Swimming Costume for the "larger Lady"

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I'd send Head Office a rocket. Stuff calling a manager - as you probably wouldn't know it was a manager or the girl's friend. Straight to Head Office with a full description of the girl and stating you expect to be informed of the action they are taking to ensure that she never treats customers in that way again.

I shop in there for DD's stuff (sometimes trainers, etc for me - I used to shop there regularly for myself as a size 18) and I have NEVER had anyone be rude to me. And I certainly don't excuse my being in their shop by telling them my daughter is a tiny built 12 year old with great long legs, so fits adult sizes, in the hope they give me permission to stay.


I've got the bog standard M&S swimsuit. It's not my preferred style - I prefer the racer backs - but it fits, doesn't drag down and expose me (despite having a rather small top half compared to the rest of me - and all I do when I get home is chuck it in the machine on rinse. It's lasted for about 4 years so far. But I was a bit short of money when I saw it in M&S and it was one of their cheaper ones.

Pink_Giraffe

I'm a size 18 (come down from a 24/26) and did a lot of swimming for about a year to train for the Great North swim. Sadly have had to give up as I'm using my membership money to pay off some debts for now. But I found that Asda swimming costumes worked really well for me. They were about a fiver each, and go up to larger sizes. I prefer them without the foam supports as I find them awkward personally, these just had moderate support, racer backs and come in plain black.

As far as the way you look at the swimming pool, in my experience, most people are more concerned with whether people are looking at them than looking at others. Happy Aqua-fitting!

And the story of the Sports Direct woman has made me really angry, I definitely think a complaint to the head office is in order!

Pink

Willow92

That's such a horrid thing to say!

You've inspired me to consider swimming though, I'm size 18-20 at the moment and I'm terrified of going out in public with a swimming costume. I'll look into it and face my fears xD

margaretclare

Pink_Giraffe wrote: »

As far as the way you look at the swimming pool, in my experience, most people are more concerned with whether people are looking at them than looking at others. Happy Aqua-fitting!

Absolutely. I have a friend who used to be a keen swimmer but won't go now because of 'how she looks in a cossie'. Rubbish. You should see some of the women who go to the LA Fitness pool at Thorpe Bay. They don't even get straight into the water, some of them wait until the trainer arrives and then get in, so those of us who're in the water can see them, if we bothered to. They're all over them in the older age-groups and some have a worse body than I have, floppy bellies, varicose veins, you name it. One woman has absolutely terrible varicose veins and with my background in nursing/midwifery I'd love to say to her 'please please get something done about them before they cause you serious problems!' Thorpe Bay is the well-heeled end of town, the private hospital is there next to Waitrose, one of the women who goes had her gastric banding in the private hospital.

System

I got mine from BHS, i'm a 20/22 and it has tummy control so makes me feel a little bit less self concious.

Cookiee

Update ... Ok I went to some of the "larger shops" and asked if they knew anyone who was selling decent swimwear for plus size women. I went into a shop called "Yours" and they said they had just received their new stock and I was more than welcome to have a look in their stores to see if any was ok :j

They were lovely and the sales assistant wanted to go and punch the "twig of a girl" at sports direct

I managed to get one with tummy control, longer body (I am 5ft 10) and it was very strange seeing my buns on display :rotfl: I did feel comfortable which is again something I am not normally used to even in normal clothes.

So thats it I am now ready to face my 1st aquafit club on the 10th. I spoke to the instructor who said that I would be fine, that at the moment it is all women of all shapes and sizes. He also advised me that I can go as slow or as fast as I want as long as I enjoy myself. There is also another woman who is unable to swim and he assured me that there is 2 lifeguards on standby as well as himself

As I was in the gym (you have to go to the local gym to sign up) they were pushing a special offer of a 1 month membership (fully inclusive of all equipment, classes etc) for £40. Does this sound like a good deal? If so I wondered if it's worth using the dreaded CC for this one off and use it to the max? Maybe to encourage me to get my butt to the gym as well to boost my weight loss challenge?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

It's a bit pricey for me, but they're cashing in on the New Year's sign ups, hoping to make as much as possible from those who will go a couple of times and then never set foot in the gym again but aren't agreeing to sign up to a long contract.

However, as you aren't sure whether you would like it or not (and I loved it), it's a good way to get an idea of what the gym environment is like. And if they have a steamroom and sauna, well, they are fantastic

In fact, as soon as I can afford it (I have two debts that are in their final months), I intend to join up again.

terra_ferma

Cookiee wrote: »

I went into Bedford today to be nosy and look at getting a heart rate monitor in the sales. I walked into sports direct and they had a sale on their swimming costumes. Ooo I thought and had a look through. I could not see the ones on the top hook and went to ask the sales assistant if she could grab a hook so I can have a look at them (they were £30 now £7). She looked me up and down and said really rudly "sorry we dont sell to fat people"

OMG!! Now I am not a shy person (far from it) but I was stuck to the floor. No words came out of my mouth and she gave a smirk and walked off. I regained my composure and hot footed it out of there. There was a lot of people looking at me and I was so embarressed!

I am kicking myself now as I have a huge list of comebacks I wish I had said. Grrr ...

Anyway my search goes on ...

That's horrible. SPORTS DIRECT should be ashamed to have such ignorant, rude and incompetent staff. SPORTS DIRECT are definitely a shop that I will not shop from ever again, and will make sure people I know stay away from SPORTS DIRECT (and hope this thread comes up quite high on google and gives SPORTS DIRECT some bad publicity!).
If I were you I'd make complaint to SPORTS DIRECT customer service, because at the end of they day they must realise that fat ladies have slim sons and daughter, and boyfriends/husbands/girlfriends/neighbours/etc etc they shop for....

terra_ferma

I don't think it's been mentioned, but yoursclothing do swimsuits too.
http://www.yoursclothing.co.uk/C/All_Beachwear-%2822%29.aspx
not often on sale, but they have discount codes sometimes

Starrystarrynight

Wonder if that, and I use the word loosely, 'assistant' would have called Mike Ashley, the Sports Direct boss, fat! Somehow, I doubt it! I feel like crying for you, Cookiee.

Cookiee wrote: »

I went into Bedford today to be nosy and look at getting a heart rate monitor in the sales. I walked into sports direct and they had a sale on their swimming costumes. Ooo I thought and had a look through. I could not see the ones on the top hook and went to ask the sales assistant if she could grab a hook so I can have a look at them (they were £30 now £7). She looked me up and down and said really rudly "sorry we dont sell to fat people"

OMG!! Now I am not a shy person (far from it) but I was stuck to the floor. No words came out of my mouth and she gave a smirk and walked off. I regained my composure and hot footed it out of there. There was a lot of people looking at me and I was so embarressed!

I am kicking myself now as I have a huge list of comebacks I wish I had said. Grrr ...

Anyway my search goes on ...