one piece or two piece for little girls and tweens.

Kristi - posted on 06/03/2012

My daughter is almost 13, she is tall, athletic and when she is dressed up people think she is 15 or 16. Of course, I'm going to say she is very beautiful. And she is. : ) I used to let her wear an itty bitty yellow polka dot bikini when she was younger, toddler to about age 6 or 7. She always had more than one bathing suit though so it varied each time we went to the pool. But as she got a little older I didn't want her to attract any "unwanted" attention and I thought it was time for her to start learning about what was appropriate for girls her age and older. So she had a couple of one piece's and/or the tankini type suits, now she wears the little shorts (they kind of look like gym shorts from the 70's but they are way cuter and are obviously made for water, idk how to describe them, I'm old!) and a bikini top and most of the time she has a T on over that because she doesn't want "guys checkin her out". I think you can still feel secure in yourself and do it with modesty and age appropriate clothing. If I'm allowing her to wear a sexy, slinky string bikini at 13 or even 15, what will (or won't) she be wearing at 18 or 19?

@ Ashley- Just out of curiousity, what would ever possess you to think a mother would force her daughter to wear a one piece bathing suit out of jealousy? I can't tell you in how many ways that disturbs me.

MeMe - Raises Her Hand (-_-) (Mommy Of A Toddler And Teen) - posted on 06/03/2012

I see this is an old thread and I have not read any other posts. However, I have found myself im this very predicament with my daughter.

My daughter has ALWAYS been made to either wear a full bathing suit OR a two piece that was a full top and a skirt type bottom. My daughter is two level away from getting her life guarding badge. So, she has done a whole lot of swimming in her young age. She has been in swimming lessons since age 3 (now she is going on 14).

At the very young age of 12, she wanted and begged for a bikini type bathing suit. There was just no way in this green earth I was allowing it. I explained to her, while she likes them and thinks they are cute, other weirdo's do too but in a much different light. I explained that there are some people (mostly men) that will look at her in a very sexual way and it was just not appropriate to promote this. She fully understood, which is why she was more than glad to continue using the two piece, with the full top and skirt bottom. I am very happy that there are so many different styles of bathing suits out now. It really makes it easy to keep your girls at an age appropriate wear.

Now she is going on 14. She still bugs for a bikini. So, I have allowed her to graduate to a bikini top but not the bottoms. She is happy with that. Actually, now she isn't interested in the bikini bottom at all. Simply due to puberty and what it has given her below. ;) She says it shows with a bikini bottom and therefore, she prefers the skirt or short type. Thank goodness, that fight is over! lol

Janice - posted on 06/03/2012

I know this is old but ...

My daughter is 2.5 and she has has both 1 and 2 pieces but nothing that resembled any of my bikinis. This year my hubby insisted on a rash guard type suit so it is two pieces but covers her. She looks like little surfer, its so cute!



I think in general 2 pieces are okay but I don't like string bikini triangle tops on young girls. It is a style that was specifically created to show a ton of boob and so even when a girl with out boobs wheres one it just seems so wrong.



Ashley, my 104lb body with my big breastfeeding boobs looks great in a two piece but I still don't think young girls should be wearing styles that are meant to be sexy.

Ashley - posted on 06/02/2012

My daughter always had a two piece bikini and the last several years they looked like mine. Its cute not sexy its sexy if you think like that and she is now becoming a young women and its important for her not to feel like a lIttle girl during the hard stage of puberity and learning abt herself. Most of you moms are jealous bcs you can't wear a bikini and look sexy.

Isobel - posted on 05/19/2011

posts have been disappearing all over the place lately.

Christie - posted on 05/19/2011

Did I post inappropruiately earlier to have my post removed? I mentioned something to the effect that my 1 yr old has one pieces and a couple of tankinis but she only plays in the wading pool in the back yard... I did have a 2 piece for her when she was 3 months old for pictures when she could have been the poster child for Michelin (thus the reason for a2 piece - it showed off those adorable rolls!!!).. but I'm not comfortable with 2 piecers now not for any other reason excpet the pervs that are out there.. I dont want to give them anything more to look at.. I'm sure that the tankinis will be easier though when we are potty training/trained..
there -- hope that didnt offend anyone to be removed again (or did it??)

Christie - posted on 05/19/2011

My baby had a 2 piece when she was 3 months old -- more of a photo outfit than anything else (it was an adorable Burberry bathing suit -- again, an indulgence, not for swimming). Now that she is a year old and playing in the wading pool out back -- one pieces and a couple of tankinis she got for her birthday are what she wears. I'm not about little girls in bikinis; only because of the pervs that are out there -- why give them something more to gawk at? besides, I think they are probably just more comfortable and practical to wear.

Tah - posted on 05/19/2011

Sweatsuit....

