DD 7 still has not worn a two piece.
my 2.5yo wears a two piece to swimming lessons and the beach.

it's a longsleeve rashie top and a pair of knee shorts made out of the same fabric. she's so fair skinned, so it's all about sun protection to me. Also, i think of making it easier for her to go the toilet, whilst wearing her "swimmers".

bright bots sell longer swim shorts at the anti skin council shop in my city, i can't afford their rash tops, but the shorts are ok. the swim shorts i see in the "usual shops" are VERY short and don't cover much.

I agree with you Maz, about the gender stereotyping of toys. i think many toys (think the recent toy catalogues) are absolutely divided, there are pages of GIRL toys, painted hot pink, pages of BOY toys, painted with skulls, camoflage, pirates etc. such obvious delineation by the toy marketers. the branding, the franchising, is so limiting, not just to genders, but also to age groups.

e.g kids who when they feel "that's for babies", will demand an entirely new toy, bedroom linen etc, JUST because whatever it is, has a particular image plastered all over it.

it seems expensive to me, to buy new bed linen etc, every time a child grows out of a phase, when that bed linen, matching curtains, etc might still have life in it. i cannot afford to do that, so have bought neutral stuff.

e.g i aim to buy a totally plain, wooden dollhouse for bilby's 3rd birthday. Not a totally painted, decorated, pink dollhouse from the toy catalogue. i want to give her somethign "open ended" so SHE can decide how to decorate it and use it different ways, each time she plays with it.

the wooden, cloth, metal toys websites hold much more interest for me now, than the toysrus, target, kmart etc catalogues. That way i can avoid the sexualised toys and get less but better quality toys.

i have a Steiner doll and two organic cotton cloth dolls for bilby, they are easier for her little hands to hold and play with and no plastic fumes. (the lino all through the unit, i am sure gives us plenty of plastic fumes already).

i think, that due to our isolation (only one relative, who gives bilby shoes for her birthday, nothing for xmas), i don't have to deal with others giving bilby stuff i don't want her having e.g sexualised dolls. So i get off lightly there.

we don't have teh saturday morning music clips on anymore, but it does cross my mind, while watching So You THink you can dance, and Dancing with the stars, the sexualisation thing. The emphasis the judges place on sex in dancing competitions and also in how a song is performed e.g Idol.

PS i have seen bralettes in size 3 at the "usual shops"!!!

i agree with Maz, do some shopping AWAY from the "usual shops" (when you can).