Summer Style: Swimwear, Swimwear, Swimwear...Oi! Oi! Oi!
17 December 2007
Togs are an amazing piece of fashion ingenuity. They have become a symbol of summer itself and usually the first and most critical piece of our summer ensemble. On one hand, a joyous occasion. "yippee...summer has arrived" and then, reality sets in..."Bugger! Now I have to find one that makes:
- me look like Halle Berry emerging from the waters of the Carribean looking like a sea goddess
- my husband's head snap around and realise that it's little old me he's looking at
- my butt look smaller, my bust bigger
- my bits stay contained, retaining my dignity as I lug stuff to the beach, set it up, play with the kids, getting dumped in the waves and jog along the beach (well...maybe not the jogging bit)"
A tall order for such a small piece of lycra don't you think? No wonder we expect BIG things from the smallest item in our summer wardrobe!
What I have come to learn is that we don't have that same high expectation when it comes to actually choosing the right cossie. Girls all over agonise about finding quality time to actually seek, try and buy their swimwear and are overwhelmed by the task of finding one that works well for them.
And what is it about going to your wardrobe, taking out last season's swimmers only to find they are saggy-baggy, faded and just wrong! Why aren't they built to last more than one season?
When we put our swimwear range together, we were very conscious of fit, style and quality. For us, it was clearly JETS. The girls put together a very cleaver range that is designed for real women who expect their togs to last longer than one season. What is also fantastic, is that they are Australian made and ooze style. An Aussie cossie for Aussie girls and the Aussie summer...woo hoo!!
Toni from Jets was our saviour. She took the time to explain the importance of fit and took us through how their bathers were designed for women. She helped us choose styles for different body shapes and has taught us much about swimwear – such a legend...thanks Toni.
Then the real test...we tried some for ourselves. The first thing that struck us was how well they fitted (when we chose what Toni had suggest for our figures which are quite different...Pip has great 'assets' and is conscious of her tummy, whist Anita sadly lacking in the 'assets' department and is quite petite).
Firm and secure as if they were helping to accentuate what we have and pull in what we didn't want to have, hanging out! The amazing thing is that they didn't make us look lumpy and chunky because there are 2 layers of fabric – the layer underneath holds and snugly fits whilst the outer layer gently sits on top but doesn't hug some how so it helps to create a very flattering line and shape...very smart...very stylish...very reassuring!
It's also this attention to fit and cut that ensures a quality product. You can actually feel the quality. It's very silky smooth and has a weight to it...not a flimsy affair that is guaranteed to turn saggy baggy by the end of the season.
Anita has the gold buckle top in lagoon partnered with a twist front pant (see her showing it off in the photo above) and Pip has the tankini.
An added bonus is that once you find your jets fit and size, you have it for life. The sizing is the same year after year. Bargain!
So here are our sizing tips and tricks to set you on your way this summer. They can be found in my Tips &Info and in My Holiday Girl column when you go into the Swimwear section.
- Print and ruching will help to conceal a tummy and a fuller figure.
- Tankinis (singlet top style) will give better coverage and the look of a two piece.
- Draw attention upwards to detract from a fuller hip area. Go for a well detailed top and darker colour bottoms.
- Smaller busts? Look for tops that have great centre detail like a buckle and removable bust pads.
- Larger busts? Go for halter tie styles with perhaps with underwire or a wider band for added support and to lift the bust.
- Celebrate your personality and style and choose the colours and prints that best express the real you.
Find out what we have in our boutique that is best suited to your shape.
Enjoy the read and here's to the Halle in all of us!
Much love
H.G.xx.
Related Link: Start Swimwear Shopping NOW!
