The Times - UK (2022-06-08)

4 Wednesday June 8 2022 | the times

fashion

Top, £45,

bottoms, £40;

boden.co.uk

£120;

deakinandblue.com

A

dverts that try to sell

me a swimsuit: a size

6, 19-year-old

woman is frolicking

in the surf. Now

she’s stretched taut

on a surfboard.

Finally weary,

she’s reclining on a sun-

drenched rock, back arched.

Adverts that would

actually sell me a

swimsuit: a size 14,

fortysomething woman

is walking down a

treacherous rocky path to

a busy beach, carrying a

cool box, six towels, a tote

bag full of suncream and

crisps, a parasol and a raffia

basket with a book she hasn’t started

reading yet and probably won’t get to

today, and her arse is covered by her

swimsuit. Next, she is sitting cross-

legged on her towel, eating her picnic

lunch, fending off a hungry dog, and

her arse is still covered by her

swimsuit. Then she’s having a swim

and she’s tangled in seaweed, and a

little jellyfish has stung her ankle, but

her arse is still somehow, miraculously,

covered by her swimsuit and neither

of her boobs has popped out.

They’d sell millions. But, alas.

Instead we have the thong bikini,

beloved of the Kardashians and 90 per

cent of women under 25, judging by

the new series of Love Island that

started on Monday (not watching? You

surprise me). And for those who look

at a thong and think, “Frump-y! I’m

not a nun,” Gucci has reissued a

logoed G-string that Tom Ford

designed for the brand in 1997 as

a bikini: yours for £400.

A fortysomething

colleague decided to

hunt for tips for the

perfect summer

swimsuit (the Gucci

didn’t quite win her

over, fussy) on

Mumsnet. Yes, she found

bum coverage, but

everything looked “a bit like

Speedo, or just very naff”. What

if you’re not a hardcore swimmer nor

a lover of twee micro-florals?

First, bikinis. The hardest to find

with bum coverage and boob support.

Right: £95; deakin

andblue.com.

Below: top, £140,

bottoms, £90;

formandfold.com.

Left: Charlie

Gowans-Eglinton

The fashion editor Tona Stell

launched her brand, Tona the Label, to

bridge the gap between the style she

wanted and the size she needed. The

collection is small and sustainably

made; bikini tops come in bra sizes

32DD to 38FF, and the briefs in a

choice of high waisted or lower cut.

The underwired tops are double lined

with adjustable straps, so you get the

support you would from a bra. I have

the cream towelling Bella top and Lulu

bottoms (£75 and £50 respectively,

tonathelabel.com), and there is a

gingham check and a Seventies-

wallpaper floral.

High-waisted briefs give good

coverage for bum and tums. If you

want your legs to look longer, a higher

cut at the side will help, but there

will be a less generous amount of

fabric over the bum. For

something in between, Melissa

Odabash has a good range of

high-coverage briefs with a band

at the top that can be worn

folded down for tanning or pulled

up to create a high waist

(from £114, sold separately so you

can mix and match tops,

odabash.com). Toast’s Bibi bikini

(£85 top, £55 bottoms, toa.st) has

high-waisted briefs and a cross-

back top with removable soft cups

for medium support. Form and

Fold’s D+ range is photographed on

£140;

cossieandco.com

models of different ages and sizes,

which is invaluable — I love the

J Taylor underwired top and high-

waisted briefs in a graphic, collaged

print made of recycled nylon (£140

and £90 respectively,

formandfold.com).

Now to swimsuits. If you need only

light support in the bust, look for

swimsuits that are cut straight across

the back, or are low cut but have a

strap at bust line. Anything cut low at

the back offers minimal support, so

don’t bother if you want more.

Top, £75,

bottoms, £50;

tonathelabel.com

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The chic swimwear guide for

I know how hard

it is to find bikinis

to flatter your

curves, says Charlie

Gowans-Eglinton