swimsuit question

RE: swimsuit question

Elaine Krugman — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 05:37:51 GMT

We need to see the "mounting the blocks and then bending over atop on a pedastal with slightly arched back emphasizing lordosis" picture, shot from a multitude of angles, before we can intelligently comment on your YingFa sizing issues. Please submit this data for further analysis. You may just be married to a closet Taliban member who would prefer you swim in a Fina-approved Burka. Well, Jim, you missed your opportunity to witness a Yingfa wardrobe malfunction. :agree: At yesterday's meet, the lycra in my suit decided to go, uhhh, quickly, after my 400 IM. By the time I got out from my second race (free relay), I had to :bolt:to the locker room and change suits, because the lycra had blown out almost completely where the girls were hiding. :afraid:

RE: swimsuit question

jim thornton — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:47:34 GMT

Find a pair of pants you like and wear them from mid-November to mid-May, then place in a vat of chlorox and allow to stew. Then find a pair of shorts you like and where these from mid-May to mid-November, then switch out with the pants in the chlorox stew. Repeat till disintegration. Source: Fashion tips from Monsieur Jim™

RE: swimsuit question

Former Member — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:03:02 GMT

Since this seems to be a similar scenario among a few different people, I think it may be the clothing companies. Honestly, I think it's a marketing thing (and no one...ladies...take this wrong), but you all may be the same size as when you were younger, but the clothing companies may be making the sizes larger to "trick" people into believing they're actually going down in sizes. :whiteflag: Just a thought...not trying to start a war. James, I had to laugh at your comments because we women have all been aware of this deception for at least the past 20 years. I have a couple of old jackets (now used only for yard work and the like) that are sizes 8 or 10. Today I have many items in my closet that are size 2 and I think I may even have something that is size 0. Yes, that is size ZERO. That proves, to me, the existence of the "vanity size" issue. No one would have ever started their sizing system with zero; obviously over the years as they kept making the clothes bigger but the size labels more "flattering," they could only go backward so far. Zero? What will be next, size NEGATIVE TWO?

RE: swimsuit question

gobears — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:27:24 GMT

James, I had to laugh at your comments because we women have all been aware of this deception for at least the past 20 years. I have a couple of old jackets (now used only for yard work and the like) that are sizes 8 or 10. Today I have many items in my closet that are size 2 and I think I may even have something that is size 0. Yes, that is size ZERO. That proves, to me, the existence of the "vanity size" issue. No one would have ever started their sizing system with zero; obviously over the years as they kept making the clothes bigger but the size labels more "flattering," they could only go backward so far. Zero? What will be next, size NEGATIVE TWO? Yes, I had a friend in college who had a tiny waist and wore a size zero jeans back then (late 80's). I think I wore a size 7 at that point. What in the world would she be wearing now? A size -4??? What do the really skinny people do nowadays? Shop in the petit section?

RE: swimsuit question

knelson — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:44:18 GMT

Clearly the average person is fatter today than 20 or 30 years ago, but I also think the average person is just plain bigger, too. I know in the Netherlands the average height for a man is now about six feet and 5'7" for women. Also consider more people continue to exercise, lift weights, etc. later in life so there are a number of reasons why people are bigger/bulkier. If a woman's size 10 is considered "average" (and I'm not sure it is) it seems like this average needs to shift to accommodate the average woman over time. So I guess what I'm saying is it might not necessarily be purely "vanity sizing."

RE: swimsuit question

smontanaro — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:17:24 GMT

I have it even easier. My lovely wife does all my clothes shopping. What could be easier? :D

RE: swimsuit question

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:14:29 GMT

I'd never really paid that much attention to sizing issues. Since high school I'd always been a size 32 waist in my jeans, until a while back when I ballooned up BIG and had to upgrade to 34s for a while. Luckily, I kept all my 32s for when I dropped my weight back down to where it is now. But it is easier for guys to get clothes, which I do like. i can just walk into a store, pick a pair of 32/30 jeans, buy them and go home, knowing they will fit. Women have to try on 80 pairs of the same size jeans to find the right one, as well as color, and who knows what else. :bolt: Yep; that about sums it up right! Bruce is a 32/30, too, and it takes five minutes for us at the store to buy him a pair of jeans. I'm not too keen on shopping, but I would rather shop for him any day, rather than go through the frustration of clothes shopping for myself. :bitching:

RE: swimsuit question

jaadams1 — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 07:36:00 GMT

James, I had to laugh at your comments because we women have all been aware of this deception for at least the past 20 years. I have a couple of old jackets (now used only for yard work and the like) that are sizes 8 or 10. Today I have many items in my closet that are size 2 and I think I may even have something that is size 0. Yes, that is size ZERO. That proves, to me, the existence of the "vanity size" issue. No one would have ever started their sizing system with zero; obviously over the years as they kept making the clothes bigger but the size labels more "flattering," they could only go backward so far. Zero? What will be next, size NEGATIVE TWO? I'd never really paid that much attention to sizing issues. Since high school I'd always been a size 32 waist in my jeans, until a while back when I ballooned up BIG and had to upgrade to 34s for a while. Luckily, I kept all my 32s for when I dropped my weight back down to where it is now. But it is easier for guys to get clothes, which I do like. i can just walk into a store, pick a pair of 32/30 jeans, buy them and go home, knowing they will fit. Women have to try on 80 pairs of the same size jeans to find the right one, as well as color, and who knows what else. :bolt:

