Bathing suits
my favorites for several occasions under the sun
As someone who reports from tropical locales for a living, you’d think that I’d have a lock on the best bathing suits to wear while swimming, laying poolside, carousing, conducting business (interviews and eavesdropping, in my case), traveling, etcetera.
Guess what! I don’t. Same with a lot of professional writer-travelers, like Emilia Petrarca, who inspired this post.
I’m still on the hunt for the ideal wear anywhere, do anything swimsuit, but I’ve encountered several that come close.
If I had to steer you in one direction, it would be towards Hunza G. “Seamless crinkle technology” makes their suits one size fits most and almost too easy to order. Alas, this same “seamless crinkle technology” also makes their suits prone to pilling if you, for instance, sit on the edge of a concrete pool, which sometimes happens when you’re wearing a bathing suit. It’s annoying. But so is confronting your cellulite in a fluorescent lit changing room. Pick your poison.
You also have to be careful about washing them. One of my Hunza tops got snagged in the washing machine and the “seamless crinkle technology” unraveled, quelle horreur. Hunza does suggest hand washing but given that we’re not in the 1800s, I generally put my suits on a cold, delicate cycle, press the button, and hope for the best.
When I’m feeling particularly fancy, I reach for my Anemos bikini. The balconette cut is more risque than Hunza but then, some people go to the beach wearing nothing at all! So maybe we don’t have to be so Puritan about it. The high cut bottoms are also pleasantly retro; they don’t “suck you in” like a vise but they make you feel secure in the way a “cheeky bottom” does not.
L*Space was my first foray into higher design swimwear (which I previously bought at Target). The two suits that I bought at the
All the Four Seasons in Hawaii, Ranked
The other day, my friend Courtney asked for advice about a potential trip to Hawaii. When she found out that I’d been to every Four Seasons in America’s great, 50th state, she suggested I write about it, as the Internet is apparently lacking in this department. Great idea, Courtney!
Four Seasons Hualalai in 2017 have since been retired, having lost their elasticity to the degree that I accidentally flashed a couple of 12-year-old boys in St. Barth’s a couple seasons ago (sorry/you’re welcome). Gotta be honest — there is way too much going on on L*Space’s site. If I had to pick something from their current collection, it would be this black and white number that channels Brigette Bardot.
Honorable mention goes to Margaux Sur Mer, which makes very sleek one pieces that double as bodysuits (with the caveat that there are no snaps or velcro at the bottom, because that would be … bad).
I profiled the founder of the brand in the South of France last year and got to test drive pieces from their inaugural collection, though not as daringly as the founder herself, who dove off the edge of a yacht and swam to shore to secure our lunch reservation.
I mentioned traveling. Word to the wise: do not travel in a bathing suit. I once made that mistake flying from Colombo to Mumbai (with additional articles of clothing layered on top, I’m not a monster) and would not do it again.
If you’ve got favorite swim suits, I’d love to hear about ‘em. Comment below!
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