Put the sunshine back into shopping for the perfect bikini
UNLESS YOU HAVE A perfectly-toned, proportioned body that gleams under the bright lights of a cramped sweaty changing room, you’ll have a hard time shopping for swimwear. Fitting rooms are not forgiving and become a 360-degree reminder of all the empty promises you made to yourself to get in shape.
I’m a 32E on top and a size 8 on my bottom so, for me, they’re a special kind of hell. I straddle between plus-size ranges for my bust and petite ranges for briefs. Unless I can sneakily switch sizes on little plastic hangers – I’ll never have the courage – or pay for two of everything, I’m left with a very limited selection. It doesn’t help that I’m a fashion magpie – impractical and impulsive, I want to wear the brightest colours and the loudest prints.
Pre-holiday we tend to be particularly unkind to ourselves. Not only do I think my body should like work like a vacuum and hoover excess fat up, but I also have unrealistic expectations. What typically gets me through grey days pre-sunshine are my fairy-tale imaginings, visualising myself slim and sun-kissed on a beach sipping cocktails, forgetting the fact that it’s April here and my body is still adapting to spring.
Yet more frightening than getting back into your bikini is shopping for one. Personally I find shopping online better because it’s less emotional – I’m generally a much calmer, less clammy mess trying stuff on at home. I feel more comfortable and think much more rationally. Once you do some research, you’ll get a good idea of the brands that work for your shape. Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Brown Thomas and Next cater for bigger busts and curvier shapes. For smaller, more petite frames, ASOS, Topshop and Penneys are always a winner.
Support is crucial. You need good straps that are thick enough and if you’re bigger on top, some shape-shift engineering. I’ve been obsessing over the super-slimming range at Marks & Spencer. It’s soft and stretchy but in a rigid, no-nonsense sort of way which means you don’t have to spend your days at the beach lifting up and tucking in. The material is also plush and velvety and dries in a few minutes.
Invest in a good, luxury cover-up – a kaftan, a sarong or both – in a loud colourful print. Monsoon and Asos have wonderful selections. Equally wise to pack is a good, statement hat to dress up your beach wear while keeping the sun off your face. Good footwear is another must – they don’t have to be flip-flops, just something that’s relatively pain-free to slide on and off at the beach.
The biggest thing to remember, of course, is that once you find yourself poolside with a glass in hand and a rosy, sun-kissed glow on your skin, all the niggling worries will have already melted away.
I find shopping for bikinis better online because it’s less emotional