Let's face it- the subject of swimwear has long been a tricky one. We were raised in the era of the supermodel, with the micro bikini held up as beachside aspiration. Cue decades of magazine column inches devoted to persuading us non supermodels to hide or disguise our figures with frills, no frills, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, spanx style corsetry, padding, and generally not allowing us to have as much fun as those more genetically blessed. Most of us will agree the tide has now changed, and we are finally accepting our bodies rather than trying to change them. Because really, who cares whether swimwear sucks us in, gives any semblance of a bust or ‘hides’ every lump and bump? Join the liberation and simply buy swimwear that you like, and feel comfortable wearing. Whether thats a cover-everything wetsuit, or a string bikini, the choice is ours. ( Although personally I plan to continue only wearing swimwear that covers my entire buttocks and will never be persuaded otherwise.)
No, these days we are better worrying more about what our swimsuit is actually made of rather than what it's covering up. Now the emphasis is on sustainability and longevity in fashion, swimwear must not be made of plastic (evil) and must be able to last us more than one summer (good). Which means choosing to invest in one of the new excellent swimwear brands that are using recycled materials (primarily ECONYL, created from regenerated nylon waste that also provides protention against the suns rays) to produce swimwear that is ethically sound but also hardwearing enough not to lose its grip halfway through your banana boat trip in Faliraki. Or your wild swimming session in Devon. Agreed, some of these brands are pricier than we are used to, but a swimsuit should be considered for life not just the summer, and the current trend for more simple, classic styles reflects this. Plus increasingly high street stores are jumping on board too with ethical and sustainable fabrics at affordable prices. Here are 18 brands that are doing it right. Ps These styles are my personal selection based partly on their bottom covering appeal but there are other Love Island worthy options on all should you so desire.
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