Kellie - posted on 05/19/2011

HAHAHAHA Jennifer! I know, I'm terrified of when she becomes a teenager! the little shit is 6 months old and chucks tantrums like a 2 YEAR old already!

Jenni - posted on 05/19/2011

Kellie, if she turns out to be a smart arse like I was. She'll try on the most skimpiest bikini she can find while bathing suit shopping. So the one she really wanted will pale in comparison and you'll consider it to be an acceptable compromise. ;)

(joking btw)

Kellie - posted on 05/19/2011

I like that one Krista (side note, have they totally air brushed the fuck out of her side or what!?), but for me I think I'd like either board shorts or boy legs. *sigh* I doubt I'll get much input anyways by the time Rayne's 16 she's amazingly strong willed already!

Stifler's - posted on 05/19/2011

I think I've had a tie side bikini since about 14 :| But I have fat legs so I wear shorts anyway.

Krista - posted on 05/19/2011

I don't have any issue with a teen wearing a two-piece suit, but I want it to have enough coverage that their junk won't fall out if they so much as sneeze. Bandeau bikinis are cute, as are the little sporty top styles. Some halter styles are nice too. I would have no problem with my 16-year old wearing something like this, for example: http://www4.assets-gap.com/Asset_Archive...

I do find that funny that you say that girls who wear a one-piece to a pool party would be made fun of. I don't remember that happening at all when I was growing up. As long as the one-piece was cute, and not granny-style, nobody cared.

Jenni - posted on 05/19/2011

Yeah, I'm 29... and I don't recall *any* girls wearing a one piece when I was a teen.

We went on a grade 8 field trip to a water park. The only girls who wore a one piece were the girls who were insecure because they were overweight. They also wore an oversized t-shirt in front of their classmates.

Everyone else had two pieces.... mind you, most of them consisted of boy shorts and a few with tank topish tops. There were a few string bikinis but no thongs. lol

Honestly, I think the last one piece I owned was when I was 8. They were, I guess what you would consider age appropriate two pieces. The first one I had was a semi-attatched kind

I had my first 'real' bikini when I was 12. It was a tween bikini with a training bra style top, no strings attatched. Then at 14 I graduated to a string bikini but that still wasn't an ultra skimpy one.

Mary Renee - posted on 05/19/2011

Ok, don't know if you can see this since it's a facebook album but I'll try anyway... this is my one-month-old in a bikini... not practical but I thought it was hilarious.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a...!/photo.php?fbid=548683003175&set=a.547883285815.2057055.47400639&type=1

Nikkole - posted on 05/18/2011

Im 22 almost 23 and i will not let my 14/15yr old daughter wear a bikini, yea some bikini's are cut on infants but when girls start getting more mature the cutness of bikini's end and it starts getting into sexy and i do not want my 13/15 yr old daughter to be "sexy" she has the rest of her life to be sexy. If my daughter truly wants a bikini she can get a job and buy one herself im not. And if my daughter does wear a one peice at a high school pool party and other kids make fun of her id say she needs to find better friends because true friends worth having don't care what you wear!

Jenn - posted on 05/18/2011

Ashley - you do realize that opinionated teens are normal, right? Makeup/facebook/bikinis or not - teenaged attitude happens and is in no way related to the fact that they may or may not have worn a bikini.

Stephanie - posted on 05/18/2011

Ok, I see now that this is just a blog but trust me, this is not what we wear lol. LDS / Mormon women wear regular bathing suits, just modest ones that don't show alot of cleavage or butt cheeks. Not ones that look like jumpsuits down to your knees. ; ) Some people might wear things like that but it isn't Mormon specific.

Teresa - posted on 05/18/2011

I am PRO 2 piece suits, but I am ANTI 'bikinis' and I'm in Hawaii too, Mary. ;)

Stephanie - posted on 05/18/2011

Liz- Which website did you get that pic from? I am Mormon and I've certainly never worn anything remotely close to that nor have I been encouraged to or seen one on any other church members.

Nikkole - posted on 05/18/2011

My daughter is 10 months and i bought her this bathing suit
http://www.target.com/Circo-Infant-Toddl...|1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=2&searchNodeID=1038576|1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

i think its cute and isn't like teen bikinis.

Kellie - posted on 05/18/2011

I'm a little over the childish behavior now. NO ONE is saying a child should be cover in a tent to deter pedophiles, AND there are other valid reasons for a child to be in more than a bikini, other than a legitimate concern about sicko's. Such as is it really age appropriate, and the risks of melanoma's. So can the sarcasm.

Stifler's - posted on 05/18/2011

My baby used to swim in a swimming nappy and a rashie shirt. OOh my god pedos might have seen his bare legs! oh noes.

