I’m seriously considering purchasing a burqini, specifically the one in the link for fat ladies. I’m not Muslim, but I am very fair skinned and have already (at 38) had several cancer areas removed. I can’t do anything about past skin damage, but I want to prevent as much more as possible. To that end, I spend very little time outdoors now. Next year our pool at our subdivision will be done and I’d like to be able to enjoy it.
The burqini is made to be worn in the water, dries quickly, and has 50+ UV protection in the fabric. I am uncomfortable in regular swimsuits anyway because of my size. I want to get some opinions on what you guys would think if you saw a white woman at the pool wearing one before I make the investment. They aren’t cheap. I’m not going to make a poll because I always forget some important variable. 
I’m in the US and haven’t seen them here, but I know there has been a stink about them in Europe. I’m also in the South, not generally regarded as a hotbed of tolerance, but I live in a very culturally diverse area. I’m thinking that in my own neighborhood, I probably won’t catch much flak, but if I go to the beach or travel I might get some comments. Would it be wrong of me to wear one if I’m not Muslim? Would you automatically assume I am if you saw me wearing one?
As a fair skinned red head and fat lady to boot (and skin cancer survivor), I maybe wouldn’t go quite that far, but something a bit more modest and protective than most swimsuits would be nice. I might could go for the top half of the burquini in more flamboyant colors / prints and my own broad brimmed hat.
Currently, I just settle for baby block that would protect for UV rays just this side of a nuclear holocost and a bright, fat lady, skirted suit and big hat.
I should also note that I detest slathering on sunscreen. When I am going to be outdoors for more than 15 consecutive minutes I use SPF Vampire, but it’s such a hassle to put it on, make sure it’s everywhere needed and I didn’t miss a spot, and wait for it to soak in, plus I don’t like the smell.
Wow. You are seriously considering this? If I saw you at the pool I would think that you were a Muslim, definitely. That wouldn’t be a negative, but it does seem very drastic. What about a modest regular bathing suit and a hat?
Ignore them, I like it. With skin cancer already in your history you can not be too careful.
If people dislike it, it is their problem not yours. If they get snarky to your face, tell them that you don’t want any MORE skin cancer, and if they have a problem, they can sod off.
Do what you have to do to enjoy life and screw detractors.
Since you’re already looking at Australian sites, you might be interested in another link to a wider variety of styles.
More covered up swimsuits are becoming more and more common round here - especially for kids. We take our skin cancer seriously out here near the ozone hole.
Sorry, but I think that will draw attention, which you may well not want if you are feeling self-conscious about your weight.
I’m a freckled blonde who lives in Australia, and I wear a long sleeved rash shirt like this over a tankini and boy leg shorts, and never get burned. You could even go for a pair of board shorts if you are looking for more coverage still. I notice this site offers loose fit rashies which look more like T shirts while still offering the SPF protection, which could be something to look for.
I’d assume you were trying to cover stretchmarks/scars that would be exposed by normal suits if I saw you wearing one - but that probably says more about my mindset 
The skirt bit bothers me, it looks like it could interfere with swimming, or float up and get tangled round your waist and arms. The ones linked to above on the Australian site seem more streamlined and also leave the hair exposed, which just looks like it would be more comfortable!
Basically, go for it, and good luck!
I think it’s a great idea. But instead of the head scarf I would use a big sunhat.
Are you going to wear the headgear, too?
If I saw you in it, I’d think you were Muslim, or maybe conservative Christian.
Yeah, I would probably figure you had religious restrictions about modesty, but who cares what I think. I too burn easily, and I have a lovely case of rosacea from sun damage. I have an ivory-skinned redhead daughter and I pretty much dip her in a vat of sunscreen whenever we swim.
At the very least you could get board shorts and a long-sleeved rash guard. There are a lot of modest swimsuits out there and why shouldn’t you wear a burqini if you want.
I wouldn’t assume you were Muslim if you were wearing a burqini, particularly if you wore it without the hood, but unfortunately I think you’d have to count on somebody jumping to that conclusion on a public beach and, unfortunately, the way these things work that would probably be the somebody who would be upset about it.
The long-sleeved/long-legged rash guard suits, on the other hand, would probably draw less attention. It appears they’re cheaper, too, for what it’s worth.
-I think it looks goofy
-I don’t understand why you would care if people think it looks goofy if it suits your needs.
The burqini sounds like a better choice than the Stingray suits because of the additional ease built into the top. I appreciate that they show the plus-size suits on an actual plus-size woman.
When you’re not actually in the water, you’ll get better sun protection from a broad-brimmed hat than from the hood.
I agree with **aruvqan **regarding looks or comments. Personally, if I saw someone wearing one with the hood down and a hat on, I’d assume that she was going for maximum sun protection.
I strongly doubt that Muslims would be offended by your wearing a burqini.
Yeah, Monkey, I think the stuff in the other links looks a lot better than your original proposal: more comfortable, less attention-grabbing, more color choices. I think the hood headcovering in the OP burqini link, in particular, is the worst feature of that option. A nice hat would be a much prettier (and probably more comfortable) option.
That said … if you’re worried about racist idiots, then I’d venture a guess that your fair skin and red hair and non-Arabic speech patterns mark you in their primitive brains as not being one of “them” so you might at the very least attract less negative racist-idiot attention than if you had dark hair and olive skin. Just a guess, based on the racist-idiot populations around where I come from.
I quite like it; I don’t think it’s a problem if people assume you’re Muslim (who cares?) and I’m in favour of full-body swimsuits becoming a more mainstream option for people generally.
As a fair-skinned, blue-eyed woman who’s had a mole with precancerous changes removed, I’d say instead of something that expensive and… expansive, go for a more typical cover-up swimsuit or something like the Stingray products, and get the huge SPF spray-on sunscreen for everything except your face, then apply sunscreen lotion to the face. The spray-on stuff only needs to sit for a short time, and there are types that aren’t sticky or whatever after drying. Neutrogena makes some nice versions, like this one that’s water-resistant. (It says “waterproof” but of course that just means it lasts longer in water than stuff that isn’t labeled that way.)
Oh, and I’d assume you were Muslim, FWIW.
If you really don’t care what you look like when you go out in public, I’d suggest wearing a clown suit. The big red nose, the thick white makeup, and the big puffy wig will offer you a great deal of sun protection. Full-length sleeves and pants, big red floppy shoes, and voila, you are protected from the sun. If anybody laughs at you, fuck 'em- it’s all about preventing skin cancer, tell them.
I appreciate the links guys! I would most likely ditch the head covering for a big floppy hat anyways except when swimming. The scalp is probably the most overlooked area for cancers because people assume it’s protected by hair. I’ll definitely take a look at the products geared for surfers. Since I don’t surf, it never occurred to me to look at that stuff! I guess I assumed that they didn’t make things in plus sizes since I’ve never seen a plus sized surfer girl. 