Swimwear Update
Right after my Pre-Hijabi Swimwear post, I received many website suggestions. This was such a relief and help! Honestly. So, I’m sharing, because that’s what we do. We Share.
The First, is a Beautiful shop on Etsy. JanLucDesigns. This shop is AMAZING. The designs were inspired out of necessity.
I went home and searched online for modest swimwear. Everything I found was either too oversized, too conservative, too expensive or just plain ugly!
I decided to put my years of sewing experience and background as a Technical Designer to good use.
Pea thought they were SUPER cute, but she was more interested in a skirt. I’ve bookmarked this shop for the future.
Next was Lime Ricki. This shop popped up when I hit a Google search (and was recommended by a convert.) This is an excellent approach for anyone who wants something more conservative with a boutique flair.
I love the patterns and design of this shop. Unfortunately, the sizing wasn’t right for Pea. Bookmark this site!
Next up was UnderCoverWater Wear. This shop was on my list of LOVES. I love the longer length of the skirts. I love that they aren’t frumpy and dowdy. I also love that you have a lot of length options. From swim dresses and calf length skirts to swim tights and above the knee versions.
Neither Kate nor Pea were interested in the swim dresses that were offered for the Young Ladies. They much preferred the Pencil Skirt with tights look. Sadly, not their current size. Bookmarking for the teen years!
The last shop we looked at was Coolibar. I had been looking at that shop for a few years now but completely forgot that they offered outfits for Children! When I was searching for something to wear when I’m chaperoning swim parties where Muslim families are present, (or for when the water is too cold for me,) I found this site. I was forever drooling over the Ruched Swim Shirt. But couldn’t bring myself to make the investment.
Both Kate and Pea loved the longer lengths offered here on the skirts and Pea loved the longer length of the sleeves on the rash guards. She didn’t want a long sleeve, so this fit the bill for her.
We ended up ordering a Skirt and Short Sleeve Rash Guard for Pea from Coolibar, a skirt for Kate from Coolibar and a Rash Guard for Kate from Lands End. Coolibar is offering Free Shipping right now, so that’s completely AWESOME, and Lands End always offers pre-season sales so you can get something cute before they sell out.
I ended up ordering a new Long Sleeve Rash Guard for myself. I find the indoor pools are never warm enough, and the long sleeves help regulate my body heat.
Let me know what you think! Did you find this helpful? Do you have other resources to add?
My Islamic Life 
Hi,
I know that this comment has nothing to do with your entry but I found you when I googled a topic thread. I guess I want to start by saying that I am a non-Muslim female who recently got out of a somewhat relationship/ friendship with a Muslim man. It was the most unexpected thing that has ever happened and I guess I just needed someone to talk to about this. When him and I met, he told me that he did not have a girlfriend, and later on I found out that everyone else knew he had a woman back in his home country that his parents had set up for him. Common story, I suppose. All I knew and felt from him when I met him was that he seemed like he was trapped, like he was succumbing to some sort of reality, and perhaps I was his last hurrah before his inevitable engagement. He was always a gentleman and we never became physical, but I deeply cared for him. Reading some of the discussions made me realize that this is a very common story. And I realized that a Muslim man would give up his own wants to keep his immediate family happy. It’s a very different culture and I guess there was so much that I didn’t and don’t understand about it. He came to the states when he was 17, and he seemed very desperate but resigned all at the same time with his situation. He’s well into his late 20’s now but I recently found out that he got engaged, and I’m assuming that getting married is only a matter of time. Time and time again, I’ve questioned if I could have been happy with him, and if it were just him and me and everything out of the equation, yes, I thought I could be. But I know that I cared about him for all that he was and all that he was not, and perhaps it would have been different if he were from a different culture. It’s a complete catch 22, you know? Because at the end of the day, everything else would just tear us apart, and after it’s all said and done, we would be unhappy together. Life is ironic sometimes, isn’t it? It made me think what a huge step it must have been for you to change many things in your life to be with your now husband, and it made me feel less alone reading the entries that I read. I can’t seem to explain it all too well, I guess. I think through the confusion, heartache and pain throughout the process of knowing him, it was a lesser blow when I found out he was engaged. It still hurt and it made me angry, but I’m also resigned and know that this was an inevitability. I don’t know if this message will even make its way to you, but thank you for being an outlet. It’s a difficult time for me and I’m trying to get through it and believe that I will be Okay and this is better for me in the long run of things. People are so resilient, aren’t they? They take so much beating to the heart sometimes and yet, we are still standing. I’m no stranger to heartache and pain, but this is new and it hurts.
Hello,
Thank you so much for sharing your story and for reaching out. We are here to help!
Kristina