[perchance]

I felt the same way about swimsuits when I decided to enroll in a water-aerobics class. I went onto the Land's End webite and ordered a black swimsuit and black swim shorts. I was extremely pleased with the cut of the suit - size 16W modestly covers my size 16-18 self. The shorts have a sewn-in panty that I used a seam ripper to take out. I was still extremely self-conscious at my first class but imagine my surprise when I noticed 80% of the ladies were also wearing black suits with black shorts! And the other 20% were just letting it all hang out! And there is every shape and size imaginable as well as alll sorts of things I've never seen. Leg vein maps. Super sagginess. Untrimmed bikini areas. But the thing is we ALL have that stuff and my self-conciousness has diminished since going to class. I mean, yeah, people are always going to check one another out but I doubt anyone looks at someone and thinks ewwwww! Unless they're 15. Even then I figure I could always look at a kid if they reacted like that and say, HAHA! Look what YOU get to look forward to!