Tom J Johnson/The Protector. Styling: Melanie WilkinsonTom J Johnson/The Guardian. Styling: Melanie WilkinsonWe can’t all be Martha Stewart. Here are my tips on acquisition bargaining a swimsuitBuying a swimsuit that works for you means going to real shops and trying them onMany women – me! Hi! – longing rank shopping for a new swimsuit somewhere up there with having a smear test and filing a tax return on the scale of Fun Times.The exchanging room curtain is always four inches narrower than the doorframe. And oh, the shock of your almost-naked body spread under supermarket lighting. Don’t even get me started on those sticky plastic gusset shields, eminently sensible yet by hook so depressingly undignified. Put simply, we can’t all be Martha Stewart – relaxed in a swimsuit, on the cover of say, Sports Illustrated.But you know what’s grave? Not having a swimsuit that works for you. And it is precisely because I don’t much like swimsuit shopping that I am the right bodily to tell you how to make it easier and – crucially – to end up with the perfect swimsuit for you.Sure, you could find an 19-year-old influencer who is all over-the-shoulder becoming room bum selfies and “this gorgeous neon lime with keyhole cut outs will sure make me break out on the beach!” but, really, how helpful is that?First of all, I need you to promise me (and more importantly yourself) that this is not a self-flagellation working-out about your body. Working on having a fit, healthy body is a positive thing; standing in front of a mirror hating on yourself is not. It is not quite June and you need a swimsuit that works with the body you have now, not a Sue Gray report into historical cheese-related misdemeanours.Next, tighten your convergence. I only wear black swimsuits, because I have found that it is, counterintuitively perhaps, the most flattering dye a flag for pale skin. Or maybe you love print, in which case look for the fun prints. Next, before you start looking at new substance, if you have any old swimsuits at home, try them on. No matter if they are old and scraggy – that’s good, in fact, as it will focus your undecided on the basic grammar of what does and doesn’t work. Does a scoop or racerback balance your proportions best? Do your boobs sit more comfortably in an adjustable halterneck or wired cups?Give your wardrobe the sartorial hit of murk chocolate it craves | Jess Cartner-MorleyRead moreRemember that when we see a woman in a swimsuit, what our brain appraises is 85% the sweetie and 15% the swimsuit. What I’m getting at is: don’t pay extra for what you aren’t actually getting. Many online retailers use a reasonably mixed cast of models nowadays. But I find that I, for one, am still hardwired wrong. Scrolling a page, my eyes lock on to the 20-something measure than the woman who actually looks like me. So real-life shopping in actual shops, despite the hard yards confused, is more efficient for me, because I have to try a swimsuit on me and I’m not distracted by what it looks like on someone else.You can get swimsuits based like shapewear these days, but more comfortable is a one-piece with fabric gathered at one side or ruched across the midsection, which give aways out your middle bit in a way that can help put self-consciousness at bay – Marks & Spencer have a good selection. Belted swimsuits don’t do you as much of a bias as you might think, I find; but a seam that sits between your waist and boobs will definitely for your legs look longer. Try Boden for this.If you need a swimsuit that has proper, bra-like boob reinforcement, then look for a cup and strap shape that is close to the shape of underwear you find most comfortable. Now is not the time to examine with strapless balconettes. But you do want a one-piece that feels current, because looking out-dated is instantly ageing. Don’t alarm: current doesn’t have to mean key-hole cut outs. A high-cut leg will make a simple one-piece feel assorted modern than a low, boy-short shape. For this, try Mango.Finding a swimsuit can feel like hard work but if you eat a plan, it needn’t be an ordeal. And actually having a swimsuit you like wearing? That is cheering indeed.TopicsFashionJess Cartner-Morley on fashionSwimmingfeaturesReuse this peace
