"Does this silicone make me look fat?" - A Legit Question

[Mermaid Syrena]

So the body and fluke of my Finfolk tail have been cast already, which is awesome!!! But at the same time, I'm worried that I've been eating a leetle bit more recently than I was when I got measured for my tail. Should I be worried? Does it matter a great deal if, say, my waistline moved up an inch, or if I wear my tail when I'm feeling bloated? ... Will the silicone waist give me a muffin top- and if so, how to avoid it?

(I might not actually have gained weight, but I have IBS so bloating, especially in the eveningtimes, is a real problem I've had to grapple with.)

[MerEmma]

It depends on how high it comes up. Raina has hers way up high due to some health issues she has regarding bloating and since it comes up so high, she doesn't have to be self conscious or worry about it.

I'd say though that if you have measured for below the bellybutton, it would give you a bit of a muffin top. Just a guess, though but as it's tight silicone to grip your skin it probably will. :c

[PearlieMae]

Seriously? Methinks you've been paying attention to haters on yahoo! I doubt an inch is going to matter, and if you think you can muster a muffin top, I may have to reach through the interwebs and smack you!

[Mermaid Myu]

Silicone stretches to many times its original size, but it's pretty firm, so if you have a low-cut tail it might give you a muffin top. You won't have to worry about being able to wear it, though - that shouldn't be a problem if your measurements have only changed by an inch or so! If you're self-conscious about potentially having a muffin top, you could try wearing a beautiful mermaid belt? A lot of mers in here have gorgeous belts that are made of fishing net, beads and shells, which not only help to hide your waist, but they also prevent the tail from gaping at the waist while you swim and they look amazing to boot.

[Mermaid Syrena]

MerEmma- They asked me to measure around the smallest part of my waist, which is above my belly button. I suppose it should be fine then, should it? Also, I've looked at the pictures of people in Finfolk tails and the tails all seem to come up to above the belly button. Hopefully that's the case...
PearlieMae- If I moan a bit more will you COME OVER HERE and give me said slap, ... and then we can go and have a swim together? Seriously though, all haters aside, I've been eating more lol. The week I took my measurements, I freaked out a bit and started eating really healthy with protein shakes. Which is good in theory, but now that I've lapsed a little, I'm all "uh oh", lol.
Myu- Tails aren't usually low-cut, are they? *worries* I should ask Finfolk, and I probably will, but I know they're busy with weekend commitments now so I'll have to wait till Monday. But yes, I do have a mermaid belt! I just hope it does the trick! IBS bloating is reaaaally no joke, lol. *half laughs, half criz*

[Mermaid Myu]

Deffo ask Finfolk, from most of their tails I've seen they seem to end a few inches below the natural waist, where an average pair of jeans would probably hit you (assuming you don't wear super high- or low-waisted jeans, hahah).

[Merman Arion]

Honestly, i think you are worrying over nothing. You are fine and beautiful.

I agree with PearlieMae, you are paying unconsciously attention to the haters comments. Please don't.

[Mermaid Syrena]

Myu- It does actually seem to vary a lot. I just took a quick scroll through their pictures- in some of them, the tail sits way below the belly button. In others, it looks almost like Raina's. I've sent off a PM to ask them, hopefully I get a favourable reply soon. Thanks for finding that video! *sits there dreamily anyway and watches the tails, lol...*

Merman Arion- My family was reading the article today over dinner and my cousin (girl) said you're hot! And I was like "... I know right. " Maaaaybe you're right, and I've been subconsciously taking in the comments. I hope not, because I'm a fighter, and I don't want to be influenced by shizz like that. At the same time, maybe I should just make a more conscious effort to eat as healthily as I was when I took the measurements. Starting... hm... after the weekend. :P

[PearlieMae]

Once you get that tail, don't you think that EVEN IF YOU HAVE A PINCH OF MUFFIN TOP, that you aren't going to lose it in a week from SWIMMING IN THAT AWESOME TAIL? Duh!

I have an excuse, The Beau loves my tum!

[Merman Arion]

Merman Arion- My family was reading the article today over dinner and my cousin (girl) said you're hot! And I was like "... I know right. "

[Marie-Josie Cayer]

If you ever have to encounter this muffin top appearing with tail on, did you ever considered having a tankini to hide it for casual swimming? Good idea?

