Among other things, 2020 has been the year of tie-dye.
It’s been ages since a trend has made such a strong comeback across categories: Not only can you find tie-dye sweatsuits and masks, you can even find the design on swim and activewear here at Bare Necessities. And what started in spring and continued through summer is poised to continue through fall. So why all the tie-dye all of the sudden?
As with most of the stuff in our closets, it’s possible to have a million swimsuits and still feel like you’ve got nothing to wear. How is that even possible?
We’ve found it comes down to this: You’ve got to match the suit to the situation.
This summer especially, when being outdoors by the water is probably as good as it gets, it pays to get strategic with your swimwear. By planning out what to wear based on where you’re going, you’ll look and feel like you’ve got your act together. (Even in 2020, it’s never too late.)
Our Bare Necessities swim expert Megan Puma is here to set the scene, so you always know what to wear where…
Especially in warmer weather, big boobs have needs: They do not wish to sag or sweat. They require no small amount of lifting and centering, shaping and smoothing. And when you finally come across the right bra in the right size, they would also rather like to feel as good as they look. We don’t think that’s too much to ask for, do you?
When faced with an assortment as massively comprehensive as ours here at Bare Necessities, the only question is where to begin. Well, you could definitely use our Bra Finder to get some spot-on, data-driven product recommendations. Or you could take Heather Viskovic’s word for it. Our expert full-bust (and full-busted) bra buyer says that if you can only pick up a few new bras a season, these five are where she would personally tell you to put your hard-earned money.
Read on now to find out the latest, greatest bras for big boobs that we’re excited about at this very moment, and treat your girls to the happier summer possible.
A swimsuit is probably the most revealing thing you’re ever going to wear in public, so there’s every reason in the world to expect that those few yards of fabric should be working overtime to cut you a secure, stylish figure.
That’s why we pledge our eternal allegiance to the best slimming swimwear out there—Miraclesuit and Magicsuit. And there may be no bigger fan than Bare Necessities resident swimwear expert Megan Puma.
Miraclesuit invented the concept with their “Look 10 pounds lighter in 10 seconds” claim to fame. Megan concurs: “They’re unsurpassed at slimming swimwear, and there’s a suit for every body, every age.”
These two sister swim brands fit sizes 8 to 24W. Some also come in DD-cups. (In swim, notes Megan, that’s most likely bigger than an equivalent DD-bra cup, so check ’em out if you’re very full-busted.) These days, the lines have more in common than ever. Miraclesuit typically has lots of great prints; Magicsuit tends to come in lots of solid colors and can skew more contemporary. You’ll also find some lighter jersey knits in the Magicsuit mix.
Before it was a thing, Liz Forkin Bohannon came up with the idea of making sandals with interchangeable ribbon ties that could be made by women, for women, to raise enough money to send girls in developing nations to university. She launched Sseko Designs in 2009 from her home base in Portland, Oregon. From a handshake deal under a mango tree in Uganda, she’s grown her fair trade business to 65 employees in almost as many time zones, a third of whom at any one time are earning money to go on to higher ed. From that game-changing sandal concept, Sseko now sells more than 300 different items like scarves, jewelry, handbags, clothing and, as of a few weeks ago, coffee.
In 2015, Liz brought the business onto Shark Tank and, in 2019, she wrote Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now. “It’s all been such a fun, wild ride,” she told Bare Necessities.
Find out what’s next for this Power Figure on a mission to make the world a more equitable place for womankind.
Bikinis sometimes get a bad rap for offering too little coverage and support for the chestier among us. Fake news! No longer should you feel like you need to sacrifice style and have to wear a basic, bra-looking swim top to the beach (or, heaven forbid, a sports bra—yes, we’ve heard it all).
At a specialty swim shop like Bare Necessities, you can find a vast range of bikini cuts and styles that actually buoy your boobs and bring you the season’s hot trends.
You have to see our swim buyer Megan Puma’s top picks for the smartest bikinis the world of fashion has to offer. Whatever swim style you prefer, they’ll shore up your confidence well before you hit the water.
Bras and swim are what we do at Bare Necessities. That’s how we know you want very different things out of them: From bras, you often want pretty but subtle designs that reliably work with your assets and your wardrobe. From swim, though, you’re more likely to want to make a style statement.
We’ve long loved Freya and Fantasie because their designers get this, too. While both of these sister brands cater to women who wear small band-full cup bras, they do it their own ways.
Buyers Heather Viskovic and Megan Puma are on-hand to share their Fantasie and Freya favorites.
For the coverage of a one-piece with the ease of two, we keep returning to tankinis.
We believe your swimsuits should always work hard for you; with tankinis, that’s super easy. You can choose from a menu of smart design details based on your needs. Here’s what to consider:
And when it comes to bottoms, you can play it almost as many different ways:
Now that you know your options, here are some of Bare Necessities buyer Megan Puma’s top tankinis of the season.
Sunny days are here again, and so are the latest swimsuits. While bikinis and tankinis will always have their place, at the start of the season we’re always partial to one-pieces that not only have some flair but also make our bodies look their best so we can feel confident getting out there.
The latest wave of one-pieces comes in fresh silhouettes and a broad range of coverage levels for way more options than your average maillot: “You can pull off a skimpy one-piece that’s super unique and cool-looking or a higher-coverage swim romper and look equally cute in either one,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. Support and shaping are more common than ever, too.
One and done? Don’t mind if we do.
Just because we live, love and obsess over bras here at Bare Necessities doesn’t make panties an afterthought. We know firsthand that every cut, fabric and style of underwear has legions of impassioned devotees. Whether you’re on Team High-Rise or Low-Rise, swear by G-strings or granny panties, go for cheap and cheerful or prefer to splurge, or care deeply about matching or clashing with your bras, the sheer size of our selection makes finding your everyday-effortless undies a snap.
To make it easier still, Bare it All asked our buyers to put together this guide to our best sellers as well as their personal favorite styles. They made sure comfort came first, followed closely by good looks. If you find you could still use some assistance, our Bra Fit Experts are on hand to help. (Yes, they’re fluent in panties, too.) Chat online, or call 877-728-9272 and select option 4.
The bottom line: With these choice recommendations, you’re sure to find a real peach.
Wire-free bralettes have long been the thing for spring. Of course, now more than ever, comfort bras are the trend to end all trends.
Stylistically, the options are wide open, from flashy, lacy longlines to substantial-looking bras you’d never guess felt way less structured. You can choose from among your favorite bra brands, and you can pick your price. What matters above all is finding the right amount of support that you need which, for once, finally comes down to personal preference.
All of these “lite” bras will give you enough shaping and support to put away your underwires whenever you want. They also come into play during those times when we need something easy for lounging around, or even going to sleep, but don’t feel like we can completely go without. Presenting our Bare Necessities buyers’ short list of the best comfort bras and bralettes…
When we’re talking bras, basic doesn’t have to mean boring. There’s absolutely nothing humdrum about the everyday collections from fashion forward brands like Prima Donna, Simone Perele and Empreinte; they do key pieces far more stylishly than the nude T-shirt bras we’ve come to know so well.
“When you think about European design, you automatically think fancy, the best of the best,” says Bare Necessities premium buyer Heather Viskovic. “They do even ‘basic’ things really beautifully. In the US, Bare Necessities is where you’re going to find these brands and these sizes. We’re able to bring you something you’re not going to get at your nearest department store that will make you feel special.”
Read on to find out her top 5 most beautifully basic bras.