Category: Swimwear

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Meet the Merchants Personal Style Swimwear

Your Biggest Supporters:
The Best Bikinis for Large Busts

If you trend toward the bigger-busted and have ever stood in front of a rack of swimsuits wondering which bikini top could possibly contain you, the solution is surprisingly simple: Look for a bikini top with a true-to-bra size.

“So many women steer away from bikinis because they only see themselves in sizes small, medium, large or extra-large, and they don’t know which will fit or support them best,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. “That’s all the more reason to seek out bikinis with real bra-like construction, underwire and adjustable straps to give you the lift you need to feel secure.”

Summer’s coming, so join in as Megan rounds up the best of this season’s bikinis for big busts:

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The Best Bikinis for Large Busts”
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Personal Style Swimwear

Flattering Swimsuits That Look Great on EVERY Body—We Swear!

Finding the perfect, most universally flattering swimsuits often feels like questing for a unicorn—they may not even exist. But this year’s going to be different! We chatted with resident expert and swimwear buyer Megan Puma about styles every woman can wear, no matter her shape.

Megan’s experience has taught her which suits work best for most bodies, and she’s here to share her insider intelligence. Year after year, she sees which suits are certified winners; that’s why Megan always keeps them in stock. Get excited: She rounded up more than one sure bet in every silhouette. Happy days really are here again.

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Personal Style Swimwear

Get in the Swim with Summer’s Best Plus-Size Swimsuits

Close your eyes and dream a little daydream about a day on the beach. Hear the waves, touch the sand, feel the sun. Are you there yet?

Now imagine actually loving the swimsuit you’re in.

“No matter what you’re going for, whether it’s a suit that’s classic or something trendier, I promise we have something for everyone,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. “And this season, we’re extra excited about our assortment of plus-size swimsuits.”

Consider Megan your personal shopper as she shares the best of this season’s plus-size swimwear:

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Personal Style Swimwear

Love This Bra Brand? Try This Swimsuit!

Let’s just say you’ve come to love one (or two or three) particular bra brands for their comfort, fit and style. Guess what? Many of those same brands are in the bathing suit biz, which means you’ll feel as happy on the beach or by the pool as you do at work, on a date or at school drop-off.

“By shopping these collections, your bathing suit finally gets to fit as well as your favorite bra does,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. “The suits feature underwires, adjustable straps, clasp backs and an overall more tailored fit so you can jump into the water or run after your kids without worry.”

What makes these swimsuits from bra brands so special is that they’re constructed exactly like a bra, which gives even a teeny swimsuit so much more support than the standard offerings. The suits are designed with the same level of detail and quality of construction as their bra counterparts. “Shopping is more precise since you’re able to buy them by your exact bra size as opposed to the more generic small-medium-large,” adds Megan.

Here, Megan divides our 10 bra-sized swimwear brands into three categories so you can key right into the style you’re seeking. She picked a favorite look from each brand, too. Ready to dive in?

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Personal Style Swimwear

Trendy and Stylish One-Piece Swimsuits: Definitely Not Your Grandma’s One-Piece

 

There’s something to be said for the effortlessness of one-and-done. When it comes to the beach or pool, you can always count on cute one-piece swimsuits to be flattering, chic and easy to wear. Though one-pieces used to be accompanied by a certain stigma—they’re only for grandmas, or to cover up body issues—these days, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. (To wit: Last Independence Day, 26-year-old Taylor Swift and her squad rocked red, white and blue one-pieces that just about broke the Internet.)

“One-pieces are great because they give you as much or as little coverage as you want. What’s your comfort level?” asks Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma (at left). “Every trend imaginable now comes in the one-piece silhouette. The cut came back with style to spare; it’s not frumpy. Now it’s possible to be stylish and covered. Maybe even more so than in a bikini, you’re making a strong visual statement in a one-piece suit. And they can do so much more for your figure, too. Because no matter what you’re wearing, you can’t look good if you feel uncomfortable.”

Megan especially loves their versatility: “I like how you can incorporate a one-piece into an outfit, from festival fashion to going out to dinner. In this case, you can have both fashion and function.” Here are a few of her favorite stylish one-piece swimsuits for the season….

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Personal Style Swimwear

2017 Swimwear Trends: Hot Looks to Pack For Your Next Trip

Baby, it’s cold outside, but there’s nothing better than using those frigid temps to inspire your next vacation destination—even if it’s only a fantasy (for now). We spoke to Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma about what trends we can expect to see in 2017.

All these swimsuits hit both this season’s latest trends and offer the support you expect from your favorite bra. So pack your sunblock and a few beach reads, and stash an on-trend suit for your next tropical getaway. Though the destination pairings are totally optional, we sure wouldn’t mind visiting any one of them this winter.

