That's my daughter Grace in the article photo. That was taken a few years ago and now my little girl is ten and she is growing up so fast; so fast we need to buy brand new bathing suits for the summer. I posted this article last summer by Secret Keeper girl and I respect the concept of making sure our little girls stay modest in their bathing suit choices. In the meantime, say a little prayer for us as we venture into the bathing suit aisle very soon!
Dressing modestly AND CUTE day after day is a difficult task. (And at Secret Keeper Girl we think cute matters, too.) Throw swimwear into the mix and you just might call it the impossible task. NOW ADD YOUR DAUGHTER! It could be a recipe for a mother/daughter tear-fest! Drum roll please—and make sure it’s on a Caribbean kettle drum, because we’ve got eight great places to shop for swimwear that’s both modest and cute. There are enough clickables in this blogpost to send your fear of swimwear shopping fleeing!
But first, here are three important things to discuss with your tween or teen daughter before you click on any of these links. (I’ve learned the hard way that establishing your swimwear expectations before you shop can cut back on the drama.) And these three mini-conversations will help you open her mind to solid wisdom and her heart to a positive experience.
- Tell her that swimwear is for SWIMMING. Swimsuits are fine for jumping in the ocean or pool, but a Secret Keeper Girl covers up when she gets out. “Laying out” to catch a few rays may be okay with girlfriends, but not when there are guys around. Whether it’s a pair of board shorts with a t-shirt or a fun frilly cover-up, there are lots of creative options! (Some of our top ten places below feature fantastic cover ups!)
- Focus on what she CAN purchase. Take care not to have an overly-negative conversation about what she cannot wear. Instead focus on the positive. What do you want her to look for? Do a bit of online perusing and show your girls some suits you think are modest. (The photos below are a great start.) We’re partial to tankinis, especially ones with shorts because they’re usually less form-fitting than a one-piece. Show your daughter that modest swimwear can be cute. When you are teaching your girls about modesty, it’s crucial to show them what you can say “yes” to, or all they hear is “no” and that can crush their spirits.
- Remind them that mom gets the final approval. IF they understand this from the beginning, they will be seeking your opinion as opposed to having you interject your veto power. This is a place where you could share a few things that might result in the answer “no.” Let her know to avoid sheer fabric, bikinis, plunging necklines, or high-cut hips. (Of course, sharing an embarrassing moment to prove your point always adds some credibility and makes the conversation a little more light hearted! Maybe that time you found out how white swimsuits get see-thru after you’re wet!)
Without further delay, here are my top picks for modest AND CUTE swimwear online. (I really prefer not to shop at those places that shamefully cover a woman’s body in drag colors and hideous styles. There are a lot of modest swimwear sites out there that do that. It’s easy. What’s difficult is to create suits that a girl would actually want to wear that are still modest. These sites are those!)
1.)Jessica Rey • Model and actress Jessica Rey has created an adorable line of swimwear for women, juniors, and girls that hints at vintage. I love her fashion sense and her heart, which can be heard in The evolution of the swim suit video I’ve posted at the end of this blog. It’ll give your mama’s heart a boost of courage for swimwear shopping. This is my favorite place to recommend for swimwear!
2.) Solar Tex • Solar Tex features rash guards, board shorts and other swim apparel that are comfy and cute with sun protection in mind. As tweens, my girls really loved wearing board shorts over their swim suits when they weren’t in the water because they could play in the sand without concern about their suit gapping open at the crotch. This site has stuff for women, juniors, and girls.
3.) Lands End • While these suits may be more standard in design, they’re great quality and promise a modest look. And Land’s End usually carries some super cute cover-ups. I recommend this mostly for the tween girls, but your juniors might also find something they like.
4.) Hannah Anderson • For the most mix and match fun you’ll ever have in your life, head on over to Hannah Anderson that coordinates one pieces with two pieces with shorts with rash guards. Trust me. You’ll have fun. (For example, would you put this cute little skirt with the matching floral tankini top or the rainbow tankini top?) This site only has clothing for your little ones and tweens up to age 13.
5.) Kohls • I’ve always felt like Kohls has a great selection of tankinis. And they’re generally an economical place to shop. Of course, you can find swimwear for tweens, teens, and moms here! We slipped them in here even though they’re kind of one of the big and easy to find places because I’ve had a lot of success finding modest and cute at Kohls! (Check out the brand name on the one I’m featuring below!)
6.) Lime Ricki • What I love about Lime Ricki isn’t just that they offer some cute modest suits, but that their models are all sizes and very realistic! If there’s anywhere we need realistic, it’s in the swimwear department! A great website for moms and teenagers to find good suits.
7.) Red Dolly Swimwear on Etsy • These suits are so fun. Red Dolly Swimwear creates really cute vintage looks. They don’t claim to be all about modesty, but some of their one pieces and tankinis fit the bill and are super cute for your teen or for you.
8.) Hapari • Welcome to tankini heaven! Hapari features ten different styles of tankini, and each style comes with a whole lotta patterns and fun. This is a great place to find a suit for a teen daughter or for yourself.
For more modesty boosting ideas as we head into the warmer months, come to one of our LIVE Secret Keeper Girl events which always feature an amazing tween fashion show and our (almost world famous) Truth or Bare Fashion Tests! The events are the most fun a mom and 7-12 year old daughter ever have digging into God’s Word to learn about modesty, true beauty, and purity.
Or join us for this month’s FREE Secret Keeper Girl Bible Study Livestream Summer Shopping Survival 101: 3 Modesty Must Haves! We’ll reveal three top secret accessories that will make modesty easier for the summer months. And we’ll dig into God’s word, as we always do, to see what he says about modesty. Register here.
*This is not to be an endorsement of every article of clothing created by a designer or sold by a retailer, but to direct you towards some places that tend to be consistent in offering quality swimwear that’s both modest and cute. (It’s likely they may also sell some items that we don’t think are modest.)
Dannah Gresh’s Secret Keeper Girl Tour is a faith-based mother-daughter connecting experience. This 2 1/2 hour event features two fun fashion shows that demonstrate modesty and true beauty, deep Bible teaching, live worship, and stories that help girls aged 7-12 embrace true beauty and modesty. Incredible balloon sculptures, bouncing beach ball competitions, mother/daughter conversation time & colorful confetti cannons make the night unforgettable.
