BIKINIS THAT WON’T LEAVE YOU ALL AT SEA

“SHOPPING FOR SWIMWEAR IS QUITE AN INTIMATE EXPERIENCE AND REQUIRES A PEP TALK”

IT’S A RARE WOMAN INDEED who is comfortable standing in a hot, sticky fitting room with a 360-degree reflection of herself in swimwear. My first expensive swimsuit was bought from a reputable high-street store and I still remember the whole disastrous experience. A sales assistant insisted on measuring me and then spent an afternoon helping me squeeze in and out of their ‘fuller bust’ range. I am a size DD bust and a size 8 waist. I hadn’t waxed, I had sweaty underarms and I was extremely uncomfortable with my wobbly thighs on show. I recall buying a few hideous patterned one-pieces out of sheer desperation. Scarred, I retreated online until I had an adequate amount of selfesteem to face a fitting room again.

Shopping for swimwear is quite an intimate experience and it requires a good pep talk to yourself before you strip bare. Personally, I find a few tips helpful before I hit the high street and one that works for me is to avoid sales assistants. The one-on-one, hand-you-sizes-overthe-door kind of help feels a little intrusive – I would rather do it myself. Another is preparation. Get a wax before you surrender to sculpted Lycra and give your arms, legs and tummy a good lathering of tinted moisturiser. I have inherited my mother’s pale west of Ireland skin and a good coating of Dove makes me look less see-through and somewhat human under harsh lighting. It’s also more likely to get me out of classic black and experiment with more more colourful, mood-enchancing shades.

Now for the logistics. I have a bigger than average bust and have learned the hard way that anything above a D cup requires investment. That doesn’t mean you need to throw money at luxurious brands but generally frilly triangle bikinis from Topshop aren’t going to cut it. I have made peace with the fact that bandeau and spaghetti-string bikinis will never do anything for me. Thicker straps and moulded cups, on the other hand, tend to work on more mature bikini styles so I generally feel more comfortable in a swimsuit.

Recently I’ve fallen in love with Araks (araks.com) for its strong, streamlined silhouettes and bold colours. The one-pieces are transformative and feel like someone is giving you a supportive hug no matter how much you move around in them. Other brands worth checking out if you want support combined with style is I Am Zazie, by Irish designer Lyndel Dowd. Her contour coconut and espressocoloured one-pieces are complete game-changers and suit both pale and sallow skin. Bower (bowercollection.om) – founded by a couple who launched luxury swimwear with an ethical and sustainable slant – is worth investing in and I also appreciate Figleaves, Next and Debenhams on the high street.