Bahama Mama: Modest Swimwear (Part 3 - Swim Tights and Surf Leggings)

Check out part 1 and part 2 of this series on modest swimwear!


It astounds me that in all the years of swimming, I never considered swim pants or surf leggings as an option for swimwear. Granted, times have changed since I was a kid and these items, previously hidden deep in the pages of print catalogs that had to be actively sought out and subscribed to, are now readily available for discovery online. (Oh, what a marvelous thing, this internet!)


Part 3: Swim Tights and/or Surf leggings
In preparation for my trip to Morocco last year, I purchased a pair of surf tights. Later in the year, I was gifted by Coolibar, the Australian swimwear company, with a pair swim tights. What difference these two items made.

Water just rolled off my legs, allowing me to glide more easily while in the ocean. They are quick-drying, releasing water easily, which prevents the feeling of wearing an anchor at your waist, or the floppy mess cotton or sport pants leave at your ankles.

Do yourself a favor and get a pair of swim tights, surf leggings, or swim pants! See below for a few options of each.

Bahama Mama: Modest Swimwear (Part 2 - Swim Tops, Tunics, and Rash Guards)

For part 1 of this ongoing series on modest swimwear and how to get it, start here.

Modest swimwear. Those words seem to be a paradox of each other. If you're dressing modestly, you can all but forget the beach exists. If you plan to swim, you can all but forget that modesty exists.

But these things, my friends, do live in harmony.

Yesterday I talked about, how after years of shying away from water activities, I finally decided to come up with a functional alternative to the current modest swimwear options. The first step, have a solid base layer (see more by clicking here). Once you have a base layer, build on the foundation.

You know that vision of Bo Derek rising out of the water and whipping her hair back and forth? It's not possible in a drenched, weighed-down cotton shirt. Working that scene in a cotton tee is more likely to lead to a version of you struggling to get out of the water, looking like an inebriated Frankenstein fighting with a gorilla on your back.

Cotton is fabric that is meant to absorb. It's pretty much a sponge.By replacing that cotton shirt with a surf shirt, you can recreate your Bo Derek moment however you like.

Surf Shirts and Rash Guards
Surf shirts and rash guards are to water what wicking shirts are to sweat. Technical wicking fabric, the type that many sports shirts are now made of, are designed to pull wetness away from your skin and allow it to evaporate quickly. Surf shirts and rash guards are made of fabric designed to absorb little water, pull it away from your skin, and to enable it to dry quickly.

Surf shirts and rash guards come in all brands, price points, and sleeve lengths. Typically, a rash guard will be a tighter fitting product, though many exist that are are fitted without being tight. I own a surf shirt by Roxy and a rash guard from a brand called Sporti, both of which I used on my recent trip to the Bahamas. Sporti is an in-house brand developed by swimwear merchandiser, SwimOutlet. Despite Roxy having a more prominent footprint in the swimwear industry, I liked the Sporti guard more, as it had a longer length that fell just past my bottom. It also felt sleeker in the water and dried faster.

Being almost 5'7", what is tight on me may not be to my best friend Amie, who stands 5'0". Keep that in mind as you click the images below.

Swim Tunics from Coolibar
I am very specific to citing Coolibar for their swim tunics. I don't know of any other place that offers a long-sleeve tunic top that's meant for swimming and offers the same type of coverage without decrease in function as Coolibar does. They are quite a bit pricier than the surf shirts and rash guard options but I think for the utility they provide, they are worth the purchase. If you see this on 6/5/15, you can navigate to their site and get 10% off your purchase!

These swim tops from Coolibar come in 8 colors and 4 prints. Click on the picture today to get yours!

Next time, part 3 - modest swim bottoms!

Bahama Mama: Modest Swimwear (Part 1 - Base Layers)

This series of posts is inspired by my recent trip to the Bahamas and the Atlantis Resort. My best friend Andrea and I went as a belated MBA graduation gift to ourselves.

In the categorization of travelers, I trend on the active, adventurous side. Short stints of laying around on the beach are fun but an entire day of that sounds like vacation hell. I like to mix it up, with some relaxation peppered into a day of activities, excursions, shopping, and adventure.

For a long while, my swim clothes consisted of cotton pants and tees, or I chose not to go into the water at all - both life decisions which made me very sad. After an embarrassing experience at Laguna Beach in SoCal a few years back, in which a major wardrobe malfunction* still leaves my face burning, I decided these decisions were no longer acceptable.

