An Australian woman has criticized one ‘creepy’ aspect of surf shops Down Under – and hundreds are having the same problem.
The young woman from Victoria mentioned the constant problem she has with surf shops: the cut of bikini bottoms.
“I was recently in Queensland and it drives me crazy that surf shops only sell high-waisted pants,” she said on Reddit.
“I searched all over Melbourne and a few regional places. I spent time in Maroochydore and Brisbane. I used to only buy surf swimmers because they were cheap, good quality and looked cute.”
The woman shared an image of a tied-up bikini bottom from Surf Dive n Ski as a reference point for the style she can’t escape.
A young woman revealed a conflict she has with surf shops: the cut of bikini bottoms
She is shocked by the lengths she thinks she has to go to find suitable bottoms that provide more coverage.
‘I understand that there is a demand for high crotch pants these days, but why is it so difficult to find normal pants in the store? I even looked in Myer,” she said.
‘The only place I could find them was cheap stores like Kmart, or [expensive stores] like Seafolly. She even tried discount stores in Chadstone and Fountain Gate, but to no avail.
“It’s driving me crazy,” she admitted. “Even Cotton On has jumped on the bandwagon. It’s scary how hard it is to find normal swimmers.’
While Surf Dive n Ski has high waist and stringy fastening options, there are other styles online that offer more coverage.
While Surf Dive n Ski has high waist and stringy fastening options, there are other styles online that offer more coverage
A few suggested different options while shopping.
“Maybe ‘full coverage’ is the search term you’re looking for if you want a basic bikini bottom without a cheeky cut, or you could try boy shorts?” one offered.
‘You don’t have to wear this model so high, you can wear it as a hipster. But City Beach also has tons of all styles all year round. And from memory I believe it is cheaper than Seafolly,” another recommended.
‘I live in the mother world, so I don’t even see swimmers like that! We all buy from Funkita and Speedo and Swimwear Galore,” said one mother,
“Love Unepiece, Alulu and Infamous Swim – all online,” wrote another shopper.
Others sympathized with the woman.
‘Agree! “I want something more modest for myself, but I type ‘modest’ and it comes to the other end of the spectrum,” one person said. “Why can’t there be a middle ground?”
Another asked: ‘Why can’t surf shops sell swimwear that appeals to a wider range of personal tastes?’