At the end of the school year, we decided to head to the Jersey Shore for a few days to celebrate the end of this hard year and kick off summer with our first real vacation in 18 months. As the trip got closer, I realized that I was missing a key item - a swimsuit that made me feel “cute” and not at all like an almost 40-year old mom. So I turned to you all for recommendations and boy did I receive them. After weeding through every response (more than 400 of them), I narrowed my list down to a handful that looked most promising and fit my needs.

There were a few I desired  to try but they weren’t in stock when I was ordering, but will be on the top of my list for next summer: Nena Swimwear and Kiava Clothing. Both had a lot of recommendations and come in a variety of styles that offer a lot of coverage but are super cute.

So these notes are my personal reviews and in no way should be taken as negative on any of these brands. The suits just didn’t work for me and what I wanted.

I quickly realized that I did not like the super high waistband on bikini bottoms that are so popular right now. For my short torso and small frame, they just overwhelmed me and did not look flattering. 

Albion Fit 2 piece - I got the AllBlack Groove Midi Bottoms because I thought those would be a good compromise between the coverage I wanted without the high waist issue I detailed above. For me, these just didn’t hit at the right place and I felt these were the least flattering of all the bottoms I tried. The top I tried was the Sydney Game Changer Swim Crop because I have seen it all over instagram. Again this just didn’t fit for me. The front was too big without a way to tighten it more.

Senita 2 piece - I actually ordered 2 suits from Senita but neither arrived before my trip. Once they did arrive, I really liked the Mia Bikini Top and Mirage Bikini Bottoms. The top offered a lot of coverage and the bottoms did as well without being too high on my waist. I also tried the Eliza Tankini and Sun City Bikini Bottoms. These bottoms ran a bit bigger and I would have needed to size down to keep them. I didn’t end up keeping either as my needs for a suit aren’t high besides when traveling.

Handful Sports Bra + Running Shorts - If I had decided to go the route of a 2 piece exclusively this would have been the option I used. I ended up wearing a Handful sports bra (Adjustable sports bra) and a pair of running shorts the last day of our trip. The Adjustable sports bra is one of my favorites (I wear it pretty much as my daily bra) and the shorts let me feel like I could run around and play beach soccer and chase the kids without falling out. 

I initially intended to pair the Handful bra with a high waisted bikini bottom but as I outlined above that didn’t work for me. The high waisted bottom I tried was from Aerie, their High Waisted Cheeky Bikini Bottom. Again I have seen so many people love this bottom, it just wasn’t for me and my short torso.

Now onto the one piece suits, I had to choose from.

I had such high hopes for the Jolyn suit. They offer different levels of coverage, sexy backs, and one pieces! I ordered the Jackson 4 swim onesie and when it arrived, I really wished I had ordered up a size. I think it fit me how it was intended but it just wasn't enough coverage. I felt too exposed. The front was too low cut and the back went down far too close to my tush to feel comfortable. I do plan to try this suit again but order up a size.