# What age for a bikini?



## TX-SC

At what age would you let your daughter move from one-piece to bikini?


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## eric1

We do not have a daughter but we live in a conservative area and had this discussion with friends last week - the consensus was 8th grade.


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## Herschel

Honestly, it's the opposite of what you should do. At 8th grade, maybe they should be moving from a bikini to a one-piece...


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## EleGirl

What is a bikini vs a two piece. I think that there is a big difference.


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## TX-SC

Not really thinking in terms of a tankini or other two piece types. I'm thinking standard bikini. For lack of a better way to describe it, basically a bra and panties. No thongs or similar craziness.


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## Steve1000

TX-SC said:


> At what age would you let your daughter move from one-piece to bikini?


Age 40


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## TheTruthHurts

My girls are pretty conservative but DD15 got a two piece this year. Her sisters may have gotten at the same time at age 13. But I think they also wear one piece suits.

Some of DD15's friends were in 2 piece suits in middle school but frankly some of them were attention seekers. Maybe that's why D held off for a few years


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## MJJEAN

They make cute bikinis in all sizes. My girls had bikinis when they were preschoolers and ever since. Usually, they had more than one swimsuit and they'd rotate from bikinis to a tankini to a one piece in the same week.

I didn't care what they wore swimming or sunning, but if they were going to play volleyball or fish or walk to the store or something they were required to wear a pair of shorts or a swimsuit cover.


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## KrisAmiss

My sweet girl is at camp wearing the required one piece. Modest is hottest. However, she's worn bikinis since forever. They're cute. She's way more interested in horses than boys though and we have our own pool so I've never even thought twice about it. She's not the type to post bikini clad pics on Facebook. I question that activity...


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## farsidejunky

Steve1000 said:


> Age 40


QFT.

:grin2:


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## Fozzy

I'd be cool with my daughters wearing one at whatever age they're comfortable with it. Within reason--no dental floss butts or anything.  It's not going to turn them into streetwalkers or anything, and any rando that might be perving at them would be doing so regardless of one piece or two piece. Retribution would be swift, regardless.

My oldest is 12 and is HORRIFIED of bikinis. Even on other people. I think if she had a chance she'd probably wear a nun habit to the beach.


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## Satya

Much to my anger, my mother bought me my first fugly colored bikini at 10. I should never have agreed to wear it.... I hate those pictures. 

THANKS, Mom!! 

Joking aside, I personally think high school age is ok. But girls, when on their own, would have no problem leaving the house in a one piece and change into a bikini in the bathroom. All of my high school girl friends did this.


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## Chris Taylor

Herschel said:


> Honestly, it's the opposite of what you should do. At 8th grade, maybe they should be moving from a bikini to a one-piece...


At 8th grade I should have put my daughter in armor.


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## Rocky Mountain Yeti

Herschel said:


> Honestly, it's the opposite of what you should do. At 8th grade, maybe they should be moving from a bikini to a one-piece...


Yep. We had no problem with our girls wearing a two piece when they were very young. When they started to develop, we got a bit concerned. 

Of course, by then the precedent was established and it was a real fight to get them back into a one piece. We're pretty conservative, but in the end, we didn't fight too much about it, and the prohibition on bikinis was fairly short lived. We did maintain some influence over how skimpy the bikini was allowed to be though. Some are definitely more modest than others. Our girls were well grounded and well behaved, so we had to trust them, and nothing negative came out of them wearing bikinis at any age.


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## Herschel

I was really just being funny.


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## arbitrator

*Ol' Arb has no daughters, or none that I'm remotely aware of, but I think that junior high is a good age, with a whole set of strict preclusions about as long as your leg!*


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## Hope1964

Since I purchased all of her bathing suits until she had her own money, I decided what they were. She had some two piece suits but nothing the least bit 'sexy'. Once she was old enough to purchase her own I figured she was old enough to make her own decision about what type of bathing suit she wanted to wear. She had (and still has!) a great body, and if she likes showing it off I'm not going to stop her.

I am a huge believer in providing your kids with info and letting them make their own mistakes.


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## TChousewife

Personally I'd say about 15 or 16. But nothing that makes her look like a hooker


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## WonkyNinja

Herschel said:


> Honestly, it's the opposite of what you should do. At 8th grade, maybe they should be moving from a bikini to a one-piece...


But there are some extremely revealing one-pieces around. 

You really can't make a one way or the other choice here as it's not a black and white issue.


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## TX-SC

Thanks folks, I appreciate the input. My 15 yo is pushing hard for a bikini.


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## WonkyNinja

TX-SC said:


> Thanks folks, I appreciate the input. My 15 yo is pushing hard for a bikini.


May I suggest letting her chose one, but the responsibility is on her to chose a nice one that isn't a floss bikini or Wicked Weasel or something else age inappropriate? If you restrict her too much so that she gets teased by her friends then she will just do it behind your back.

My D is 19 now and I am convinced that it is important that teenage girls are brought up to respect themselves and their bodies and not be taught that their body is something to be ashamed of or hide. At the same time they need to learn that they are not some kind of prize to someone, nor does their own personal value depend on who has chosen them. 

I made it clear to my D from 16 on that who she chose to be with and what she chose to do was completely up to her. She is able to say No herself and not the "my Dad will kill us", which basically translates in a teen boys mind to "Yes, as long as it's somewhere else".

After saying all that I had a really easy time of the teens, unlike a few of my work colleagues. 

My D was not unexpected and she liked my W from the first time they met. One of the most important things I did was make sure that she always knew that she could talk to me about absolutely anything, even though she hated doing so!, and that if she tells me something in confidence it stays in confidence.

