Hi People!!!!!
Hello from my kitchen counter where I have been sitting for God only knows how long on this late Tuesday evening. I desperately need a change of scenery. I like to believe you are all very disappointed when I skip a week of the newsletter, so I apologize for my absence last week. I actually did manage to get my shit together to write something on my usual weekly schedule, but it was only after spending the whole week thinking about it incessantly and writing it all down that I realized it wasn’t really something I needed to publish, just something I needed to process for myself. But I am feeling more capable of keeping my usual writing schedule which is great news for all of you, my loyal fans. In this week’s newsletter, I’m airing my particular grievances with swimsuit shopping and hopefully teaching you how to avoid them. Let’s get into it.
The Search for Swim
Every year, I find swimsuit shopping incredibly frustrating, and I think I’ve finally figured out why. It’s not only for all the reasons I think many women hate looking for swimwear—the fit problems, the expense, and the whole host of body image issues it can bring up—but also because I find it extremely difficult to find a swimsuit that I feel expresses my personal style. Most of them just fall sort of flat to me, not making a statement of any kind. For a very long time, I couldn’t put this feeling into words, but in the last few years I’ve spent a great deal of time and energy thinking about my sense of style and what exactly makes something fit into my style and/or good style in general. The first key to both is contrast and unexpected choices, which of course can be interpreted in a million different ways, but the sheer lack of real estate on a swimsuit makes it far more complicated.
Some design elements that typically give interest to a garment and/or outfit like silhouette and texture are severely limited. Designers are surprisingly creative when it comes to swimsuit silhouettes given the small surface area, but practicality does reduce how many of these I am personally willing to wear. While I am not someone to completely rule out a swimsuit because of the tan lines it will create, it better be the cutest swimsuit I’ve ever seen if I’m going to wind up looking like a zebra after a day in the sun. I have learned, however, that I simply cannot compromise when it comes to halter ties versus shoulder straps. Even after the majority of my boobs fled my body when I switched birth control, it is still so uncomfortable for me to wear any suit that ties around my neck. So there goes what feels like half of my options. (Though I just saw a YouTube tutorial for a different way to tie string bikinis that I’m curious about...) Then there’s texture, and as someone who immediately wants to dive head first into the ocean, I prefer a material that can actually get wet. As fabulous as some of the crazy leather and lace and crochet suits are, for practicality purposes, the plain old swimsuit fabric is probablyyyyyyy the best. Again, there are some variations, but it’s pretty narrow. Another trick that I use to make my own clothes feel like style instead of just stuff I wear is to mix elements of different aesthetics into one look for something unexpected. And while I love a full-blown outfit for my walk to the pool, I will ultimately end up spending the majority of the outing in only the swimsuit, leaving just 1-2 different items to showcase different styles. Sure, you could mix and match a bikini, but with no extra elements added on to connect the two disparate items, this look doesn’t usually come together in an interesting or cohesive way. Print and color fortunately are both on the table; however, I find that certain patterns and colors fall flat when they’re delivered on the typical stretchy, slightly shiny, kind of disgusting bathing suit material. *EXHALEEEEEEE*
Now that you’ve heard my whole rant about everything I hate about swimsuits (and hopefully some of you can relate), I’ve put together some bathing suits for the season that I actually think are successful at drumming up some interest or at least feel a little bit like me, along with annotations indicating the little details that make them work. Even if you hate all of my picks, hopefully this can help you figure out what to look for when searching for one that suits your personal style. (Pun intended.)
After scouring through more swimsuits than I can count and analyzing exactly what it is I’m responding to in the ones that I like featured above, I’ve come up with some general guidelines for how to find swimsuits that don’t feel so mehhh.
Don’t pick flat prints. Because the textures of swimsuit materials are, quite frankly, gross, I find that a print that creates the illusion of dimension, texture, or depth like suits 10, 11, 13, and 19 is a huge improvement. This effect can be created through shading on the print itself or by geometric prints that look three dimensional.
Get texture where you can. Like I said, I’m really not a fan of typical swimsuit material, but there are some other functional and interesting options out there like seersucker (suit 4), crinkly (suit 6), glitter (suit 9), terry cloth (suit 14), and ribbed (suit 15).
If you’re going to wear an untextured solid or a flat print, make sure there are some other contrasting elements involved. If it’s a particularly bold color or sexy print go for a more conservative silhouette like suits 2 and 12 and vice versa for sweeter patterns with skimpier shapes like 8, 17, and 18.
Think about staples in your normal wardrobe that you wear all the time, and look for swimwear inspired by those. If you know me at all, you know I love a classic striped tee, so suit 7 makes perfect sense. I also love the idea of a simple white sundress you can throw on and go anywhere in the summer, and that’s the same vibe I get from suit 3. Maybe your go-to in your normal wardrobe is a sleek black turtleneck; in that case, a really classic yet chic black one piece like this one could be great for you.
Seek out elements that just feel unusual for swimwear in general. Maybe it’s an atypical color (personally loving a brown swimsuit at the moment) or pattern for swimwear in general, like the geometric prints on suits 1 and 5 or plaid like suit 16. Maybe it’s a silhouette you don’t see all the time like a corset top or swim shorts, or maybe it’s smaller details like the buttons, belt, and contrast stitching featured on suit 20.
Finally, and most importantly, if you don’t relate to this struggle of feeling uninspired by most swimwear or if none of these are your style at all, simply ignore all of this advice. Or make your own list of styles you like and get really granular about what it is you’re drawn to. The number one thing you can do to improve your style (in general but especially in swimwear) is to wear whatever makes you feel most confident and most like yourself, so the more you get to know what exactly that is, the better.
If you found this guide helpful at all, forward it to a friend who is still wearing her Victoria’s Secret push up swimsuit from summer of 2014. I am usually not one to style shame (see #6 above), but come onnnnnnnnn. It’s time to move on from that one.
Question of the week
Most of the questions I have left in the form require pretty in-depth answers, so I will probably be responding to those in their own full newsletter BUT just know I am getting to them! In the meantime...
Please still indulge me by answering my question for you...
What’s your favorite swimsuit you’ve ever owned? Why does it stick out in your mind? And, most importantly, where did you get it?
Recs of the week
These Tower 28 lipglosses are magical. And I don’t even like lipgloss.
If you’re an Obé user, Spencer J’s dance cardio classes are my new favorite.
Ru Paul’s Drag Race - I am actually annoyed that no one recommended this to me sooner. Anyone who has ever met me should have known that I would love this show.
I started reviewing my French on Duolingo after I was extremely embarrassed trying to speak it on Saturday night (a fatal combination of tequila and lack of practice), and it is surprisingly fun.
That’s all for this week friends! I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. I am getting the second dose of the vaccine on Friday, so don’t be surprised if I come back extra obnoxious next week. Thank you thank thank you a million times for reading. Writing this is always my favorite part of my days, and it’s even better to know that there are some eyeballs out there digesting it. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to chat, don’t be a stranger! I literally spend all day everyday rotating between my email and my Instagram DMs, and it would be so much more pleasant with one of you in them.
Cheers,
Maddy