It started with a pool party.
My daughter needed a swimsuit, which should have been a quick errand.
It was not.
We started in the girls’ section. The suits were cute… just not for where she was anymore. A lot of them felt flimsy, didn’t offer much support, or looked like they were made for a completely different phase of childhood.
So we tried the women’s section.
Also no.
Because the answer should not be: “Here’s a string bikini, and if you’re uncomfortable, just throw a giant T-shirt over it.”
Absolutely not.
I kept thinking, how is there not a better option for this exact girl?
The girl who is growing fast, moving constantly, and still wants to swim, have chicken fights, laugh with her friends, chase waves, and feel like herself in the water.
She did not need to be covered up like a problem.
She did not need to be pushed into styles that were not made for her.
She needed swimwear that actually understood the moment she was in.
I was not the only parent losing my mind with their tween between the swimsuit aisle and the changing rooms that day. A father was patiently struggling alongside me with his tween daughter.
Turns out, a lot of families were having some version of this frustrating shopping trip.
The more I talked to moms, the more I heard the same thing: girls were either settling for suits that did not feel right, sizing into options that were never designed for them, or covering up because nothing else made sense.
That hit me hard.
Because I know that feeling.
I have spent too many pool parties, boat days, beach trips, and water-anything moments thinking about the swimsuit instead of the day. I know what it feels like to dread the invite because it comes with a dress code your confidence did not sign off on.
And I do not want that for the next wave of girls.
I want them moving early. Choosing the pool. Saying yes to the lake. Running toward the water instead of calculating what they can cover up with. I want being active to feel normal, not like something they have to work up the nerve to do.
So I started building what I couldn’t find: swimwear that felt fun enough for her, supportive enough for me, and practical enough for actual water days.
The inside of every suit says:
“Confidence is a muscle. Flex it.”
And that line comes before the size on purpose.
Because the size is not the headline.
The girl wearing it is.
If it fits, own it.
That is the whole point.
A swimsuit should never be the reason she misses the party, skips the swim, or stands on the edge pretending she does not want to jump in.
It should give her what she needs, then get out of the way.
That is what NextWave is here for.
Because if she’s in the water, she belongs there.
The water is hers.