This month, Platinum fashion expert Gail offers a helping hand when it comes to shopping for swimwear.
WORDS: GAIL ROLFE. IMAGES: VARIOUS BRANDS.
If there is one thing that terrifies me in the style stakes, it is the buying of swimwear. Finding the right pair of jeans may be a tiresome and lengthy process, but nothing compares to the daunting experience of selecting a bikini or one-piece swimsuit.
The best quote ever about life and swimwear came from writer, journalist and filmmaker Nora Ephron: ‘Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was 26.
If anyone young is reading this, go, right this minute, put on a bikini, and don’t take it off until you’re 34.’
If she was writing this hilarious gem now, I believe that she would alter the age to at least 50-plus.
So whether or not you have a body like Elle Macpherson or any other 90s supermodel, you can embrace your shape with swimwear to suit.
This is what I have learned about shopping for swimwear over the years. The best time of year to try on swimwear is almost as soon as you return from a holiday. With a gently sun-kissed tan, real or fake, this is the ultimate time to strike. Thankfully, many companies now stock swimwear, beachwear and holiday clothes all year round, making this purchase so much easier. You can shop online, which grants you peace and solitude to try all the chosen goodies at leisure at home – which many prefer. But it does mean there may be several attempts and returned parcels before you find the right size, flattering shape and suitable colour. The alternative is to venture into a bricks and mortar store. If you have a fabulous local boutique and helpful knowledgeable staff, this can be the best way to shop. Specialist stores that are dedicated to selling swimwear and underwear, or department stores that have a capacious section, will suit many. Always pick a quiet day, not a busy Saturday, allow plenty of time, and wear sleek, flesh-coloured underwear that allows you to truly see what the swimsuit or bikini will look like on the beach.
While the shapes and silhouettes of swimwear have not changed dramatically over the last four decades, the increased availability of a vast selection of sizes has been revolutionary, as has the introduction of modest swimwear and swimwear for women who have had a mastectomy. There is no doubt that these options have helped to make our holiday life so much easier. Now, our only decision is which shape and silhouette is
