My sweetheart is not a swimmer. He never learned how growing up, and he’s just not that comfortable in the water. I, on the other hand, am a fish. Or, according to a major swimsuit manufacturer, perhaps a whale.

Here’s what happened. My sweetie was perusing a website looking for a suit. He knows I love the water, and I spend a fair amount of time in our backyard pool. On hot summer days he’ll sit out with me and bake as I enjoy the lovely feeling of being surrounded by soothing cooling water. I urge him to come in, but his response has always been that he can’t because he doesn’t have a swim suit. Uh huh.

He has gone to this website before. He has chosen his swim suit. He has said he will order it. He has not. Anyway, he was there again today and saw that they advertised plus sized suits for women. Being the wonderful man he is, he thought there might be a nice one for me.

From the other room he asked what size I wore. I didn’t know what sizing system this manufacturer used so I couldn’t give him an answer. Some go by dress sizes, some follow the 2X, 3X, etc. model, and some go by bust size. I joined him at the computer and we clicked on their sizing chart.

Okay, here we go. According to them a 14 is XL, a 16 is 2XL and an 18 is 3XL. Only a very few styles were offered in the 3XL (which, in the normal world is usually a 22-24). Hmmmm. It seems to me that while they are offering a few extended sizes the promise of plus sizes is merely a tease.

There is a whole world of fat women out there longing for quality products that fit. I just can’t quite figure out why manufacturers don’t want our business. Guess I’ll keep getting my Catalina swimsuits. They always fit and they are inexpensive. And the best part about them? They never make me feel like a whale!