ALTERNATIVE SWIMWEAR - TIME TO GET OUT THE BIKINIS GIRLS!

Sunshine! Hurray, at last it is back with a vengeance. OK so I’m going to make the most of it, just in case the horrendous weather makes a comeback. Sunglasses – check. Suntan lotion – check. Sandals – check. Bikini…………OMG! Do I really have to?

I’m sure I’m not the only woman secretly cringing about shedding the layers of clothes that cover up their ‘flaws’ – the humps and bumps that essentially make them a woman!

A recent survey by cosmetics giant, Garnier, confirmed what we’ve known for ages:  women are obsessed by their bodies. Researchers surveyed 3,000 18-40 year old women in the UK, Australia and the US, and found that seven per cent thought about their bodies 50 times a day and 20 per cent thought about it 10 times a day.

Tummies were their least favourite part of the body followed by their butts. Almost half – 46 per cent of women who were surveyed - said they wanted to be firmer and flatter around their middle, with twenty per cent wanting a better bum. Surely the fact that the majority of us are fretting about our flabby bits just proves that what we see as ‘imperfect’ is simply the norm; who said we are supposed to have washboard stomachs and pert bottoms in order to be perfect?

Other parts of the body are also a source of unhappiness, with 10 per cent not happy with their breasts, 14 per cent not happy with their legs and four per cent wanting to change the way their arms look.

So stop worrying about baring your body and treat yourself to a stunning new swimsuit, you are a perfectly normal, sexy woman, so go for it. All you need to do is choose the style that suits your body type. I’m no expert on the subject, but it makes sense that if you are the proud owner of a rounded tum or a large butt, then wearing the skimpiest bikini bottoms you can find will simply let it all hang out – not a good look. Find a top that supports and flatters; a string bikini worn by a woman with Jordanesque boobs – again not a good look. Get the picture?

If you want to stand out on the beach for all the right reasons, then check out a range of alternative swimwear by UK designers ATROPOS and Dancing Dolls UK. Both have created very different and unique styles which you won’t find on the high street but you can find them online at www.fashionkillerz.com.

Just as an afterthought, did you know that preferred styles of beachwear differ from one country to the next?  I just stumbled upon this bit of info that I thought I’d share with you. This came from another recent study conducted by INVISTA, the manufacturer of the Lycra® fiber which reveals the habits of 2,576 swimwear shoppers in Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom and United States.

- Italy: tops the list of bikini wearers.
- UK: tops the list of one-piece wearers.
- US: tops the list for tankini wearers.
- France: prefer delicate fabrics and prints.
- Germany: spend the most on beachwear on average (27% spend between US$61 - US$100 per swimsuit)
- Brazil: demand the most quality from their suits (68% name quality as top factor in the buying decision), followed by Americans (49%) and Germans (48%)

I guess I’m not your stereotypical English woman in this respect then as it’s tankini all the way for me. Covers up a multitude of sins, don’t you know!