Okay. If I give you this tutorial, you have to promise not to judge me. I know I am a cheapskate. I also know that I am a clothing snob. If it doesn’t fit the way I like it, then I tweak it to my liking.
I guess if we’re still friends after the toddler underwear tutorial, then I’m probably pretty safe, eh?
Okay. So, why would I make a lap swim/triathlon suit? Because I can. A friend and I are going to compete in our first triathlon this Summer. We’re training hard and super excited.
But, really? I know we’re exercising and no one is looking, but WHY do lap swim suits and triathlon suits have to be so unflattering?!
Lap swim suit:
Not unflattering if you have a figure like a Supermodel. But me? No way! I also hate that it has no…ahem…bra in it. Yes, I KNOW I’m just exercising, but still…
Next up, the triathlon suit:
Oh my. No way; on so many levels. Even if I had a Supermodel’s figure…no way!
Bathing suits are cute and can be flattering, but they just don’t hold up. Not only that, but they don’t stay put, either. There’s too much movement in lap swimming.
So, what is a girl to do? Well, I don’t know what anyone else would do, but THIS fashion snob took matters into her own hands!
First off, I bought these outfits off the clearance rack at JCPenney:
In case you’re wondering; yes, that is what I look like when I’m wearing them! :) Ha ha ha! I sure wish!
Anyway, I checked the fabric content, and both of these outfits had the same polyester/spandex ratio as a lap swim suit.
I first started with the tops. They only had shelf bras in them, so I added cups!
Much better. I just cut them off of a couple of bras I had that I never wore. The shoulder straps didn’t fit right. You could also use these:
For the bottoms, I cut them off into shorts.
I pinned them the length I wanted them, which was 14.5 inches up from the hem.
When you’re cutting shorts, it’s important to measure up from the hem. The pants or capris have more fabric in the back to adequately cover your booty. Moving on…
Measure…
…cut…
Check out this Self Healing Cutting Mat the Hubsters gave me for Christmas!
Love it! Love him! Moving on…
Love it! Love him! Moving on…
Shorts cut?!
Fabulous! Next, serge or zig-zag stitch the raw edges.
Hem the shorts and you’re done!
I know these shorts look super short, but really, they hit me mid-thigh. Oh, and no. I will not be modeling this suit for you!
Not bad, eh?!
I did the same things to the yellow and black outfit. I got all four pieces for $10.00 a piece. That’s less than a lot of lap swim suits and way less than triathlon suits. Not only did I get TWO for less than the price of the other suits, but they fit perfectly, they hold up great in all the chlorine, and they’re more flattering! Score!
…you know…if Spandex can possibly be flattering… ;)
Hopefully someone out there (other than me) will find this tutorial helpful! :)
Love the outcome. I'm thinking of making a swim suit too. What's the spandex/polyester ratio you mentioned in your post? Is that what makes the swim suit stretchy and remain on your body? I've read others have used t-shirt material but I'm wary of what will happen after you take a dip!
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Thanks for the evaluation.
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A decent pair of goggles is helpful. Don't try to pinch pennies too much or you might end up with a pair that fog over or don't sit well. A waterproof watch with a split time chronograph is a good idea during training sessions. You can see how fast you are doing your laps and this can help give you the incentive to push your limits that much harder.
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