Fit for a swim
Buying a swimsuit is an annual trauma for most women, bringing out anxieties about fat legs, scrawny bosoms and unpleasantly dimpled cellulite. To make matters worse, anyone going on holiday in August who has not already bought their costume usually finds that the shops are full of sale stock, picked over and grey-looking. All that is left is a motley selection of gaudy floral prints with reinforced corset wadding.
But now, at last, the manufacturers have realized that many women do not plan their holiday wardrobe three months in advance of departure and many reproducing brand new collections for high summer.
Unlike Californians or Brazilians, for whom a swimsuit is as vital a part of their wardrobe as a raincoat, is for us, British women are unused to buying swimwear and are nervous about it. To help us overcome our worries, Continental and British designers have taken a practical approach this year. Many of the best collections pretend not to be swimming costumes at all. They are primarily "bodies'', garments that can be worn as slim line tops under skirts or trousers. And with the development of stretch fibers, more elaborate textures and glossy finishes make for glamorous poolside garb.
Surprisingly, Britain has produced some very talented designers in the field. Liza Bruce's swimwear is expensive but her elegant Grecian lines and metallic colors are as appropriate with a skirt for the evening as they are splashing around in the water. Chrissie Walsh's suits with their geometric lines and strong color blocks are also fashion items rather than simply sporting gear.
More widely available than the designer swimsuits are labels such as Slix, which leads the field among companies that constantly update their styles and are stocked by big department stores. Their high summer range includes a selection of suits in muted berry colors that are flattering to pale skins.
Since the modern trend is for simple swimwear, costumes which are inspired by competitive suits are among the most popular. And as we become more aware of the dangers of unprotected sunbathing, the demand for minimal bikinis is on the wane. Athletic lines look great on bodies that get lots of exercise but are also forgiving to those who only think of what they look like half-naked one week before they go away.
While simple suits can be more competitively priced than elaborate ones, they are not always a bargain. Designers such as Norma Kamali and Gideon Oberon are fashionable names in the swimwear market whose streamlined shapes in luxurious satiny or matt fabrics command a high price. Theirs are for the serious poolside posers only.
But now, at last, the manufacturers have realized that many women do not plan their holiday wardrobe three months in advance of departure and many reproducing brand new collections for high summer.
Unlike Californians or Brazilians, for whom a swimsuit is as vital a part of their wardrobe as a raincoat, is for us, British women are unused to buying swimwear and are nervous about it. To help us overcome our worries, Continental and British designers have taken a practical approach this year. Many of the best collections pretend not to be swimming costumes at all. They are primarily "bodies'', garments that can be worn as slim line tops under skirts or trousers. And with the development of stretch fibers, more elaborate textures and glossy finishes make for glamorous poolside garb.
Surprisingly, Britain has produced some very talented designers in the field. Liza Bruce's swimwear is expensive but her elegant Grecian lines and metallic colors are as appropriate with a skirt for the evening as they are splashing around in the water. Chrissie Walsh's suits with their geometric lines and strong color blocks are also fashion items rather than simply sporting gear.
More widely available than the designer swimsuits are labels such as Slix, which leads the field among companies that constantly update their styles and are stocked by big department stores. Their high summer range includes a selection of suits in muted berry colors that are flattering to pale skins.
Since the modern trend is for simple swimwear, costumes which are inspired by competitive suits are among the most popular. And as we become more aware of the dangers of unprotected sunbathing, the demand for minimal bikinis is on the wane. Athletic lines look great on bodies that get lots of exercise but are also forgiving to those who only think of what they look like half-naked one week before they go away.
While simple suits can be more competitively priced than elaborate ones, they are not always a bargain. Designers such as Norma Kamali and Gideon Oberon are fashionable names in the swimwear market whose streamlined shapes in luxurious satiny or matt fabrics command a high price. Theirs are for the serious poolside posers only.
