Royal Council :: Modest Swimwear

Ah, I do believe that summer is here at last! *happy sigh* What a wonderful time of year this is! It is a time when sunshine covers our world, and nothing can possibly put a shadow on the joy and happiness it brings.

It is a time when the birds love to sing, and the bees love to hum, and the flowers love to bloom.....

But, another wonder that comes along with these warm summer months is time. While regular classes and activities commence, we find so much time to try out new pass-times. One of my favorite summer pass-times is swimming! Nothing can be so refreshing during those hot, sticky days, then to dive into a cool pool of sparkling water. But along with this fun activity comes a challenge, that we, as Christian woman, all struggle with, and that is :: how to remain modest.

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Below, we have compiled some responses to the above inquiry. We pray that as you read, you would be encouraged to not give up on this challenge. We know that wearing modest apparel, especially when swimming, can be difficult to accomplish at times, but is by no means impossible. There is always an option out there, and hopefully, we can help you to find the option that will work best for your needs. Blessings ~

Bethany Ann :: 

Modesty is something that sadly, is no longer of any value to this world. However God sees it as something that it very important. We are told to not be a stumbling block to our brothers in Christ so we as daughters of the King must clothe ourselves properly and be modest when doing so.

It is easy to dress modestly on a day-to-day basis since you can find modest clothing in stores at a reasonable price. However so far, the only places I have found modest swimwear is online and they are all about $100 each! For our family to have a bathing suit from these sites it would cost a fortune! So what we have done is we have found modest shirts that people wear when jogging or exercising. They are made of a sweat resistant material and thus take less time to dry than a normal t-shirt. We have found that sometimes these materials are transparent when wet (my shirt is white, so when it is wet you can see right through it) so we ware a 1-piece bathing suit underneath our shirts for extra protection. While I could go without shorts since I have a bathing suit underneath my shirt, I chose not to. I have purposed to not show any part of my legs above my knee and have found that wearing Capri's with my shirt works well.

As I mentioned above, I have found these websites that sell modest swimwear:

• Swim Modest
  

  
• Wholesome Wear
• Modest-Kini
• Modest Swimwear 4 U
• Simply-Modest

I have a friend who said she made her own swimsuit using Fresh Modesty's neat e-book {click HERE for details} which shows how you can make your own swimsuit! I think this would be a neat idea if you know how to sew and they even have information on how to make a maternity swimsuit! You could be on the look-out for fabric store's sales and they buy swimsuit material when it is at a discounted rate.

In closing I would like to encourage you not to let the summer's heat or peer presser to lower your standards. Ask your parents what there standards are for you in modesty and truly delight in obeying them! Always remember that though we might look weird to others, it is better than causing a brother to stumble. Always keep your focus on Christ and serve Him wholeheartedly this summer!

God bless you!

~Bethany Ann

Johanna Rose ::

Summer is a lovely time of year. One which I always enjoy. And I must say, that one of my favorite summer activities, would be driving down to my Grandma's swimming pool for a splash, or running into the waves at the beach. But along with these delightful summer pass-times, comes a challenge. A challenge that I believe all young woman, who have a heart of purity, will meet. And that is, how are they to go about selecting a swimsuit? What are their guidelines? Where can you find a swimsuit that is God-honoring, but still functional at the same time?

Every year, I had these same questions swirling in my head. And sadly, I have noticed that every year, it becomes harder and harder to find the swimsuit that will fit my needs. So many times, when I return to the place I bought my suit last year, I find that their modest style has changed drastically, and for the worst. Other times, I find that buying a modest suit is much too expensive. The prices often times ranged from $75-$100! So how do we acquire a modest swimsuit? It must be impossible, right??

Dear Sisters, this is exactly what satan wants you to believe -- he wants you to believe that modest swimwear is impossible to find, and therefore you must lower your standards to what the world offers. But let me encourage you, by saying that there are still options out there. Though these resources may be few, and are at times difficult to find, there are still places out there where you can find a swimsuit that will fit your needs. I want to share with you some resources and ideas below, in the hopes that you may be inspired to search out a modest look --

• Last summer, I pieced together a modest swimsuit. This is an option which I have used many summers. One of my favorite places to piece together a swimsuit would be Lands End. At Lands End, they sell many swimsuit pieces separately. I love how they offer this, because this is a fun way to design your own suit. In the past, I have put something similar to this, together :: Find a modest swim-skirt, and a cute, conservative bikini top to match it. Then, I recommend you find a tight fitting t-shirt, to wear over the bikini top. {You want it to fit tight, because it loosens up a lot when in water.} I have done this many times in the past, and it turns out super cute, and very functional as well!

