Women are used to paying dearly for their clothes. However, to my surprise, I recently went in search of  my first ever wetsuit, it was a mere $69.00.

In comparison my current two one piece swimsuits, cost almost $300 and the other, a near bargain price of $100. 

Given the prices of my two swimsuits, in comparison to my new wetsuit, I am feeling very much exploited simply because of my gender and body shape. Why are womens' clothes so expensive?

Do women become sex objects when they don a "bathing costume"?
For as long as bare flesh is associated with sex appeal and swim-wear is seen as a fashion item, to barely cover it, rather than merely practical sports wear, it seems women will continue to be exploited by "the fashion industry", when it comes to our "bathers"!

I wanted a wet suit to protect me against the cold water in our southern climate. I wanted a wetsuit to protect myself from sun exposure and avoid using more sunscreen than absolutely necessary. I wanted a wet suit, because I hate getting out on the beach in a flimsy, revealing costume, when I prefer to be covered up.

I wanted a wet suit, because I want to go snorkelling in the Galapagos Islands, with sea lions.

I wanted a wetsuit so I can go swimming in our local heated pool!

Yes; my ideal of perfect swimming conditions is in hot springs or warm tropical waters. Anything below 25 degrees celsius is my idea of "water torture". That includes the local so called "heated pool"!

Memories of cramping in Dove Lake at the end of my very first day of hiking Tasmania's famous Overland Track has left me even more wary of cold water. Luckily, it was shallow enough to put my feet to the ground, but the water, warm on the surface and ice cold just below, did cause my body to seize up with cramps. Potentially life threatening in deeper water.

To get back to my fabulous wetsuit, it looks way more flattering than the average women's swimsuit on me. Wetsuits squeeze in a mass of flab, much like the effect of an all over girdle, yet remain easy to move in. They actually feel great on, offering the comfort and practicality of trousers. A kind of second, insulating skin.

Strangely, I feel much sexier in my wetsuit, than I do in my very flattering but somewhat revealing and expensive favourite swimsuit. I feel free and able to move when wearing more, rather than less.

A wetsuit is classed as sportswear. Way more wetsuits are sold to men than women.Perhaps this is a good thing?

If more women wore them, the humble wetsuit would, no doubt, become a fashion item and sold at the same huge margins that the rest of "women's fashions" are subject to. On the other hand, stores have long realised most men are practical in their choice of dress and unwilling to pay extra, for status labels and "fashion items", or at least this was the case until very recently. Sadly, thesdays, many young men are beginning to be exploited in the name of fashion, to a similar extent as women!

My wetsuit is made of a heavy duty rubberised and insulated fabric that would take much skill to sew and likely, the materials it is made from cost way more than the metre or so of fabric that comprises my swimsuits. It is way bulkier  and heavier to pack and transport, than my two swimsuits combined, so must cost its manufacturers and point of sale store a whole lot more to get it to that retail point and move it out of the storeroom, onto "the floor".

Thankfully, my wetsuit is not a "fashion item". Like my beloved safari pants, it falls into the practical dress category of clothing. Only that can explain its comparative bargain price to my swimsuits.

It has but one possible negative. Though easy to get into, getting out is another matter altogether. I need help to manouvre one side down over my shoulder.Once that is done I can easily slide the rest of my wetsuit over my body. It peels off like a second skin. On the other hand, the standard womens' swimsuit sometimes comes off  at maximum times of inconvenience, floating away even before she gets out of the water.

Hopefully the person who helps slip my wetsuit down over one of my shoulders, will be tender, caring and maybe, even sexy!

Now that is my idea of practical dress  really working for women!

The worst things that happened to my travel companion and I during seven weeks abroad, were encounters with "Monsierre Bastard" in Paris, proprietor of a laundry facility, and Senour Tout de Taxi in Rome!

In both instances, it was a case of "let the buyer beware" and we can only blame ourselves for being well and truly ripped off!

In the laundry instance, we took our washing to a local laundry service, predominately a dry cleaners, but also with washing machine facilities. We asked for our washing to be done in the machine and specified that only two shirts be ironed.

We returned to collect our washing, to be aghast at the 120 Euros bill!

Yes, it was a per item charge and included ironing everything, immaculately, even our underwear. We did not have the language skills to argue, so forked out the ransom ansd wondered why our washing had not been gilded at the price.

Later, a block further down the street we found the laundromat the hotel had actually directed us to. Meanwhile we worked out we could have dined out several times, or purchased fifty rounds of pastisse and a beer for the same price!

Our second rip off encounter occured outside Roma Centale station. A taxi tout approached my travel companion and we ended up paying fifty, rather than the fifteen Euro going rate according to the Hotel proprietors, for a very short journey indeed!

The driver took off like a shot the minute he delivered our luggage to the hotel. We did not tip him, nor indeed, M Bastard of the Paris Laundry service.

Sadly, in the long toilet que at the Colusseum I met another young women who had suffered the same taxi tout rip off as her introduction to Rome. Neither of us gained a good first impressions of this wonderful city as a result.

Always use the official taxi que at the Rome station and anywhere else for that matter and ignore anyone who approaches you and offers to carry your luggage, lest you fall victim to the same scam!

Fortunately, I believe in karma!