Fashion

Get ready for summer with a swimsuit that embraces and encourages both comfort and confidence, says Samantha Murray Greenway.

If you’ve tried to buy swimwear recently, you might have noticed that in certain stylish sectors there’s an encouraging move afoot to help every woman feel good about wearing what is, in effect, their second skin. It makes the idea of bikini diets and camouflaging kaftans seem ridiculously outdated. The new buzzword is simple: comfort. The thought goes that if you’re comfortable, you’re confident. I like it.

“I think of swimwear as a gateway for women to feel a little more comfortable with their bodies,” says Natalia Bertolo, the Brazilian founder and designer of eco and ethical uckland-based urai Swimwear. “I don’t make more conservative designs because I want to hide a woman’s body, I do it because they make women feel comfortable. good shape, pattern, colour and print might make you feel different about your body and your whole beache perience.”

For Bertolo, “conservative” means no itsy-bitsy string bikinis, but instead double thickness fabric that keeps a smooth silhouette, and perhaps a waistband that helps compress the belly her higher rise bikinis have garnered a following with new mums but there is always a signature Brazilian cut at the rear. This means that instead of a straight or a U shape over your bottom, the sides are cut away, like two curves colliding.

“It allows more cheek to show which makes the bum look rounder,” she says. “omen need to try it to see that it works.” ith her reversible swimsuits how could you not want a two-in-one on holiday , her sustainable fabrics, her mastectomy-friendly styles and her attention to detail, her online business sees few returns. hen it comes to swimwear, “omfort is essential and practicality is incredibly important,” says mily artridge of ellington-based label Nisa, another company that offers reversible designs and an ethical approach. “Swimwear should be made for you to move. You need to feel confident when you’re wearing it you don’t want anything popping out or riding up!” Fully lined and often adjustable, this almost retro-style swimwear is cut in generous shapes, all the better to avoid wardrobe malfunctions.

Fabrics can be double layered for a smooth finish, others are engineered to sculpt and shape from the get go. I particularly like the elegantly cut one-pieces from

ustralian brand Bondi Born in smoothing, supporting Sculpteur fabric.

For modern, lingerie-level support that won’t let you down, look to another ustralian brand, Form and Fold. Specialising in D+ sizes, they have five different bikini tops; ones that offer lift or cleavage, with underwires and without, with strategic seaming, and helpful fabrics. “Because there isn’t a one-fits-all solution with swimwear”, says the company’s cofounder Stephanie Korn.

Their website has a fit quiz that suggests the right size and style so that what arrives in the post won’t disappoint. “Shopping for swimwear evokes dread in all of us,” says Korn. “Unflattering lights, stuffy change rooms, warped mirrors and thee perienceof aniouslywai tin g for a sales assistant to help you with sizing because nothing fits, that -is universal!” The lure of trying on swimwear from the comfort of your own home has added to the appeal of shopping for swimwear online. That, and the increasing number of realistically shaped women modelling them.

“Nisa is about feeling confident, loved and accepted,” says artridge. “If you only use standard industry models, you're telling people that the swimwear isn't made for you unless you fit a specific body type.” It’s a collective approach.

t urai, “omfort and body positivity go together,” says Bertolo, “I’m originally from Brazil, where women have a little bit less fear of showing their bodies. nything goes, which is awesome.”

It’s worth remembering that, whatever you wear, looking good is rarely about age, body shape, or whether you choose to wear a bikini or a one-piece. It’s confidence that counts, and comfort is key.