Here we are in the summer months, and that means more vacationing for us! So you’ve convinced yourself you need a break, managed to get your husband/friends/family to get on board, saved up the pennies and planned the whole thing! But there’s always those bumps along the way that make you say “I forgot I hated traveling…”. But do not worry! As someone who just came back from a three week vacation, I think I am qualified to tell you a few ways you can make your trips a little more hassle free. I’ll also tell you about my recent experiences with UCWW products and a bit on what the whole “modest bathing suit” trend is really like. Disclaimer- I’ve worked for Undercover Waterwear for over a year now. I actually owned their products before I got the job. So no, they did not tell me what to write- the following account that I will tell give over now is entirely based on my own experiences.
To skip to the hacks, just scroll down a bit!
Swim outfits: A Breakdown
A) Who, What, Where, & WHY?
So the first thing that I want to address is what exactly Undercover Waterwear aims to do with their products. The company manufactures modest swim cover-ups that were originally made for modesty. The outfits are high quality, fashionable, and very convenient for religious women. If you are not familiar with how modest women swam before the invention of the “Swimdress“, let me acquaint you. When you got to the beach, you would immediately search for a bathroom so that you can change. The typical modest beachwear back then consisted of long, over-sized T-shirt worn over regular bathing suits. They looked as ridiculous as they sound. So when modest bathing suits came out, they were well received by the religious communities.
These days, UCWW is the top seller of modest swimwear in that original market, but have since expanded their consumer base because there are so many other benefits to the products. Many parents buy it for themselves and their kids because the outfits are really great for sun protection. It’s also good for water sports- to prevent chafing and again, sunburning. There are also many communities around the world that value modesty and also want to look good around the water.
B) My experience
So I just came back from a three week long vacation oversees. On my trip, I brought along a few pieces from the UCWW line:
I definitely prefer the a-line skirt cut for multiple reasons; for one, the flairy cut suits my figure better, since I have a narrow waist and wider hips. Two, the a-line cut is much more comfortable to move around in. I did a number of water sports, and was really glad I had the mobility of the A-line skirt. Here’s a quick account of what I did and how it was:
1. I went to a few beaches. On the days that I knew I would be in the water for the whole day, I just out a bikini under my outfit and wore it all day. What I usually did was swim first, rinse off, and then tan so that I was fully dry by the time I left the beach. I generally brought a change of underclothing because although the outfit dried really fast, it could get uncomfortable to walk around in a bathing suit, especially on the days when I did something non-water related afterwards. But even then, I usually didn’t even change out of my swim outfit for the rest of the day.
2. I did a water hike, and having a) an outfit that dried quickly and b) an a-line skirt was really helpful. I had a few friends with me who didn’t have a swim outfit- they actually went in their regular clothes. And since only a portion of the hike was actually in the water, it got a bit uncomfortable for them to be in soggy clothing until they got to the bathrooms to change- and you do not want to hear about the conditions of those bathrooms…
3. I did some water sports, and for those, I wore the shorts under, in case my skirt flew up (which it didn’t really do so much). Unfortunately, my shorts don’t get a happy ending to their story on my trip, as I left them at a beach one day :(
4. I did a few hikes, and I wore the shorts under. They were a lot less hot than I though they would be.
So that was a sum up of my latest experience. I also went on vacation last midwinter, and used it all the time for the pool and even biking.
My Travel Hacks
Here’s what made living out of a suitcase for a while a lot more bearable!! Featured below it my actual suitcase that came along with me on my journeys :D
1. Cardboard dividers
One thing I always hated about suitcases was that you start out with good intentions- honestly! And somewhere along the way, you REALLY need that shirt that’s on the bottom of your pile and your once neat little stacks of clothing are now intermingling and getting dressed is a nightmare. And even if will be unpacking soon- you can say goodbye to your nicely folded piles that nicely fit in your hotel draws. Honestly, this was one of the smartest things that I did on the whole trip- I couldn’t unpack for a week and a half!
So what you do is this:
1- Find a cardboard box and cut it open.
2- What I did next was make strips that were the length of the suitcase.
3- I then started folding the first pile, and measured exactly how long I would need to make the next piece.
4- If a pile was small, or I wanted to split things, I just laid down a piece of cardboard flat. This was great because I knew what was were, and when I wanted the bottom stuff, I just lifted the cardboard piece with the top pile safely and neatly folded on top.
This method that I came up with on the fly essentially creates 100% customizable compartments for free. I had a friend that bought expensive compartments online- and I almost did too, but I’m glad I didn’t!
2. Ziplock bags
This one is more obvious, but I was a little more creative with my ziplock use this trip.
1- I put all my small clothing articles in separate bags. I rolled up all my underwear and paired all my socks. Each got their own bag
2- Small thing that tend to get shoved into the net zippered pocket always are hard to find for me- so all those got categorized and packed together
3- Things that can leak obviously get bagged, but I made sure to put related items together
4- You can also pack all your clothes this way
5- Another smart thing that I came across was packing by the day- I though of doing this, but I mix and match too much for that. This hack is better when you’re going on a short trip.
Hope some of these tips helped you out! If you have any more hacks, leave them down below! Also, if you’ve traveled with UCWW, tell me about your experience!
Thanks for reading!
Renee S.
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