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Inner Beauty Personal Style Swimwear

One-Piece Wonder: How I Stopped Chasing a Bikini Body and Finally Felt Great in One-Piece Swimsuits


I remember the last time I looked good in a bikini. It was a tiny string number—pink with multicolored polka dots—and all eyes were on me.

I was 3 years old.

Since then, I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with swimwear. (I did wear a bikini twice on spring break my junior year of college: My Puerto Rican besties are the most beautiful and body positive girls on the island and, if only for a week, I drank their Kool-Aid while we frolicked in the Caribbean surf.)

Truthfully, no part of swimsuit season has ever been easy for me.

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Inner Beauty Personal Style Swimwear

Cool Mom Bathing Suits: The Best Swimsuits for Moms

In this era of democratic fashion, no one needs to settle for mom jeans or sensible shoes and, for the record, the same holds true for swimsuits for moms. Just because someone calls you “Mommy” doesn’t mean you have to banish “bikini” from your vocabulary. Brooke here, editor of Bare it All, and I speak from personal experience. Let me assure you, it’s possible to look like the cool mom you are, even in a swimsuit.

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Personal Style Swimwear

The Cutest One-Piece Swimsuits and Swimdresses That Will Rule the Beach

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Jeni Doherty, our swimwear buyer

While bikinis and tankinis have reigned for the last decade, the one-piece has suddenly made a major comeback. “Everyone’s wearing them now, including celebrities who definitely don’t have to cover up their gym bodies,” says our in-house swim expert Jeni Doherty. “They’re for everyone. Swimwear designers are offering really cute one piece swimsuits in every coverage level, for all body types. It’s also an ageless look.”

Swimdresses have the added advantage of upper thigh and tush coverage. “If you do a lot of bending down at the beach, these offer a measure of reassurance that you’re not flashing anyone—always a good idea,” Jeni says.

Another benefit over bikinis: Designers can do some serious engineering with more fabric to play with. Many one-pieces and swimdresses have built-in bras and shapewear capabilities. “It’s surprising to be able to get this level of support out of a bathing suit,” Jeni says.

Add to the love list a little extra sun protection, and we’re all in. Jeni has handpicked some of the best one piece swimsuits and swimdresses right here:

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Personal Style Swimwear

Prints Charming: Trendy Looks in Printed Swimwear

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Jeni Doherty, our swimwear buyer

Swimsuits follow their own hierarchy of needs. First and most critically, you’ve got to find the right brands for you, and the right size. When you’ve arrived at the ideal swimsuit fit and support for your figure, and you’re in a body positive mindset, that’s the time to have fun with your swimsuit wardrobe. Printed swimwear is the easiest way to do just that.

“Summer is the season for colorful, fun prints you might not go for at other times of the year—you can get a little wild with your bathing suits or swimsuit coverups because we’re not talking a whole lot of real estate here,” says Jeni Doherty, our swimwear buyer. “The other thing I love about prints is that they aren’t specific to age or body type; they’re for everyone. Which ones you choose is a matter of personal taste.” Anyone can pull off a uniform print on one-piece swimwear (just keep the scale of the design in proportion to your proportions—a small overall print if you’re petite, for example), or something really splashy on a little bikini. Jeni loves graphic prints for their overall camouflaging, not to mention visual interest.

Jeni narrowed down our vast pool of swimwear to four of her favorite prints of the season. Conveniently, these right-now looks are also sure to be in year after year. From conservative swimsuits with understated appeal to those that are brazenly over-the-top, there’s a way to find yourself among these looks, because there’s always a way for you to show off your authentic self—even in a bikini.

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Health & Wellness Inner Beauty Swimwear

Get Sun-Ready: Summer Skin Care Tips and SPF Advice to Enhance Your Inner Glow

The sun is a powerful thing—it can boost your mood, yet it can wreak havoc on your skin and your health. Despite all we know about skin cancer, there’s still pressure to score and maintain that perfect summer glow. You know, the one that declares to the world that you’ve been away on some exotic family vacation, you’re rested and rejuvenated and somehow also younger and thinner. So we’ve put together a list of SPF and skin care tips and advice to get you through the summer wrinkle- and worry-free—because there’s nothing sexy about sun damage.

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Meet the Merchants Personal Style Swimwear

How to Dress for the Beach at Any Age

If age ain’t nothing but a number, why does it feel like bathing suit shopping gets harder the older we get? Here’s the secret to life and how to dress for the beach: Nothing is possible without a little (or, in some cases, a lot of) support.

The very same suits—one-piece swimwear or more modest swimsuits, even a bikini or swim dress—can work on any body, at any age. The key is in the fit. If it feels good to put on, you feel good wearing it. Right? Right. So flex that wisdom and focus on the important stuff. When dressing for the beach, work with what you have, because both a soft midsection and absolutely fabulous abs all have a place on this summer’s bathing suit best-dressed list. With the help of a few friends, we produced the proof.

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