Jenn - posted on 05/18/2011

I just bought my two year old daughter the cutest little bikini ever. I see o problem with babies or toddlers wearing bikinis, if you are thinking sexual thoughts looking at a toddler then you are sick in the head and have much bigger issues. Heck, i have let my daughter swim in her diaper at times. Babies naturally like being naked anyways...However, i understand when it comes to tweens and older girls because then it isnt always so innocent and wanting to look 'hot" comes into play...At that point i agree that a tankini is the most appropriate two piece, or one with full coverage on top d boy shorts. Some bikinis young girls wear these days would make a porn star blush. It doesn't help that the media is saturated with young pop stars becoming sexier by the second( a la Miley Cyrus)..They feel t\he pressure tp fit in and look that way from all around them. Thats why i think it is important to model good body image as a mom and don't let your daughter here you trashing other women looks or complaining about needing to lose weight. Young girls are very impressionable and they are taking in everything even when you thin they aren't paying/ attention...Anyways i am done my self image lecture now so continue on please *steps down from podium*



Mary- I am only 23 and i remember being a teen very well also, if my mo made me wear a one piece to a beach party, i would have crawled under a rock and died. I think once a child reaches there teen years it should be their choice (within reason, not thongs obviously lol)...

Mary Renee - posted on 05/18/2011

@ Laura H,



I don't think the one you posted from Children's Place is bad at all, I think it's adorable my sister and I totally had ones just like it growing up. I think polka dots and bows and hot pink are appropriate for children. I would let my daughter wear that.



Also I agree with what someone posted earlier. I'm 24 and so only 6 years removed from being a teenager. If you make your 14 year old + wear a one piece that's just mean. Can you imagine someone wearing a one piece to a highschool pool party?



I can agree that the one with the girl on the runway is tasteless and too low cut on the bottom. But at the same time, runway styles are usually editorial, and the one that would actually end up in stores would be more commercial and have more coverage.



That said, I live in Hawaii where Brazilian cut bottoms (showing a large amount of your butt) are the norm and they even make these styles for children. While I would not buy Brazilian cut children's bottoms, I'm really not going to get all up in arms and say I want to vomit or I'm going to be sick because I saw a little kid in a bikini. When it comes to clothes and attire I see it as a matter of self-expression. To each his/her own.



Also I agree with Jessica A.... chubby tummies are so cute in two pieces! I say celebrate the baby chub! But I also let my toddler go naked at the beach if I forgot swim diapers.



Does anyone know how I can post a photo of my daughter in her bikini so I can show that's it's cute and not bad?

ASHLEY - posted on 05/18/2011

NO i used to think it was ok. I raised my sister from age 6 to age 14 and I made the mistake of letting her do things because it was "cute" like wearing a little make-up in middle school or a bikini when she was 6. It was abad idea you will realize it the moment they go from cute little girl to opinionated teen. If i could do over no make-up, facebook, or bikinis till 9th grade year -- maybe later.



Thank goodness I have two boys!

Laura Zoey - posted on 05/18/2011

Those victorian 'suits' would make you sink! Thats a ton of fabric! Wow, the 'modest' suits are sort of Scuba diver-ish......looks bulky and awkward IMO.

Liz - posted on 05/18/2011

Wow, that Victorian number has a kind of pizazz.... I actually like it!



The makers of those Mormon swimsuits should take note.

Jenni - posted on 05/18/2011

@Jessica I was thinking the exact same thing.

Jenni - posted on 05/18/2011

How about this scandalous little number?



http://www.victoriana.com/swimsuit/bathi...



Put those legs away sweetheart! Those are lethal weapons.

Mommy - posted on 05/18/2011

Liz, not sure if you watch Big Love on HBO but it looks like something the girls from the compoud would wear.

Liz - posted on 05/18/2011

How about these modest swimsuits?

http://www.modgblog.com/wp-content/uploa...

Mary Renee - posted on 05/18/2011

Wasn't aware I HAD a tone... thought I was just stating an opinion.

And no, I probably wouldn't let my toddler wear a thong... it would just look ridiculous over a swim diaper...

Heather - posted on 05/18/2011

one piece. plain and simple.

Maria - posted on 05/18/2011

@Laura Hoffmen i actually liked that bikini and would dress my baby in that. i thought that was really cute!!



@Nikkole Sadler : i agree i think those are ridiculous and little kids should not wear those and i think for the most part those kind of bikinis dont even look good on most adult women. And the second pic was horrific!!