Modest swimwear has long had its challenges. The quickest go-to for most modest swimwear is the burkini**, which is not for me. In addition to what I feel is overpriced clothing, the design of such clothing does not allow me the ability to move freely without being weighed down, a problem for someone who surfs and swims multiple laps. A year ago, I came up with my version of "modest swimwear" - swimwear that enabled me to participate in water activities without compromising the performance of my experience. Additionally, these items are usually in a spend category much lower than the other modest swimwear options I've found. I'm providing some on-sale options for your modest swimwear needs below, but feel free to explore as there are plenty out there!.

Because of how long this post can be, I'm breaking it up into parts that will be released a few at a time in the next few days. That way, you can examine my list at your leisure and determine what, if anything, is needed for your modest swimwear collection.

**I fully support any woman, particularly those whose dedication and determination, creates a wider variety of modest clothing options for women. I would like if quality and functionality was not compromised as part of that dedication.

*You know that wardrobe malfunction I mentioned earlier? I wore a normal bra and cotton underwear under a cotton tee and gym pants. Cotton does not dry as quickly as polyester, and thus, I had a perfect outline of a bra as my shirt dried. Also, I was with my brother.

Part 1: Base layers
One absolutely must have a bathing suit as the first layer. I own a pair of bottoms and two tops (bikini top and tankini) from Athleta. A base layer acts as your sports underwear - giving you support where you need it as you move around. Buy something with a good fit, both on top and bottom; the better the fit here, the more comfortable you will feel. Avoid ruffles or twists - they will show through in your other layers.

Tankinis

Bikinis

Bottoms

Giveaway Winner! - Ruche Swim Shirt from Coolibar

Congratulations to our winner, Khadeeja Nadeem!

Khadeeja Nadeem wins a Ruche Swim Shirt from Coolibar - a modest swimming top to wear when she's at the pool or beach this summer!

Check out Coolibar's 25% off sale, going on now!

Giveaway! Ruche Swim Shirt from Coolibar

Who is excited for summer swimming?! I've teamed with Coolibar to give one lucky reader a Ruche Swim Shirt in one of the prints here. Want to learn more about Coolibar? See the original post here (with TONS of photos!).

The rules are pretty simple.

1 - MUST follow Greater Lengths on Facebook.
2 - MUST share on your Facebook page your favorite Coolibar item from  from the Greater Lengths album titled "Coolibar" and ensure it is linked to Greater Lengths on Facebook
3 - MUST caption the photo share by finishing the sentence, "With my Coolibar top found by #GreaterLengths, ..."

When you've done all three, enter the giveaway in the box below. Bonus entries awarded to those who tweet about Greater Lengths, follow the Greater Lengths Twitter page, or share photos from the Greater Lengths "Coolibar" album on their friends' pages.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to readers in the US. Winners chosen at random using Rafflecopter.

[Workout Wednesday] Coolibar Swimwear + GIVEAWAY!

A few weeks ago, I posted about Coolibar, a swimwear company that promotes safe sun exposure. Company founder, John Barrow, named the company after an Australian tree in the outback that provides shelter from the sweltering sun.

While Coolibar's focus is on safe sun exposure, their designs are fall into the modest swimwear category. I tried and tested two items: the Ruche Swim Top in Aquatic Paisley and Active Swim Tights in Graphite.



To say I loved my Coolibar items is an understatement. It's rare that modest swimwear looks cute and covetable. Usually in dark, sun-absorbing black and navy, the paisley print and light grey made me feel less conscious about my choice of swimwear.

My friend Sarah, who was graciously gave up a Sunday morning to meet me at her neighborhood pool and then proceeded to be my photographer (thank you Sarah!), said over and over how much she liked my top, and I COULD NOT AGREE MORE.

Design-wise, it's incredibly cute, with a loose fit and shape. It fell well beyond my waistline, a true tunic length. The top gives the option to wear it as an A-line tunic, or to pull the side ties to ruche it an inch or so. I personally liked the ruched look, but it was a very sporty look overall.

Pulling the sides to ruche the top

Tying the ties

This top was functionally fantastic. I personally love to swim laps so having swimwear made of material that releases water allows for a smoother pool experience. Think any Olympic swimmer: they choose their swimwear based on drag and the more the drag, the heavier you feel in the pool. I felt light and it was easy to move around in the water.

I personally would not swim in the top without ruching it, because it did float up a little. Thankfully the tights felt high enough on my waist that I didn't feel exposure, but it could be an improvement in the design.

