Swimwear in Your Sixties
I assume that much like turning forty or fifty, you don't wake up on the morning of your sixtieth birthday an entirely new person. The changes that come to us all as we age are usually gradual, and if one's sixtieth birthday falls in the middle of swimsuit season, they will probably happily put on the bathing suit they wore last week without a second thought and look and feel as good as ever! At the same time, any milestone birthday provides a good reminder that it is time to evaluate what is working for you, sartorially speaking, and what might have outlived its functionality.
For example, women might decide in their thirties that they are done with string bikinis and switch to a bikini with a bit more support. Women in their forties might realize they need to get serious about sun protection (it's never too late!) and start wearing rash guards with everything, while women in their fifties may decide that they want to actually swim instead of all the things they used to do at the pool flirt, read, chase little ones, etc, depending on one's life path and ditch all their swimwear for a drawer full of Tugless Tanks that will stand up to endless laps.
As you settle into your sixties, what are your swimwear needs? Let's talk about some things to consider as you move into what many of my friends tell me is a freeing, joyful, actualized stage of life: your sixties. What do you need from swimwear NOW?
Your Body on the Outside
Your frame and figure won't change overnight, and heaven knows that women look and feel better longer into their life all the time. If you are still feeling yourself and know you can rock a bikini, go for it! Christie Brinkley is 68 and wears bikinis all the time, such as when she still appears in a very famous magazine issue all about beautiful women wearing swimsuits. At the same time, Christie Brinkley at age 68 usually pairs her bikinis with a big hat, sandals with a heel, and some kind of gauzy cover-up. Because as gorgeous as she is and always will be, 68 is not the same as 28, or even 48, and Christie has adjusted how she styles her bikini to suit how she looks and feels in the now.
Do you feel great about your figure but think it might be time to move to a more supportive built-in bra, with or without underwires? Perhaps, as is happening to me personally in middle age, your weight is stable but you're beginning to see the effects of gravity? A supportive bra-style bikini top, a tummy-taming high-waisted bikini bottom, or even a skirted bathing suit bottom paired with your bikini tops might help you look and feel your best.
Perhaps your body is changing more noticeably, and you believe it's time to shake up your go-to swimsuit style? There are endless options now: blouson tankini tops camouflage midsections, swimwear bottoms up to and including swim capris if you're looking for greater coverage of your derrière and legs, and swimwear tops now include options in T-shirt styling, or with off-the-shoulder ruffles for upper-arm coverage. The best part is that anything you could want is available, and perfectly acceptable to wear at the beach or pool. With greater choices at our fingertips and greater understanding of the importance of sun protection, you can literally go swimming in a bathing costume that covers your body from collarbone to shinbone and no one would even give it a second glance or second thought. You suit yourself, both literally and figuratively!
Your Body on the Inside
These are more delicate considerations, but ones we must address to help you make the best choices about your swimwear needs. The one thing we at Lands End NEVER want to see is someone, of any age or size, give up the joy and healthful activity of fun in the sun and water because they don't know how to deal with special circumstances related to health or physical needs. So, despite some of these considerations being private, we will mention them so that you can know what to do if they pertain to you, personally.
Are you on medications that make exposure to the sun's rays particularly dangerous or damaging? Most people know that certain antibiotics and dermatological drugs can cause heightened sun sensitivity, but so do some cholesterol medications and diabetes drugs. Speak with your doctor and dermatologist about your medications and sun interactions. You absolutely can choose swimwear that offers maximum sun protection most of Lands End swimwear provides UPF 50 protection to covered areas, so wear swim capris and a long-sleeved rash guard and keep enjoying the outdoors and the water! Add a great sun hat for extra style points as well as an extra bit of shade from the sun. Sun sensitivity due to medications is real, but it doesn't have to materially change your life if you take a few simple precautions.
Has your body changed due to major health challenges, such as a breast cancer diagnosis or even a mastectomy? We are proud to offer a terrific line of mastectomy swimwear featuring prosthesis pockets if you choose to use them, higher necklines, and higher arm-holes to protect delicate scar tissue as well as your privacy. A bout with cancer is a good reason to embrace the fact that you can get out to the beach or pool, enjoy the outdoors and the water, revel in the activity of swimming (or just bobbing around, we don't judge!) and being with your loved ones. We provide the swimwear you need to do so safely and comfortably.
Have your swimwear needs changed because your plumbing, euphemistically speaking, has changed? Are you at a stage in your life where when you feel the urge to go you need to go right now? Consider permanently switching to swim separates, so that you can make use of the facilities in the pool house or cabana with maximum speed and ease. Doffing the bikini bottom under your swim dress or swim shorts you've paired with a tankini top is super quick and easy! Nothing at all like wriggling out of a soaked one-piece. Don't let the call of nature take away your fun in the water.
Swimwear in Your Sixties is as Cute as Ever
The most important thing about swimwear in your sixties is that the swimwear changes you may want, or need, to make are not depressing changes. I'm still smarting over aging out of my five-inch heels, and I truly believe that none of these swimwear tweaks will matter to your style or your confidence, because any style or design you might switch to can just as cute, attractive, sexy, athletic, dramatic whatever! As the style or design you have switched from! A swim dress over bikini bottoms offers lots of va-va-voom, an off-the-shoulder top provides romantic or boho vibes, while board shorts and a rash guard signal your athleticism easily. You can, and will, still be you, with your style and your taste on display, even as your swimwear needs might change in your sixties. Swimsuit season is short; make the most of it, at every age.