I really wish you luck.


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## Dadzilla

Males of all ages will notice an attractive body, whether it is in a one piece or bikini, it matters very little.
I think worrying about the amount of fabric covering our daughter's is less important than teaching them how to handle male attention, both welcome and unwelcome.


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## RandomDude

Dadzilla said:


> Males of all ages will notice an attractive body, whether it is in a one piece or bikini, it matters very little.
> I think worrying about the amount of fabric covering our daughter's is less important than teaching them how to handle male attention, both welcome and unwelcome.


Agreed

Not to mention I dislike enforcing these strict rules for my daughter. I have a cousin sister who was brought up in a very conservative environment and eventually she rebelled and grew up the complete opposite person her parents intended. Hair at a certain length, can wear this, can't wear that. Don't blame her, as I would have done the same thing. If I had concerns about my daughter's dress I would tell her my opinion but not force her to wear anything she doesn't want to. The more forbidden it is the more she'll want to do it.


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## She'sStillGotIt

I remember being 9 years old and wearing 2 piece bathing suits. It was never an issue like wearing makeup or something like that. Once I grew up, I'd order my bikinis from the Ujena catalog and they always arrived in a tiny box about the size of a pack of cigarettes. LOL


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## ResignedWife

We let our teen daughter pick what kind of suit she wants, and she generally goes for tankinis that include boy shorts.


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## katies

Is 51 too old to wear one? Asking for a friend.


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## Hope1964

What exactly is the issue with a girl wearing a bikini anyway? Just the fact people think there's an issue is making an issue out of something that doesn't need to even be an issue. If you want your daughter to be aware of the image she projects, teach her about that - don't make the bikini the issue.


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## WonkyNinja

RandomDude said:


> Agreed
> 
> Not to mention I dislike enforcing these strict rules for my daughter. I have a cousin sister who was brought up in a very conservative environment and eventually she rebelled and grew up the complete opposite person her parents intended. Hair at a certain length, can wear this, can't wear that. Don't blame her, as I would have done the same thing. If I had concerns about my daughter's dress I would tell her my opinion but not force her to wear anything she doesn't want to. The more forbidden it is the more she'll want to do it.


I agree. Show them trust and let them know that if it's abused then they lose it and all the benefits that go with it.

We let my D drink at home from quite an early age. Started with a glass of wine at Christmas Dinner and then it became more frequent as she grew up. By the time she was in 10th and 11th grades there wasn't any novelty in it. The added benefits were that she was never impressed by the kids who had managed to get hold of a beer, as it was no big deal for her. She soon saw many of her friends boasting about getting wasted every weekend and then realized that they were incapable of having fun when sober. It goes without saying that if she drinks and drives she loses her car, no excuses accepted.


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## toblerone

As a teen, if you asked me if I prefer the chick in the bikini or the one-piece, my answer would be the 'the hot one'.


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## Dulsura

One piece is fine for my daughter until she turns 18!

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## Anon Pink

TX-SC said:


> At what age would you let your daughter move from one-piece to bikini?



When they're comfortable wearing one.

Of my 3 daughters, the oldest wore a one piece until well into college. She was quite athletic and developed very early and as is common with girls who are visited by the boobie fairy early in life, hated her large breasts. The middle, who was also an athlete and even though she was pudgy until high school, wanted a bikini by 5th grade. I allowed it for the simple reason that I refused to allow her to think there was something wrong with her body that it needed extra covering. My youngest is not an athlete but was blessed with a naturally toned athletic looking body grew up wearing a bikini.

I used their own feelings about their body as a guide. It was more important to me that they love themselves and their changing body than they follow some arbitrary puritanically based idea that women's bodies be covered and constrained.


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## Anon Pink

katies said:


> Is 51 too old to wear one? Asking for a friend.


No!

54 here and my body is by no means perfect, and I wear a bikini. But we have a pool so the only time I'm in public in a bikini is at the beach and I don't give a crap what strangers think. I suppose if I had to deal with the "ladies who lunch" at a swim club I might feel a little differently.


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## Blondilocks

It's kinda cute that this question is still being bandied about in 2017. Bikinis caused quite a bit of consternation amongst parents in the 1960s when my mom decided that my 15 year old slim (translate as scrawny) body would be no worse the wear if attired in one. I believe her exact words were "Well, you haven't anything to show anyway".


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## Diana7

Never.:surprise:

Joking aside my 2 daughters are both in their 30's now, and on the rare occasions they do go swimming they wear a one piece. I love that they dress modestly. Modesty is rare but precious, and also attractive.


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## Blondilocks

I would like to add that I highly, highly, highly recommend a one-piece for body surfing.


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## JamesBarnes1

18+ age


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## Wolfman1968

One, two, three, four, tell the people what she wore:

It was an itsy bitsy, teeny, weeny, yellow polka dot bikini...that she wore for the first time today....


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## rockon

Blondilocks said:


> I would like to add that I highly, highly, highly recommend a one-piece for body surfing.


But why take all the fun out of it!


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## TheTruthHurts

DD13 x 2 out today visiting cousins at the beach. They'll be in one pieces because their cousins are ultra conservative. Next week we stop by a lake on the way to pick up daughter at camp - we suggested bikini is fine if they want more sun and no one around they know if they're uncomfortable. One indicated she's not uncomfortable at all (as expected  ).

From my perspective, since they were brought up with much modesty in mind, I push them a bit to try on clothes etc that are less modest if they like them. IOW I challenge them a bit to push themselves to be comfortable dressing less modestly from a confidence standpoint. My preference is that they be confident in themselves, but as modest as they want. They shouldn't dress modestly to hide anything.


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