As soon as I got out of the water, I could already tell how "dry" I was - which meant for less shivering by the pool. Many women who try to find modest swimwear end up wearing long cotton tops, which tend to hold much water while swimming.

Feeling dry even though I'm dripping wet after a few laps and a game of pool basketball with Sarah.

Coolibar's clothing also guarantees UPF protection of 50+ for the life of the garment, so while you're sitting poolside waiting to dry, you're also protected from the sun's harmful and damaging UVA and UVB rays. Their SUNTECT fabrics are embedded with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the same minerals used in sunscreen, that won't wash out or fade away.

After my swimming adventure, I ran both items through the wash very easily and they held their shape and size - definitely quality products. Their price point is about the same as you would find for other performance swimwear, but right now Coolibar is holding a summer sale special - 25% off plus free shipping on all items, so all the clothes you see here are on sale for 25%!

ALSO, the most exciting thing is that Coolibar is doing a giveaway with Greater Lengths readers! 1 Greater Lengths reader will receive a ruched top of their choice! More details on that here.

Loving this look!

If you're looking for modest swimwear for your next beach trip or even just to hang out with your friends at the pool, head to Coolibar's website and buy buy buy! (and enter the Coolibar giveaway here!)

[Sneak Peak] Modest swimwear, anyone?

I went swimming recently...

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Reader Request: Modest Swimming Suits from Coolibar ( + Giveaway!)

A few months ago - specifically on April 7 of this year (I remember this because I was sitting at Cupid's Cup at the University of Maryland), my friend Sabba told me about Coolibar.

Coolibar, she excitedly told me, was a boutique swimming retailer that sells modest swimwear she'd stumbled upon. Modest swimwear is like the Lochness monster - you believe that it might exist but when you actively search for it, its nowhere to be found.

I guess the thing is, when I look for swimwear, I'm not looking for something to lounge around at the beach. I want something that I can swim laps in the pool or wear when I take another go at surfing.

Taking a surf lesson in Essaouira, Morocco earlier this year

Surfing might be my new favorite thing

Coolibar meets my needs as a swimmer/surfer (I can call myself that after one surf lesson, right?). It offers not only modest swimwear, they've received numerous recognitions from a myriad of skin disease associations for the protection offered by their products, including The Skin Cancer Foundation and Melanoma International Foundation. Plus, they rise above the basic blacks and navy blues that otherwise come with most modest swimwear. They've got great prints and cute, athletic designs.

I'm currently working on a promotion with Coolibar for my readers. Details will hopefully be coming soon. In the meantime, check out these great swimming tops currently available Coolibar. And if you order something, tell them that Greater Lengths sent you!

Click on the links below to be taken directly to the item.

1 Ruche Swim Shirt // 2 Ruched Swim Shirt in Nectarine // 3 Updated Ruched Swim Shirt in Blue  // 4 Updated Ruched Swim Shirt in Mist  // 5 Updated Ruched Swim Shirt in Berry // 6 Updated Swim Shirt in Aquatic Paisley // 7 Updated Swim Shirt in Navy Geo Ikat // 8 Updated Ruche Swim Shirt in Iconic Ikat //  9 Ruched Swim Shirt in Black Medallion // 

[Workout Wednesday] Wick-It Good

I've been getting a lot of requests for the origins of the tunic workout top I wore at the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC this past weekend (the one where I scored some Tiffany's bling!).




Ladies and ladies, it is none other than the Athleta Wick-It Wader Cover Up, seen here and here! Athleta carries a few different styles of their Wick-It Cover Ups. These tops are great and currently my most favorite product from Athleta. They are meant to be worn as bathing suit cover ups, but are made with their sweat-wicking material, making them ideal for modest exercise clothes! The cover ups all fall past the normal waist line, providing ample rear coverage, and in a rich array of colors for every mood.

They're on the pricier end, retailing at $69, but I got mine on sale for around $40 - well worth the price, I thought.

 Click on all of them to see them in every color!

Athleta Cover-ups · Athleta Tunics · Athleta Tanks

Modest Swim Tops

As it goes, there are few things more depressing to me than "end of summer" sales.  It means the passing of a season of slow movement, frozen everything, and easy strolls along sun-dappled streets.

But a shopper, it means jackpot on a number of items for preparation of the next summer, including swimwear.