RE: swimsuit question

gobears — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 03:17:06 GMT

I and many of my svelte friends shop at Baby Gap. Ahh,so that's it... :applaud:

RE: swimsuit question

jim thornton — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 01:26:00 GMT

Yes, I had a friend in college who had a tiny waist and wore a size zero jeans back then (late 80's). I think I wore a size 7 at that point. What in the world would she be wearing now? A size -4??? What do the really skinny people do nowadays? Shop in the petit section? I and many of my svelte friends shop at Baby Gap.

RE: swimsuit question

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:03:38 GMT

Since this seems to be a similar scenario among a few different people, I think it may be the clothing companies. Honestly, I think it's a marketing thing (and no one...ladies...take this wrong), but you all may be the same size as when you were younger, but the clothing companies may be making the sizes larger to "trick" people into believing they're actually going down in sizes. :whiteflag: Just a thought...not trying to start a war. You are exactly right, James. That is exactly what they are doing. But, they couldn't trick me. :nono: I caught on to their little game, as did gobears. :chug: Honestly, I don't care what size label is sewn into my clothes. If I am comfortable with my weight and fitness level (I am), that's good enough for me, whether my jeans are labeled size 8 or 4. Sorry, garment industry! :thhbbb:

RE: swimsuit question

Former Member — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:53:38 GMT

My $0.02: First, find out if your club requires you to wear a certain brand. Maybe, maybe not. If so, check whether it "really matters" - often this depends on the level at which the kid is swimming. Our kids swim for perhaps the only Nike-sponsored club in the world (now that the USAS Nike Ninjas club has been disbanded). It's tolerable for the National and J/N level kids that get free suits, but it's a disaster for the younger/slower kids - very hard to get suits in a timely manner, expensive, crap quality, etc etc. So some of the good younger kids wear TYR, Arena, Speedo, etc. If not, Arena. Word.

RE: swimsuit question

Former Member — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:34:56 GMT

That's been a strange phenomenon for those of us old enough to notice, hasn't it? I swear, when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school I wore size 10 pants. I am still pretty much the same size but I also now wear a size 4 in jeans! If I didn't know better I'd worry that I'm shrinking!:afraid: Plus you have the effect of the change in style regarding the rise of the pants. I have very little difference between my waist and hips measurement, so the decrease in pants size has been quite dramatic from high school's high waisted pants to the mid-rise style I favor now. I like the ego boost, though. :D

RE: swimsuit question

jim thornton — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:21:19 GMT

i.huffpost.com/.../VANITY-SIZING.jpg 2.bp.blogspot.com/.../Vanity%20Sizing_Marilyn_01.jpg cdn2-b.examiner.com/.../566d57301690a5f30cd528c320c34027.jpg

RE: swimsuit question

jaadams1 — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:00:26 GMT

That's been a strange phenomenon for those of us old enough to notice, hasn't it? I swear, when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school I wore size 10 pants. I am still pretty much the same size but I also now wear a size 4 in jeans! If I didn't know better I'd worry that I'm shrinking!:afraid: Since this seems to be a similar scenario among a few different people, I think it may be the clothing companies. Honestly, I think it's a marketing thing (and no one...ladies...take this wrong), but you all may be the same size as when you were younger, but the clothing companies may be making the sizes larger to "trick" people into believing they're actually going down in sizes. :whiteflag: Just a thought...not trying to start a war.

RE: swimsuit question

gobears — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:56:35 GMT

Yeah, I agree with you on the Vanity Sizing thing. My weight has basically stayed the same for many years, however, I have gone from wearing an 8 to a 6 to a 4 in jeans. That's been a strange phenomenon for those of us old enough to notice, hasn't it? I swear, when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school I wore size 10 pants. I am still pretty much the same size but I also now wear a size 4 in jeans! If I didn't know better I'd worry that I'm shrinking!:afraid:

RE: swimsuit question

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 01:50:17 GMT

We need to see the "mounting the blocks and then bending over atop on a pedastal with slightly arched back emphasizing lordosis" picture, shot from a multitude of angles, before we can intelligently comment on your YingFa sizing issues. :rolleyes: Please submit this data for further analysis. You may just be married to a closet Taliban member who would prefer you swim in a Fina-approved Burka. :lmao:Well, no... not quite.;) But, he did have a point! :afraid:I'm afraid if I showed up in a 2XL, there would be a lot of :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: goin' on around me...

