(Part 2) Best tankini swimsuits for women according to redditors

IMO you need to try around UK 28 E/F.

I second what u/ChocoNoir wrote that you need at least the same volume in the cup as your 32Ds, so 28E it is. At the same time part of your band is currently acting as cup, so when you go down in bandsize chances are high you need to go up in cupsize. So 28F. The size of 28F is also suggested by your leaning bust measurement. Normally the leaning bust is not used with projected breasts, but in your size range it often ends up the most accurate. Combined with your description of how your 32D fits, I am leaning towards 28F.

>My back and shoulders are constantly in pain -- I think it is partly because I slouch a lot especially when I sit, and I'm not sure if that is related to my breast size.

I think you might try to hide your chest, could this be? The ill-fitting bras don't help either. A good bra will help you stand straight. But at the same time I strongly recommend seeing a physiotherapist and take action to improve your posture. From my perspective the size of your breasts isn't large enough to cause you pain, what causes you pain is your poor posture.

Surgery is no joke and hacking off your breasts at 18 is not the answer, especially since the main issue with your bras is that the bandsize is too large for your ribcage.

>I hate bras with an underwire, so I have been trying to buy bralettes / no underwire bras only.

I used to be the same. Hated bras with an underwire with the passion of a thousand suns. Turns out that I was in the wrong size. I was wearing anything between 44-48 C-DD that I could get my hands on, but i really need around US 40K or UK 40H. The wires of the 44-48 C-DD bras were way too narrow for my breasts. (I need 26cms wire width, normal in 44DD is 8-12 cms.) That plus the too wide band caused lots of issues with wired bras. But in the correct size I love my underwire bras and even sleep in them sometimes. I found that non-wired bras put too much pressure on my shoulders and hurt if I wear them longer for an hour or so.

That said, if you are in better bras with wires that are wide enough for your breastroots and still have pain in your breasts, see a doctor about it. Could be that you have fibrocystic breasts. This can cause a lot of pain totally unrelated to ill-fitting bras and bad posture.

>I'm 5 ft tall, so dresses and bathing suits that fit my chest and my hips (24 waist) are SO difficult to find.

Dresses: Eshakti and urkye.pl - in urkye you'll need 34 o/oo. Bathing suits no clue, but you could try tankinis from the big bra brands such as Freya, Curvy Kate, Panache, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Panache-Tilly-Bandeau-Tankini-Dress/dp/B00BQUR6SM/

https://www.amazon.com/Cleo-Panache-Dolly-Bandeau-Swimsuit/dp/B00DI295GW/

I'm going back to the online retailer thing. You say you are in the states for a few weeks -- this seems like it could be plenty of time if you have somewhere to ship something. I'm thinking Amazon (which sells directly or is shipped by herroom.com or breakoutbras.com, both US retailers who ship quickly) or Breakoutbras.com directly, which offers 1-3 day shipping for $5.50. If you order now with expedited shipping, it'll ship tomorrow and arrive by the beginning of next week at the latest. I understand the qualms about online ordering, but desperate times, ya know? Ordering from US based places will drastically reduce shipping time, and you can also consider the possibility of reselling on /r/braswap, bratabase, or the facebook group for bra swapping as an alternative to return shipping if you find something affordable.

Also, forget about getting bottoms now or getting the matching ones all together. You can get bottoms anywhere, or if you really want the matching ones, you can get them on ebay when you get home (since you don't actually need the bikini itself for a few months). If you get any sort of top with black, plain black bottoms will work fine. This won't reduce the cost tremendously, but I am seeing 28HH-28J tops on Amazon for $45ish USD like this one or this one. If you are looking for a bikini top and not tankini, I see this or this for $60 USD. Going up a sister size gives a lot of options, and some of the bikinis are either tie-backs anyway and some bikinis can be rather firm (I have a 30FF in freya that is fine on my 26" ribcage). If you find anything fulfilled by amazon and know someone with an amazon prime account (even if they live no where near where you need it shipped), you can get free 2 day shipping.

If you want something basic, I really recommend freya pier. I have it in apple green, and it's very comfortable and lovely. I am clearly not familiar with your general bra needs like breast shape, but it's pretty narrow with a good amount of projection, and the ruffles are cute but not too in-your-face with all the boob. I wear a 30 band in it and it's fine for me, so a 30H may work for you. You also could very easily just make it into a tie back if necessary. The version I linked is the sweetheart neckline with two straps rather than a halter strap. This should be good as to not put strain on your neck, too!

Unfortunately, I have no recommendation for actual stores for you. I really hope someone does! It's rather tricky when you're past the GG+ barrier, I think, because even specialty stores don't always stock your size. I hope you find something you like, though!

Edit: Also, you may want to check out an old navy if you have the chance. They don't have bra sized swimwear, but I have seen a few posts here with ladies in your relative size range (small bands and GG+ cups) who have had success with their tie back underwire XL size swim tops. It is definitely an iffy thing, but you have the opportunity to try it on first. I think this option will totally depend on your shape and the width of the wires (and availability of the swimsuit in question!).

There are supportive one pieces! Here's an example (although that one DOES cost an arm and a leg). Here's a more modestly priced alternative.

OP, in general, you might check out brands like Panache and Freya in Amazon's swimwear section. This in particular seems like it might suit you.

I like Amazon for clothing like this - it's relatively straightforward to find something relatively cheap, although it takes a bit of hunting. eBay's a decent alternative, yes, but I'm always a bit... dubious of eBay sellers.

Freya and Panache have options like those.

Tankini, same style but one peice, another from Panache. Maybe have a look at Figleaves active as well? They're pricey but it is possible to find them on sale.