While Islamically-oriented swimwear is now easily attained, I still find it lacking in some basic qualities - namely, cost comes to mind.  In the interim, until production meets the quantities of scale (sorry for the super nerdy econ words - I am also an MBA student, after all!) to reduce price, I find substitutes in the more common rash guards.

We've listed one, the prAna "Felicity" rash top, available at Nordstrom or SwimOutlet.com for only $38.  These tops provide long coverage over swimwear, blend UPF sun-protection, and fall well past the waist to a comfortable level of fun-in-the-sun protection.

Stay tuned as we'll be posting more great swimwear sales!

Modest Swim Top by farrahkhan83 on polyvore.com

Giveaway Winner! - Swim Pants from HydroChic

Thanks to all of the entrants of the HydroChic Sun Protective Water Sportswear Swim Pants Giveaway!

After much deliberation, Nadia Ali was selected as the winner with her entry:

Taking simple steps towards staying active, like walking or running around with my 3-year old keep me feeling happy and refreshed. Working out is a healthy way to relieve stress while having fun, and makes for a great excuse to do something productive on your own or with friends!

Nadia, please send us your shipping information and pants size at gotoGreaterLengths@gmail.com.

Remember to stay in the know about future giveaways by liking our page: Greater Lengths and stay in the know of new modest swimwear lines with HydroChic!

Still giving away! - Swim Pants from HydroChic

In light of what has been a tremendous week for us here at Greater Lengths, we've decided to extend our first giveaway for another week!  We're giving away these great swimming pants from HydroChic to one lucky Greater Lengths reader!  Muslim women, you will love these modest swimming pants for the function, fashion, and most of all, freedom to go swimming this summer!

HydroChic - Chlorine Proof Capri Pant
(http://hydrochic.com/chlorine-resistant-swimsuit/chlorine-resistant-botoms/chlorine-resistant-bathing-suit-black-chlr-20.html)

Here are them rules:

1.  Must be a current fan of Greater Lengths on Facebook

2.  Must post a response (50 words or less) to the following question on our Facebook wall: "What motivates you to work out?"

Winner will be chosen by the authors of Greater Lengths based on quality of response to the question, "What motivates you to work out?"

The contest is open from 12 pm EST, Saturday, May 26 until midnight on Saturday, June 9 to all US residents within the US.  Winners will be notified by email by Sunday, June 10, 2012.

Have fun!

Giveaway! - Swim Pants from HydroChic

In honor of Memorial Day and the pools opening, we're having our first giveaway!  A few weeks ago, I posted on these great swimming capris offered by HydroChic and our friends at HydroChic have generously offered to give away a pair of these capris to one lucky Greater Lengths reader!

HydroChic - Chlorine Proof Capri Pant
(http://hydrochic.com/chlorine-resistant-swimsuit/chlorine-resistant-botoms/chlorine-resistant-bathing-suit-black-chlr-20.html)

Contest rules are as follows:

1.  Must be a current fan of Greater Lengths on Facebook

2.  Must post a response (50 words or less) to the following question on our Facebook wall: "What motivates you to work out?"

Winner will be chosen by the authors of Greater Lengths based on quality of response to the question, "What motivates you to work out?"

The contest is open from 12 pm EST, Saturday, May 26 until midnight on Thursday, May 31 to all US residents within the US.  Winners will be notified by email by Saturday, June 2, 2012.

Have fun!

A Stroll on the Beach

For those fish who prefer to stay out of the water, fitting in at the beach can be a challenge.  All those nekkit folk looking at you like you've broken the law keeping your clothes on.  Lounging on the coastline under proper cover can be a little tricky, but there is some method to the madness.  Here are some outfits that are perfect for sand, sun and salaamalaikums all around.

Stick to airy pieces in light, cool colors and relaxed styles, like these tunics on a pair of casual harem pants

Cover-ups
Cover-ups

 Breeze by in this Steve Madden handkerchief dress. It also comes in a pretty pink and green combo.

Cover-ups
Hosiery

This bright cropped top from Urban Outfitters is just $20! Pair it with a plain long tank (only $8 at Charlotte Russe) and these Elan International Ziggy pants for an outfit that screams BEACH FUN.

Tanks
Longsleeve Tops

Another bright cropped top look ($15 at Forever 21), paired with a colorful pair of linen pants ($24.50 at Victoria Secret)

Wide Leg Pants
Longsleeve Tops

Here are some of our favorite beachy tops and bottoms

Casual Pants
Cover-ups

And finally, some sarong looks

Longsleeve Tops
Hosiery

  

Longsleeve Tops
Hosiery