As the copywriter at Title Nine, I’ve long had to consider the plight of women of all walks of life when writing — especially when it comes to swimwear. The nemesis of many, friend of few, swimwear seems to be a sticky subject for women of all ages and builds.

Grom life, circa 1988.

A beach baby at heart, I spent summers slithering in and out of wetsuits or already-wet rashguards in Santa Cruz. My dad used to help me into my little spring wetsuit (which he still has) before paddling me out on his boogie board, my feet barely touching the water, and push me off on waves. Family vacations might find us wetsuit clad in Santa Barbara, or snorkeling in the warm waters of Hawaii. Board shorts and rashguards for women and girls were not as readily available growing up, so as a kid, and even as a tween and teen, I remember getting excited when I finally found pieces that weren’t “shrink it and pink it,” even more so when I found ones that actually fit.

This past August I tackled the longest, most rewarding endurance event I’ve taken on to date: childbirth. Having a baby gave me a whole new perspective as my husband and I prepared for our own family vacation: heading to Kauai to visit my parents. Suddenly, thoughts and questions I’d never had before came flooding in: with my new post-pregnancy body, what would I wear to the beach? What suits would work best for nursing and hold up to a grabby-handed six month old? Having a baby did not mean I’d give up wearing a bikini, but as someone who formerly categorized herself as “built for speed,” (a.k.a. small chested) having to find suits that fit a fluctuating 32DD seemed rather daunting.

Mom life, present day.

Thankfully, Title Nine let me borrow some of our new swim separates and a few other goodies and put them to the test. I was eager to pit them against the muggy Hawaiian heat, some serious boogie boarding, and the demands of a nursing baby. If our gear could stand up to all that, it can certainly stand up to anything you have in store for it! (more…)