I absolutely love the style, colors, and pattern of it, and I don’t want to give it up. I would like to find a matching bottom (probably something in a solid color that matches one of the colors of the top).
I have the Kata swim short from Athleta. It is great and has held up well in both pool and ocean.
I also have from Athleta a board short that can be worn as shorts or works for swimming but it isn’t lined so you need to wear a bikini bottom underneath.
Some of their running shorts also would work. I think Athleta has a great selection and if you find something on sale even better.
Also, while I don’t shop there much these days, Kohl’s used to have a big selection of bathing suits at the start of the season - with their never ending sales and coupons, you might find some swim separates there at a reasonable cost. Or online.
I bought my Speedo suits online. I bought the original at a swim shop, but after it was the only one that was still good after buying several other suits ( two piece) from Athleta, and different model Speedos from Costco, I went back online and bought two more.
I go swimming mostly in chlorinated pools, and polyester suits hold up * much better * than nylon, so it sounds like you are swimming in fresh water?
Polyester doesn’t stretch like nylon, so it is a little harder to get on, but lasts much longer.
I’ve also bought suits at JCrew, and Boden has some cute styles. http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Womens-Swimwear.html
Well, I wouldn’t say $40+ is “not expensive”. I would wait until your top comes in and bring it with you to a brick and mortar store like Target, Kohls or even Walmart. You might have luck at TJ Maxx or Marshshalls or Ross, if they’re in your area. My two D’s have needed to buy separates for years and that’s how we do it. Although, I must say I like the many colors and styles Athleta seems to have, and some ARE on sale. D just got a cute swimsuit for a trip from a vintage-style online store, thanks to sale prices that rivaled Target. The bottoms are high-waisted rather than boyish, but might meet your needs. There are several such sites.
You can also try surf shops. There are a lot of them in HI & probably warmer waters & areas. Boardshorts are nice and can be used to swim in most places. I prefer them over swimsuit bottoms, as they are much less revealing.
Sseamom, boyshorts that do not disintegrate quickly are really hard to find. I would not even waste time looking at Target and other such stores you mentioned because they rarely carry them in their brick and mortar stores. I say this with confidence because I buy my 2-piece suits from Target and I do a lot of snorkeling and I prefer boyshorts for that activity. Not high waisted briefs, not board shorts. I needed a new pair quickly but could not find any at the mall and ended up using my Lulu running “jammers” for snorkeling. So shopping online would be more productive, IMO.
I think Athleta is a good bet. Also, look at men’s square cut Speedo suits (the ones without special tailoring for you know what). No kidding. Why not? That’s what I will be buying next time. They are shorts worn by boys.
I’ve bought nice boardshorts that have listed and were very reasonably priced in Hawaii, as well as Macy’s but it is seasonable and you have to do some searching.
Expensive (or inexpensive) = price/wear. this especially applies to swim bottoms that tend to wear out way more quickly than tops. A $15 pair that falls apart after one week at the beach is not cheap, IMO. That said, Target has some great bikini suits. Just not boyshorts. Sorry.
I always wish that CC had some built in radar that required threads that asked for product advice required you to list a price range you like to/must stay in. One person’s inexpensive is another person’s expensive - and vice versa!!!
Lol, abasket. As a mom who has to buy new separate pieced bathing suits for D, who admittedly doesn’t spend much time in the water, I certainly don’t think paying $50 a piece as “not expensive”. Even when I had that kind of money, I wouldn’t have paid that. I’d have waited for a sale if it needed to last and I doubted the quality of the inexpensive stuff. But the OP didn’t mention if she needed something that would last several seasons so I assumed “not expensive” really meant NOT expensive.
So shopping online would be more productive, IMO.