In the near two years that we've been servicing Honolulu locals and tourists, our bikini staff have encountered some crazy scenarios. So, we wanted to give a little insight into some of our client interactions. 

Disclaimer: these are all generalizations of real events, and in certain cases, the incidents, characters and timelines may be altered for dramatic purposes. Certain characters may be composites or entirely fictitious.

We Don't Know What You're Talking About

What we mean by this is we have no idea what squishiness, "fat" or area that you don't like is being further exaggerated by a bikini top or bikini bottom. Women are SO critical of themselves. Honestly, it's really sad when you think of how negative women are when it comes to their bodies. 

"I had a customer once leave without purchasing any swimwear because she felt it was emphasizing her 'pooch' when she was literally so skinny and had, like, no fat on her. I kept telling her that I really had no idea what 'pooch' she was talking about since she was so lean!"

Please, Let Us Help You

At Born of the Water, we really do want to help our clients! We know that encounters at other establishments can leave people on the defense, since they were hounded by employees as soon as they step foot in the shop. Our store has such a huge selection of swimsuits, so we just want to make the process less overwhelming for our clients. We want to get you into the bikini of your dreams, but we aren't going to force you to find it with us; we just want you to have an enjoyable experience.

"I can't even tell you how many times in a shift that I just open my mouth to greet someone and they immediately cut me off with 'I'M JUST LOOKING.' Like geez, all I was saying was 'hello.'"

Do Not Do This

For the love of all bikinis, please don't try to return something you already wore. Our sales policy at Born of the Water is printed at the bottom of every receipt and even repeated to customers at the end of their purchase, because we've had people try to return swimsuits that were already used.

"You would think people would understand that swimsuits are like panties or bras, and it's kind of gross to return it. When our clients come back wanting to return stuff, they get really upset that we don't allow. I think customers get spoiled by lenient policies of big corporate companies. When I worked at another store (a huge corporate company), I once had a customer come in with a plastic bag and an entire swimsuit that was wet, she probably just came from the pool or beach, and the policy allowed her items to be returned as long as she had the receipt."

Therapy Sessions

We totally get the need for retail therapy. Swimsuit shopping is the more common Hawaii version of retail therapy (sorry, more like an addiction so many of us suffer from, but whatevs). Hey, we all go through tough times and most of us totally don't mind if you need to vent. But please try not to cry on us, because it gives us anxiety!

"There was a client I had who was going through a rough time with her best friend. I don't really remember the details but she started to cry in the fitting room, and of course I didn't want her to cry so I rushed in but felt awkward because I didn't know what to do since I didn't know her. So I just softly pat her back, and then she started crying more and I asked if she wanted a hug and she nodded 'yes,' so I just hugged her for like 3 minutes while she cried it out. I don't know if that's technically okay for me to do that, but I wasn't just going to let her cry."

Sizing Recommendations

If we offer to get you another size, that's our polite way of saying that the swimwear isn't fitting you properly. And no, it's not because it's too small, it's usually too big! When clients want their space to look for their own bikinis, they often choose sizes that are way larger than their actual size. Bikini shopping can be tricky, since sizing varies between different brands, and bikinis are way different than clothes. Bikinis need to fit SNUG, so they don't fall off when they get wet.

"I had such a cute older lady come in looking for a conservative swimsuit set. She insisted she was a large, when she was more like a small, but I put the large items in a fitting room and asked her to let me know when she had it on. We both started laughing when I checked on her because the surf pants were literally falling off of her and the swim top was super loose, so she finally said she would try the small and it fit perfectly."

We love all of our fellow bikini lovers we've encountered over the last few years and we hope to see you soon, xoxo