RE: swimsuit question

jim thornton — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:45:13 GMT

Yeah, I agree with you on the Vanity Sizing thing. My weight has basically stayed the same for many years, however, I have gone from wearing an 8 to a 6 to a 4 in jeans. Just to be sure, I measured myself to see if there were any changes there, but, I am basically the same. And, I am not wearing my jeans any tighter than before, either! The reason I needed a 3XL is: :mooning: When I bent over (in the privacy of my own home) in the 2XL, my husband said, "You can't get up on the blocks in THAT!" Evidently, my wide-set pelvis and hips (see attached photo) caused the fabric to stretch across to the point where it left a lack of coverage where it was most needed... :afraid: We need to see the "mounting the blocks and then bending over atop on a pedastal with slightly arched back emphasizing lordosis" picture, shot from a multitude of angles, before we can intelligently comment on your YingFa sizing issues. Please submit this data for further analysis. You may just be married to a closet Taliban member who would prefer you swim in a Fina-approved Burka.

RE: swimsuit question

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 05:54:30 GMT

The Chinese refuse to do the Vanity Sizing that has become endemic in clothing manufacturers for the American Market. Yesterday's Chubby for girls, and Husky for boys, have been (or shall soon be) replaced by Normal. I am surprised, however, you need the XXXL. I went with the XL and am a certifiable Fatty (6' 1" 187 before practice). Perhaps it's because my obesity is of the abdominal variety that men's suits no longer get involved with (i.e., smooshing into some semblance of streamlining.) Yeah, I agree with you on the Vanity Sizing thing. My weight has basically stayed the same for many years, however, I have gone from wearing an 8 to a 6 to a 4 in jeans. Just to be sure, I measured myself to see if there were any changes there, but, I am basically the same. And, I am not wearing my jeans any tighter than before, either! The reason I needed a 3XL is: :mooning: When I bent over (in the privacy of my own home) in the 2XL, my husband said, "You can't get up on the blocks in THAT!" Evidently, my wide-set pelvis and hips (see attached photo) caused the fabric to stretch across to the point where it left a lack of coverage where it was most needed... :afraid:

RE: swimsuit question

jim thornton — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:03:03 GMT

+1! That was my "reasonable compromise" for myself and I love my Yingfa (even though I'm still :censor: about having to wear a size 3XL, even though I'm 5'71/2", weigh 123 lbs., and wear size 4 jeans)! The Chinese refuse to do the Vanity Sizing that has become endemic in clothing manufacturers for the American Market. Yesterday's Chubby for girls, and Husky for boys, have been (or shall soon be) replaced by Normal. I am surprised, however, you need the XXXL. I went with the XL and am a certifiable Fatty (6' 1" 187 before practice). Perhaps it's because my obesity is of the abdominal variety that men's suits no longer get involved with (i.e., smooshing into some semblance of streamlining.)

RE: swimsuit question

Former Member — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:44:41 GMT

First of all, ignore comments by mini shark and d2. They are merely looking for a verbal fight Now to your question, tyr makes a good high preformance suit, as does Bluseventy. I like both of their racing hp suits. A swimshop owner that I know says the Arena carbon suits are becoming more popular as people learn about them.

RE: swimsuit question

Former Member — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:12:35 GMT

Some posts on this thread have strayed from to original thread. With a couple deemed to be getting into political statements. While the replies related to the original request and parenting skills advice have been left, those that go into the political have been deleted. Rob

RE: swimsuit question

jim thornton — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:25:47 GMT

A reasonable compromise: buy her a Yingfa. I wanted a cheap, mid-season meet suit, and so I checked out George Park's web site and ended up ordering one for myself. I recommend this model for girls: Style #937 Fina Approved Neck to Knee $48.00 http://www.swimdownhill.com/ It's as cheap as most workout suits and the male version, at least, proved really quite decent. I swam an end of the year SCM meet this past weekend in my YingFa, doing two events--the 400 and 200 IM's--I ordinarily never swim. I swam faster in the 400 IM than I did five years ago in a TYR body suit at Rutgers, and if Event Rankings is to be believed, I have the #2 time in the event right now in my age group. I also improved my 200 IM time by two seconds (when converted to yards), this after only about a half hour or less rest following the 400 IM. I say buy the lass an YingFa. It's teflon coating is what makes it fast--like the old Aquablades from yesteryear. And it doesn't cost very much. Mention my name, Jim Thornton, and George might even knock a few bucks off!

RE: swimsuit question

aquageek — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:03:18 GMT

As a female, I'm not sure what the guys are talking about when they say "speedo endurance" as a "tech" suit ... I wear a speed endurance tank to train in, but would never wear that to a champs meet (or any meet, that's just me). No one is talking about an adult female at a championship meet in a tech suit. I just watched a bunch of 12/u's kill some swims this weekend in ratted out lycra suits. At those ages the tech suits are about the parents, not the kids.

RE: swimsuit question

orca1946 — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 11:47:21 GMT

Try not to stress her or yourself over this. Her times will not "drop" because of this suit, which ever one she wears!:2cents: