I have always thought that a chic black one piece swimsuit beats the rest of the pack for glamour and the flatter factor and judging by the number of chic black one piece swimsuits available both online and off it would appear that most of the fashion pack agrees with me. However, along with the two perfect black swimsuits and bikinis you may be packing this summer for the beach or pool this may well be the year to splash out on some colour, printed or plain as there’s a wealth of choice both online and off. Some of the best brands this season are Red or Dead, Jets, Melissa Odabash, Heidi Klein, Seafolly and Miraclesuit (for shapeing swimwear) and there’s a huge range of prices.
The advantage of buying online is that you don’t have to try on in a changing room when you may not be feeling your absolute best, and you can’t compare and work in with what you already own in terms of other swimwear and cover-ups. The disadvantage is that you normally order one at a time and it can sometimes be difficult to get the size and shape absolutely right. The advice I have to offer is stick to a style that you know suits you and if in doubt go down a size rather than up as a one piece swimsuit needs to be snug. The swimwear and beachwear collections at Simply Beach, Figleaves and Net-a-Porter are the best online and you can expect a speedy, friendly and efficient service from all of them.
Floral Swimwear – inevitably, with florals such an important trend this spring/summer there are some superb prints around. If you choose to go for a floral and find a favourite snap it up fast as doubtless others will fall in love with it as well.
Purple Swimwear – every shade from lilac to eggplant and some great shapes (very few prints). Purple can look modern and very flattering and has been picked up by everyone from Melissa Odabash to Miraclesuit. It’s a great colour for a sun drenched beach or poolside.
The blues – an obvious choice for the waterside perhaps except that it doesn’t suit everyone (unlike purple) and the paler the shade the more lumps and bumps it will show. There are beautiful prints by Pucci and Missoni Mare in shades of blue and palest turquoise.
And finally red and tangerine from bright pillarbox red to the softest of hues. Red and tangerine can be extremely flattering on most skins and you’ll find florals, polka dots, ruching, ruffles and the ultimate red print one piece swimsuit by We are Handsome.
We’re about to start running a competition with Simply Beach, who offer some superb brands and one of the biggest collections of swimwear online. Make sure you’re signed up at www.thesiteguide.com (on our home page) so that you’re the first to hear about when it starts. We’ll launch the competition as well on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thesiteguide.