• Another option would be to find resources that offer swimsuits that are meant to be modest, and are designed for that reason specifically. Often times this option can be a bit pricey though. Sites such as Simply Modest, and Swim Modest -- among others -- offer beautiful, and modest swimsuits, but they are around $100 each! But this year, I was blessed to find Comstox.com. And, needless to say, this is where I will be purchasing my swimsuit for this summer! Jennifer is a young woman, who is using her talents to serve the Lord. She offers custom made suits for young ladies, ranging from $35 - $50 {depending on size}. One aspect that I loved about her site is how everything is custom made, upon order, to fit you exactly. She takes down every measurement, and tailors the suit to your measurements! And there are so many beautiful materials to choose from as well, that you will be sure to find something to fit your personal style. 

Both of the above options are perfect solutions to finding a modest style that is perfect for you. But one last thought that I would like to share with you would be this :: 

One aspect that I love about both of the above options is that, not only are they modest, but they are feminine and stylish as well. When I walk along the seaside, and young woman of the world encounter me, I not only want them to recognized that I have strong convictions about modesty, but also, that I found an alternative to the worldly dress with a beautiful choice. When they see me, I want them to be inspired. I want them to realize that beauty and modesty can be one.

May the Lord bless you, as you strive to honor Him in this!
~Johanna Rose

Miss Miriam ::

So, it is summer now. And it is also very hot. Hot weather, for most people, means swimming. And what does swimming mean? It means that you are going to need a swimsuit. For many years, when summertime came around and we started to shop for a swimsuit, I was already frustrated even before the shopping began. I would go to almost every store in town,with my Mom, and I would not find one single modest swimsuit. It was very disappointing to waste time looking for something that was probably not ever going to be there. When I was little, it was not as hard. I would usually just swim in a one-piece swimsuit with a long T-shirt over it. But, after the little girl years, the one-piece swim suit and T-shirt just wouldn't work. So, then, my Mom began searching for swimsuits online. We found a few that we liked and were modest but almost all of them were SO pricey! I did not want to spend almost $100 dollars on a swimsuit, but then, I did not want to lower my convictions and buy a swimsuit that I did not truly think was modest. We have purchased several that were from the Internet, but most of them just were not what we were looking for. This year, though, we have found a few really cute, modest swimsuits that don't break the bank!

1. Swim culottes from Dressing For His Glory. These swimsuits are basically culottes, but made out of swim material. Also, you can buy a swim shirt to go with the swim culottes or skorts. There are several different colors and styles for you to choose from!

2. Swimsuits from Modest Activewear. This is what my Mom ordered this year for my sister, herself and I. I am very satisfied with these swimsuits! They are really cute, modest, and easy to swim in too! It comes with a swim shirt, and a skirt with sewn in shorts. I have already received a few compliments on it!

3. Swimsuits from Fresh Modesty. This is actually a pattern that a young lady named Olivia designed. The pattern looks pretty easy and there are several really cute options that you can make. There is even a maternity option for those ladies who are pregnant and need a swimsuit too!

I hope that this helps you all when you are looking for a swimsuit!

The most important thing to remember is to be modest and dress in a way that Christ would be pleased. Don't lower your convictions or give up if you can't find a swimsuit that is modest; wait on the Lord and pray that He will help you find one!

Also, one thing I realized was that we need to be feminine too. To be modest, you do not have to be frumpy or drab! You can be feminine and modest at the same time!

May we all dress in a way that would reflect Christ and glorify Him!

~Miriam

-- Visit Miriam's website, Maidens of Virtue.

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Do you have a suggestion for future Royal Council topics? We would be so blessed if you sent your suggestions by way of our Contact page! Thank you! We pray that you were blessed by this month's Royal Council, and are left refreshed and newly-inspired to live for Jesus.

Abundant Blessings,

Bethany Ann & Johanna Rose