More on the swimsuit journey: I sent back the Spanx swimsuit top and answered their questionnaire about their customer service, wherein I registered my dissatisfaction with their ad copy and the fact that despite the misleading copy I had to pay the postage for its return. And I haven't heard a thing from them, not that I expected to. I always get a kick out of those questionnaires. They ask completely nonrelevant, repetitive questions. Exactly what is it that they are trying to discern by those? Nothing really, I am convinced. But one does hope.
Onward and upward. I searched for other tankinis. Every other place I looked (and there were several) either sold them all in one, or they very clearly stated in their ad copy that it was the TOP and the BOTTOM that I was buying separately.
I ordered a suit from Victoria's Secret:
And gee, take a look at their ad copy. It clearly states that it's only the top, and that it is pictured with the string bikini bottom. Huh. Imagine that! Even Vicki See's can get it right! And I had an email deal for 20% off and free shipping that day, so I got two tops and one bottom for a lot less than the price of the top of the Spanx one. It is every bit as high-quality as the Spanx one, fits me [far] better, and is a truly better color for me.
The bra top in this one is great -- much better than the Spanx one. And if I fling my hair like the girl in the picture there when I'm wearing it, I look amazingly similar to her, in a beyond-middle-aged, slightly-not-ideal-weight, transvestite sort of way. But maybe I'm just being a bit too harsh on myself.
No, but seriously folks: Being that I am not so much the beach babe, I am as happy with this as I would ever hope to be with a swimsuit.
I didn't order the string bottom, but the high-waisted one. Plus, the colors are much better for me: I ordered it in eggplant (a FABULOUS color, it turns out -- one really never knows about colors when one is ordering online). I ordered another one in java, but sadly there were no bottoms currently available in that color. I will just wear my black bottom from another older suit I have. It actually looks pretty good as a two-tone.
All in all, I declare this a winner.
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And a reminder: My eBay auction for the Rowan Magpie Tweed ends tonight, Dec 02, 2010, at 20:27:46 PST. I don't trust my accuracy at working out what time that is in my own time zone. Suffice to say, TONIGHT. And remember my special offer: If a reader of my blog buys it, and tells me so, I'll add some of my homegrown garlic or a jar of my rose petal jam in the package, as well.
Oh, you make me laugh! Have fun at the beach. Bet you totally ROCK that suit!
Posted by: Kym | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 08:21 AM
Fabulous tankini top! The Spanx looks a little like a girdle in comparison. I wanted to like their products, but alas I find it is mostly hype, and expensive hype. I am sure you are being self-critical, and that you will look MAHVELOUS on the beach. Embrace your beauty, baby!
Posted by: Becky | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 08:25 AM
I thought that WAS you! :-) Can't wait to hear about your tropical adventure.
Posted by: Patty | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 08:43 AM
It's amazing what the right suit can do (in the swinging of hair, tanned and fit department). Have a great time.
Posted by: Joannah | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 08:57 AM
Hey, Norma - I had a deeply dissatisfying experience with computer repair about a year ago. When I got the perky little customer satisfaction survey in my email shortly thereafter, I let them have it. I got an instant reply, apologizing, promising retraining of the guys who work in customer service, apologizing again. . . never been so shocked in my life!!
But I'll still make my husband take the computer in next time.
Posted by: Elizabeth D | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 09:54 AM
I want to love the pretty bathing suits, but that is just it. I don't sun at the beach. I body surf, and that requires much more structure in the suit department. So, I buy Speedo when I can, because swimming suits for swimmers wear like iron (provided we're not talking the speed suits for races).
Posted by: Seanna Lea | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 10:33 AM
Wow... if that suit will make me look like THAT, sign me up for 10 of 'em!
Posted by: Cheryl S. | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 10:37 AM
That is a hot little number, and I bet you ROCK IT.
Posted by: claudia | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 10:52 AM
I'm glad you found a couple of suits you are happy with. I'm sure the different color top and bottom will look terrific. And I totally think you are hotter than the Victoria's Secret model!
Posted by: Carole | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 11:01 AM
Whenever I think of you, you look exactly like that. I myself rock the maximum-coverage-skirted-faille look from LL Bean.
Posted by: Lucia | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 05:23 PM
How could eggplant not be beautiful? It is the most beautiful color in the entire universe.
Next to plum, of course...
Posted by: gayle | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 06:21 PM
whever you are going could you
just kinda of go the blog gets
testy as you know when you do
not move as soon as we think
you should and report in several
times day and night-lovely costume
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart | Thursday, December 02, 2010 at 06:54 PM
That's a nice top and I agree you need a different bottom. I like having the two pieces and if the top is long enough, maybe I don't care much about the bottom configuration (so long as it's covering at least enough). I'll have to look at their website.
In other news, I didn't re-home the Rowan but I did find one of yours I really liked and bid enough to get it. Yay for me and do know that it will be a happy skein here.
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