Mommy - posted on 05/18/2011

Tara, the picture you posted is a great example of an inappropriate two piece for a child. I think there are respectful two pieces, and that just with anything else, finding a balance is important. Someone posted a while back that they don't agree that we are forcing our children to grow up too quickly, and I have to say I wholeheartedly disagree with this. Have you ever seen the shows that are geared towards tweens? ICarly, that show with the weird twins on the boat, Victorious? All of them are geared for children and tweens and all they talk about is boys, kissing, and have them all in lots of makeup and skanky outfits. Not to mention the fact that we give our children unlimited access to the internet with phones, IPods, mobile gaming devices. It's absurd. Then we turn around and want to know why our kids are pregnant at 16, talking back as if they are adults, and we are losing control. Sorry for the rant, I just think that as parents we need to stop treating our children as mini-me's and treat them as children. Putting them in a string bikini is the beginning of a much larger problem.

Maeghan - posted on 05/18/2011

you know, being only 6 years removed from the tween stage, my imput is that unless you want your daughter to be the subject of ridicule and teasing for the rest of her middle/high school career, go with a 2 peice. tankinis are cute and there are bikinis out there that arent too revealing. try boyshorts and tops with thicker straps. Remember, middle schoolers (especially girls) are MEAN.

Krista - posted on 05/18/2011

Even at 17-18, I'd be cringing if my daughter wore a bikini like that.

Shannen - posted on 05/18/2011

ROFL at Prostitots!! I had to look twice because at first i thought it was a spelling error then i thought but it couldn't be Tara never leaves mistakes.........

Tara - posted on 05/18/2011

@Mary Renee Reuter.
No I don't "also" have a problem with tankinis.
And no I don't have a problem with two piece suits that are designed for small children, y'know the ones with ruffles and enough material to cover their skin. What I do have a problem with is inappropriate attire for a toddler or tween. Would you put your child in a thong bikini? Or a string bikini that is literally just a few pieces of string and some triangles of fabric? That was what I was inferring. So your tone is uncalled for. I never said your child was dressed inappropriately in a two piece I said that kids suits that are just small replicas of adult styles are inappropriate for young kids and tweens.
I'm sure you could agree with that.
What about the following suits on little girls?
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http:...,r:5,s:0&tx=43&ty=39

There are many others on the web, pictures of little girls wearing adult styles and to me they look like prostitots.
And I can't see why any parent would want that much skin showing on their child.

Nikkole - posted on 05/18/2011

Yea i was sick when i saw that little girl walking down a runway with that kind of bikini on! Parents should NEVER let there little girls wear that maybe when there kids are 17/18 but not at 5months-15yrs old!

Stephanie - posted on 05/17/2011

Mary- Do you think the little girl in the link, in a bikini on a runway is age appropriate? I have seen super cute 2 piece swim suits that are obviously for little girls and not meant to look like an adult bikini on a child's body but to me this one in question is very revealing and inappropriate for her. It would be a bit too revealing on a grown woman in my opinion. I have no problem with a 2 piece but the cut and style should be modest, in my opinion, and the one in this pic clearly is not. The bottoms are so low cut in the front that if she moved the wrong way or was actually at the beach and the bikini was wet she would likely have a 'wardrobe malfunction'.

Mary Renee - posted on 05/17/2011

This is a leading question because you refer to the style YOU prefer as "appropriate" and ask if we "prefer to see little girls and tweens wearing age appropriate styles"

Personally, I live in Hawaii and my daughter occasionally wears a two piece and she's a toddler! I just find it hella easier to change her swim diaper and get the sand off than a one piece. My sister and I also wore two pieces and we looked TOTALLY adorable... not "sexy" or "inappropriate." We were still able to swim and it was a LOT easier to get the sand out of your suit at the beach AND go to the bathroom with out having to take the whole bathing suit off.

I just happen to find two pieces more practical. But when the sun is really bad, sometimes I put my daughter in a two piece surf suit, a short sleeve surf shirt with boy short bottoms.

I mean, do you also have a problem with tankinis?

Laura Zoey - posted on 05/17/2011

Ewww eww eww! What the heck is that poor girls mom thinking letting her wear that on a runway! Poor girl.....

Stephanie - posted on 05/17/2011

Ooohhhh yeah, that IS sick. Looks like her mom is putting money and hopeful fame ahead of good parenting ala Lindsay Lohan. That bikini barely even covers her pp girly bits.

Shannen - posted on 05/17/2011

Oh my. That second link is, imho, disgusting!

Teresa - posted on 05/17/2011

That last pic was absolutely horrifying! Yeah, um.... my girls can wear THAT kind of suit when I'm dead.

Stephanie - posted on 05/17/2011

Nikkole- That poor child's mother should be dragged out by her hair and horse whipped for being such an absolute horror of a mother for allowing that. Disgusting.
When I read your first link post I read it as 'appropriate' then saw the pic and thought wtf?!?!?!?!!! ; )

Kellie - posted on 05/17/2011

oh dear lord........

Nikkole - posted on 05/17/2011

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-... this is bad to