renee 0 Posted March 25, 2004 > A friend shared this with me. Thought you ladies would enjoy. > > > I have just been through the annual pilgrimage of torture and > humiliation > > known as buying a bathing suit. When I was a child in the 1950's, the > > bathing suit for a woman with a mature figure was designed for a woman > with > > a mature figure - boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as > > engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift and they did a > good > > job. > > > > Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the pre-pubescent girl with > a > > figure carved from a potato chip. The mature woman has a choice - > > she can either front up at the maternity department and try on a > floral suit > > with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus who escaped from > > > Disney's Fantasia or she can wander around every run-of-the-mill > department > > store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a > designer > > range of fluorescent rubber bands. > > > > What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice and > > > entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room. The first > thing I > > noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch > material. The > > Lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to > launch > > small rockets from a slingshot, which give the added bonus that if you > > > manage to actually lever yourself into one, you are protected from > shark > > attacks. The reason for this is that any shark taking a swipe at your > > passing midriff would immediately suffer whiplash. > > > > I fought my way into the bathing suit, but as I twanged the shoulder > strap > > in place, I gasped in - my bosom had disappeared! Eventually, I > found > > one bosom cowering under my left armpit. It took a while to find the > other. > > At last I located it flattened beside my seventh rib. The problem is > that > > modern bathing suits have no bra cups. The mature woman is meant to > wear her > > bosom spread across her chest like a speed hump. > > > > I realigned my speed hump and lurched toward the mirror to take a full > view > > assessment. The bathing suit fitted all right, but unfortunately, it > only > > fitted those bits of me willing to stay inside it. The rest of me > oozed out > > rebelliously from top, bottom, and sides. I looked like a lump of play > dough > > wearing undersized cling wrap. > > > > As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the > > pre-pubescent sales girl popped head through the curtains, "Oh There > you > > are!" she said, admiring the bathing suit...I replied that I wasn't so > sure > > and asked what else she had to show me. > > > > I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of > masking > > tape, and a floral two piece which gave the appearance of an > oversized > > napkin in a serviette ring. I struggled into a pair of leopard skin > bathers > > with ragged frill and came out looking like Tarzan's Jane pregnant > with > > triplets and having a rough day. I tried on a black number with a > midriff > > and looked like a jellyfish in mourning. I tried on a bright pink pair > with > > such a high cut leg I thought I would have to wax my eyebrows to wear > them. > > > > Finally, I found a suit that fitted...a two piece affair with shorts > style > > bottom and a loose blouse-type top. It was cheap, comfortable, and > bulge > > friendly, so I bought it. When I got home, I read the label which said > > > "Material may become transparent in water." I'm determined to wear it > > anyway.....I'll just have to learn to do the breaststroke in the sand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angelatn2001 0 Posted March 25, 2004 Renee That was great! Thanks for sharing!! Angela Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Debra 0 Posted March 25, 2004 Renata Thanks for the laugh! "Cowering under my left armpit!" HA! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laura W 0 Posted March 31, 2004 I just wanna know WHO filmed me that day?? I'm soooooo embarrassed!! :D That was cute, sounds like something Erma Bombeck would have written. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites