Now I Even Hate Bathing Suit Shopping For Other People

I didn't even like bathing suit shopping when I was skinny, mostly because I didn't realize I was skinny. My self-flaw finding abilities have always been extraordinary.

Is that how you turn a negative into a positive? I feel like it's not. 

But I thought it would be fun to find bathing suits for Ironflower, because not only is she actually skinny, she's not prone to insecurity. Plus, we actually like shopping together. I genuinely thought we would have as much fun bathing suit shopping as we do regular shopping.

Possibly related: I don't go to the mall very often. 

The first problem was that not everywhere had bathing suits available yet. But I had faith that we could overcome that.

The second problem was that apparently they only sell tankinis to young girls and old women, because every time we found a teen-friendly bathing suit, it was a one piece or a bikini. Ironflower hates one pieces, so she accepted that it was bikini time.

I really do get her hatred of one pieces, why doesn't everyone who makes bathing suits?

But it grew tough to maintain our can-do attitude when almost every bikini we found showed more skin than Ironflower was comfortable showing and/or was meant for lounging poolside, not actually swimming.

On the rare occasions we did find a tankini (Hi Target! I love you!), Ironflower hated the pattern.

In fact, I had no idea how much Ironflower hated patterns until this shopping trip. I tend not to wear them because at my size I'm afraid I'll look like a couch, but this is definitely not Ironflower's issue. I'm not sure what her issue is, but I'm pretty sure I'll wear a pattern before she does. 

The worst part was when Ironflower pointed to a tankini she liked. It was exactly what she wanted.

Except it was in the girls' section of Target.

I suggested hopefully that they might have it in a 16. But of course most of the reason we were looking for bathing suits is that Ironflower no longer fits into her kid sized 16 bathing suits. Dammit. 

In the end, she found two bikinis - one she can swim in, and one that is probably more for lounging. She's not in love with either one of them, but as she put it, "At least I don't hate them!"

So I just dropped way too much money on stuff she doesn't hate. Great.

Fuck you, bathing suit makers.