's probably ok.  If you like it, it is also available on SammyDress.com.  





Some swim dresses are cute on the hanger or pictured on models but are hard to pull off by real women.  Some of the vintage inspired or ruffled swim dresses that I have seen remind me of something that Cindy Brady would have worn and are about as short..or long depending on your view!  


While the strawberries on the suit pictured above are adorable, I can't picture myself or any of my friends being able to pull it off.  In addition, it's long enough that it reminds me of something my two year old daughter would wear in the summer.  Obviously, not with that same halter cut for a little girl, but the overall look.  I found this photo on Pinterest and am not sure of the original site selling it.  Anyone know?


And my last qualm with swim dresses is that they seem that they would be uncomfortable under a cover up or clothes when wet.  Like, you have to be fully dry before putting anything over them and whatever you wear over it has to be either a maxi dress or a cover up designed especially for swim wear.  You couldn't just layer shorts and a tank of the swim dress above very easily.  I think this suit is adorable but I don't normally get the chance to completely change into and out of my bathing suit  when I get to the beach or pool.  I like the ability and ease of layering whatever I have on that day over my suit and I don't see that as being feasible with most swim dresses.  I think of all the swim dresses I talked about today that the one above is my favorite.  It's available at Nordstrom and looks darling!

Now I want to hear from you!  What are your thoughts on swim dresses? Love them? Hate them?  Comment below and let me know!

-Michelle

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*This is a non sponsored review.  All opinions are that of the blogger.  Photos courtesy of Torrid, SammyDress.com and Nordstrom.  



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