Today in Barrel Scraping: “Tuck Friendly” Bathing Suits
Conservatives are losing their shit over the sale of modestly cut women’s swimwear.
by Evan Urquhart
Right-wing media has gone well-beyond enraged, entering a sort of frothing, foaming state of hyper-outraged state over the Target Pride collection’s inclusion of bathing suits with a wider gusset. Yes, that’s right, it is obscene (in the minds of far-right extremists) to sell more modestly cut bathing suits with extra fabric in the groinal region. This cut of bathing suits, preferred by moms and Mormons, are NOT acceptable in this case, because they’re being marketed to trans women.
You can see this clearly in a video of the suit shared to Twitter by the Washington Examiner which describes a wider cut suit which covers more of the crotch area as “extremely disturbing.” In an article the Examiner also expresses concern that children might see women’s bathing suits that aren’t narrowly cut around the nether regions, because the modestly cut suits are so prominently displayed in front of the story.
screenshot from the Washington Examiner
The Examiner was far from the only conservative outlet with concerns that bathing suits might be cut with more fabric between a woman’s legs. Fox News claimed far-right customers are “creeped-out” by the idea of bathing suits with wider strips of fabric. Calls to boycott Target, along with violent threats, harassment, and vandalism have erupted.
Right-wing talk show host Megyn Kelly went so far as the bizarre claim that the Target suits featured “extra material around the crotch, which no woman needs.” This would surely come as a surprise to TikTok mom @PamelaWurstVetrini, who checked out one of suits at Target after hearing all the conservative “hubub.” She realized that the suit provided exactly the sort of modest crotch coverage she was looking for to “cover her hoo,” and contrasted it with other bathing suits she’d found which failed to give her enough fabric in that very area. @PamelaWurstVetrini’s video explains that she can also buy suits with this sort of cut from conservative Mormon websites, but she personally prefers shopping at a retailer that supports the LGBTQ+ community.
Experts we spoke to mentioned that, in addition to a somewhat wider crotch, underwear and bathing suits designed for trans women often have somewhat thicker fabric or shapewear in that nether area, for extra comfort and containment. The modesty of these garments really stands in contrast to most women’s swimsuits, which have tended in the direction of more and more exposure. They can also be contrasted with one traditionally male swimsuit, the speedo, whose design intentionally focuses attention on a penile bulge, but for all that is freely allowed in public swimming establishments throughout the country.