Swimsuits vs bikinis

[Summerdressandjellyshoes]

I'm wondering whether to just accept defeat on holiday this year and wear a swimsuit.

I would love to find a pretty and comfortable bikini but I have never been able to find one that I feel comfortable in. Always think I'm fairly slim and toned until I put on a bikini, i bloat a lot and have big and not very pert boobs. I must have tried every bikini going over the years. Tried on everything in bravissimo and boux avenue.

People say all bodies are bikini bodies but I'm quite certain that mine isn't.

Want to be able to splash around in the pool and sea with my kids without a boob popping out or having a readjust myself.

Bikinis this year seem to have weirdly high cut legs that look awful even on models. There’s also a trend for chunky square crop tops and those odd string bikini tops that look like you’ve put it on sideways and pull boobs down and outwards. It might just be that the style this year is particularly unflattering and nothing to do with you!

Try Figleaves, their strapless bikini tops are structured like bras so give great support and coverage. I had no problem in the pool last year even with dc clinging into me!
I find bikini bottoms really unflattering on my body shape so tend to mix and match nice bikini tops with plain high waisted bottoms. I also find that going up a size helps with the high waisted bottoms but that might just be me.

If you do end up not wanting to go for a bikini, again Figleaves have some really flattering swimsuit options (I don't work for them I promise)

@chillibear figleaves haven't been around for quite a few years now sadly unless they've started up again?

I wear bikinis and tankinis, but on holiday with DS I mainly wore swimsuits, he's 4 and can swim but not brilliantly yet, so will suddenly grab on, and we were going on some waterslides etc and a swimsuit just felt more secure.
Wear whatever you like, if you can't find a bikini you like get a swimsuit, it doesn't mean you can never wear a bikini again

I always wear fat face halter neck bikini tops with plain bottoms from JL, it works for me to buy separately

@JennyTheDonkey Don't know if they have their own website but still sold through places like Next and Asos.

Tankinis have been my preferred option since i gave up on bikinis, generally look better than a swimsuit and easier to go to the toilet

I wear separates in bra sizes and bikini bottom sizes. Last year I bought from belle lingerie and they sell a variety of brands. For the bikini top I went up in the back and down in the cup as they can be tighter fitting than a bra

Agree with pp, I've tried lots of bikinis on this year and been very disappointed in all of them. Ended up buying high waisted black bottoms from M& S and a cheap bikini top from Peacocks which is quite uncomfortable. I've ended up wearing my old ones on this holiday!

Thanks all, I will have another look at Figleaves. Although to be fair I do wear separates and/or mix and match but still struggle. I'm a 30g and seem to have weirdly shaped boobs as I struggle to find bras too. I've been sent away from bra fittings many times and told they've got nothing suitable for me.

I've tried just buying regular halter bikini tops and they always look nice but once they get wet they move around and become uncomfortable.

I think separates are the way to go for sure. Have you tried any crop top style bikini tops? They have a few in bravissimo at the mo and I like the extra coverage for playing with the kids in the pool without worrying about flashing everyone round the side! On a different note I’ve also just bought some bikini bottom shorts from Amazon, and I am hoping they work so I don’t have to bother with too much intensive bikini line maintenance!