IN PRAISE OF THE BASIC BIKINI

IF PICTURES OF Jennifer Aniston, 49, relaxing poolside in Portofino last week gave you a sense of déjà vu, you’re not the only one. The swimwear she wore – a simple string bikini – has been a mainstay of her holidays for the past decade. Sure, she’s mixed up the colours over the years (this time it was blue), but the style has essentially stayed the same.

Of course, Jen has always been a notably ‘safe’ dresser – denim and tees for day, lots of black for night – so her commitment to a single swimwear style isn’t that surprising. But it is savvy.

Propelled by social media, we live in the era of status swimwear; of £500 swimming costumes and waiting-list bikinis. Call it the Love Island effect, but show-off swimwear is booming. Disco metallics, curious cut-outs, emergency-waxingrequired styles have been easier to find this summer than a classic black maillot. All of them laden with our projections that this will make our holiday special.

But with her unapologetically plain bikinis, notable for their absence of large logos or lairy prints, Jen is opting out of the swimwear circus. In doing so, she reminds us that simple, throw-on-andgo styles will always look infinitely cooler. It goes without saying that the basic bikini is more effortless than its ostentatious counterparts, but it’s also more flattering – awkard cut-outs, for instance, aren’t just a tanning nightmare, but also hardly suit anyone. Jen is the holiday poster girl for going back to basics.

Indeed, if there is one time of year when you can check out and strip back ( literally), surely it’s now. Yes, holiday season can induce unjustified panic in even the most self-assured woman, but there is something liberating about opting out of trends and choosing something that works for you; whether that’s a simple swimsuit or a bells-and-whistles bikini, is beside the point.

Jen sticks to what she knows and loves. Her basic bikini is symbolic of innate confidence –and perhaps that’s why she looks so great. Because, as everyone knows, the best beach body is a confident one.