[Mermaid Syrena]

Merman Arion - How I Met Your Mother gifs... you know the way to my heart...
PearlieMae- You and your beau make SUCH an awesome couple! Geeez you two hotrods! Yah when I get my tail I'll be so tempted to skip class the whole week and just swim all day, lol. We'll see! I'm hoping a teatox, some light exercise, and better eating will help. Love you, thanks for being so great always ;*
Marie-Josie: That's a cute idea! I prefer bra tops, though. When I'm actually swimming, I have no muffin top. It's just the stationary posing that is a bother. Ah well. I guess I'll wait for FF's reply, and update here. You all ROCK.

[Marie-Josie Cayer]

Thank you for your reply Mermaid Syrena. I am next in line for a Finfolk silicone mermaid tail. Production will start on last week of September. Tired of waiting after Fish Butts for a partial silicone tail. Thanks!

[Mermaid Syrena]

Marie-Josie: That's so exciting! What colours/fluke shape will yours be?

[AniaR]

My weight has gone up and down drastically in the lifetime of my tail. When I am thinner, the tail gets baggy. When I am heavier, it stretches but it also starts to pull apart at whatever spot ends up stretching the most. (so for me that's the top of the waist) and it's easier to damage putting it on. So yeah, silicone will stretch within reason but I think the community has a false sense of how far it'll stretch. Also the mermaid creations tail I have- you may notice I never wear it and others do instead. Jesse made it from my measurements a few years ago when I was at my lightest. I've never gotten back there. I've worn the tail twice because it's so tight even though it stretches, it actually hurts my legs to wear it.

I'm not saying anything to scare you, I honestly think you'll be fine our bodies change, just be extra careful when you put the tail on. I just feel everyone always has their two cents but maybe they haven't all actually experienced it

[Mermaid Myu]

It's good to hear that from a position of experience, Raina! Sorry if this is intrusive, but do you mind if I ask how much your measurements deviated from when you commissioned your tail? Syrena is suggesting that she has only gained 1 inch or less to her various measurements; do you think that will compromise the fit or structural integrity of her tail?

[AniaR]

I went up and down 2-3 over the course of the life of my tail I think 1 inch would be fine

[Mermaid Syrena]

AniaR- Yeah. Tails can be a good incentive to keep in shape, but the problem, really, is staying close to the same shape you were in when you made your measurements! You look fab, though, in yours. Your waistband might come up high, but your arms look super slim and pretty, so everything kinda falls into place and looks good.

[Marie-Josie Cayer]

[Marie-Josie: That's so exciting! What colours/fluke shape will yours be?] I haven`t decided yet seriously what fluke to take. Most likely bent on betta fish model with slight modifications. Colours will revolve around purple, pink, black and silver highlights. Yet I may change idea since Finfolk ladies offered a choice of colour templates to look up to. How about your tail? How is it coming Mermaid Syrena?

[Theobromine]

Haha Syrena, this is why I waited until the Last Possible Second to give them my measurements :P At the time I was doing a weight loss challenge with some coworkers and I was losing a fair amount of weight. They actually made my tail really tight (at my request) because of that. And then of course I stopped losing weight....because the universe.

So anyway, yeah, if you look at the very first pictures I got of myself in my tail I have a definite muffin top. I usually have to stretch myself out to keep from having rolls....but this is a normal thing for me anyway (not knocking on myself, just saying I'm a bit curvy and there are unavoidable rolls whenever I sit down). However, it looks perfect when I am swimming, and the high/tight waist keeps the tail RIGHT where you put it and it doesn't gap at the waist when I swim, which was one of my biggest concerns. And that's actually the specific reason why Finfolk generally make the waists come up higher than some others. But I say talk to them about it if you have a concern. My biggest issue with it is just the fact that the waist of the tail is so small compared to my hips and bum that it's really hard to put on. Once it's on, though, it fits absolutely perfectly.

Oh, and the other thing is, I did end up trimming three scales off the front of the waist, just to bring it a tiny bit lower, which helps with the aforementioned issues. With a really high waist, you can always trim it down a bit (carefully!!) if you find that you need to after a few swims.