Tall, short or super

It can be a vulnerable business, wearing the equivalent of your underwear in public. Here is how to buy beachwear that makes you feel comfortable and confident

Every summer, as I wrestle myself into a swimsuit for the first time in a year, the words: “It’s the most vulnerable time of the year” pop into my head to the tune of Andy Williams’ Christmas classic.

Being in public, with strangers, in what is effectively your underwear can be a fraught business – as can choosing what to wear and what to avoid. It doesn’t help that the options are overwhelming, particularly when you consider that styles are forever changing shape in accordance with trends – such is the pervasiveness of reality TV shows such as Love Island that some brands now make upside-down bikini tops, as well as those with so many mid-torso straps that you end up looking like a joint of beef.

With all that in mind, here is a guide to finding swimwear that focuses on comfort, support and – where possible – avoiding weird tan lines.

In theory, swimwear for smaller busts is easier to buy because you don’t have to worry too much about support, says Mark Finerty, swimwear design lead at John Lewis. “String bikinis, for example, are good for smaller busts because they are adjustable.” But he concedes that they are not for everyone. “We tend not to take a lead from Love Island on that,” he says. He suggests a bandeau top or, if you are conscious about your bust size, “something with padding”, which you can remove if it feels a bit much.

Lindsey Holland, a surfer and the swimwear designer behind indie brand The Longing, describes bandeau bikini tops as her “best friend”. This month, she is launching a collaboration with Whistles, which includes bandeau-style swimsuits with 1cm width straps that feel a bit less … naked. She also suggests looking for adjustable straps, as one size rarely fits all. Lucy Rosenberg, who oversees product merchandising in womenswear at Boden, adds that a V-neck is one of the most flattering necklines you can get on a swimsuit.

Trying things on is also advisable. Jade Gellard, specialist contour technician at the London College of Fashion, says much of the high street has cottoned on to the fact that people’s sizes vary. So if you’re a size 10 up top, but a 12 below, you can mix and match. “Bikini tops and bottoms are no longer being bought as one, in a ‘set’. This shift recognises the reality that individuals may not be the same size across their body.” Finally.

This is entirely your choice “but it comes up a lot”, says Finerty. “My advice: just don’t buy a wired swimsuit, which doesn’t help with stretch.” Still, it can be hard to find swimsuits that fit, particularly if you have a longer torso.

Holland, who is 6ft, advises that “straps with adjusters and added length are essential. So are side-tie and high-leg bottoms.” Otherwise, Finerty suggests a tankini – a separate top and bottom, but with the look of a swimsuit. Boden is one of the few brands to “stress test” its clothes; as a result, it makes swimsuits in “long” lengths in addition to regular measurements. Rosenberg also suggests looking for a halterneck with an adjustable neck tie so you can vary the length.

Alternatively, go for a swimsuit with proper stretch, such as those from Hunza G, the much-copied brand that mastered the stretch swimsuit in the 80s. But with anything particularly elastic, think about transparency: “If the material is white, it might mean looking for a thicker liner to ensure adequate coverage,” says Gellard.

“With swimwear and lingerie, sizing is typically based on dress sizes, unless there is a wired component involved,” says Gellard. Put simply, if you have a cup size that works for your bras, then look for the same with your swimwear. Gellard previously worked at Ann Summers “and I would occasionally conduct bikini fittings on customer request”, so it’s worth asking to be properly fitted. She also suggests getting remeasured each summer, as things can change.

Sizing elsewhere can be a little arbitrary. Sally Anne Sherry, a former competitive swimmer who set up a brand called Kahm (the name comes from the first letters of Sally Anne’s children’s names) with her sister in Donegal, always sizes up. “I’m a size 10 in clothes, but I go up to 12 because of my bust.” She says she likes extra coverage, support and prefers a higher neckline.

“You have to treat it like underwear,” agrees Finerty. “A plunge shape is more flattering,” he adds. “If you’re conscious of your bust, the worst thing you can do is try to cover up – it makes it look bigger.”

Not everyone wants a plunging bra: a relatively new concept is in-built shelving. Seafolly makes swimsuits with a V-neck and an “internal shelf bra”, which keeps everything neat and tidy without being too booby.

Remarkably, no. Fold-down shorts (which you can also fold up) cover more of your stomach, as do high-waisted briefs – “which have come back in, partly due to Barbie”, says Finerty. Fifties-style swimwear can be hard to find – Toast and Hunza G do waistbands that sit above the belly button as standard, and you can often find one-pieces with a belt (see Boteh), which gives a bit of definition – but you might have more luck looking for something secondhand.

Again: it’s about choice. Many brands offer “tummy control” swimwear, which has a bit more structure. Finerty also suggests looking for swimsuits with ruching and draping, or a twist front, “which is a clever illusion”. If you want a particularly high-waisted bikini bottom, Seafolly, Charo Ruiz and Asceno bottoms stop a good two inches above your belly button.

“People often ask about bum coverage,” says Sherry. “I always say boy shorts are good for that.” Still, the idea that being more covered up is more flattering is a myth because it draws attention to the area you are trying to hide. “I understand people prefer coverage,” she says. “You are wearing your underwear in one sense, so you might not want a thong.”

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A high leg can also turn a larger bottom into something more celebratory. Finerty says that swimsuits that are cut to curve up around the top of the leg can have an elongating effect, which is more flattering.

Men’s swimwear has become increasingly polarised – either you go “short short” or “long long”. John Lewis says larger, more relaxed shapes are more popular than Speedo-type swimwear, while prints trump more traditional colours, things we can probably chalk up to an understanding of what a holiday is about: relaxation, as well as a fondness for all things European and “Bond-y”, according to one wearer of French brand Vilebrequin whom I met on the beach. “We have seen [similar shapes] in seersucker and embroidered styles, as well as exotic palm print shorts,” says a John Lewis menswear spokesperson. Buyers tend to be millennial and up.

Elsewhere, the 3.5in inseam is making a comeback. CDLP, a Swedish brand, makes functional, recycled briefs for “a cooler, younger crowd”, which are inspired by film star Alain Delon lying supine in tight mini shorts in La Piscine. Its swimsuits sit between a regular short (11in) and a Speedo-sized brief (2.5in), and CDLP’s design director, Ingrid Guttormsen, says sales have been “noticeably up” each year since they launched in 2019 because you can “actually swim in them”. They also have “a drawstring waist, so yes, you can eat ice-cream.”

You can, of course, wear a wetsuit. Otherwise, “even when the sea is cold, there are little things that can help”, says Sherry. For one, “wearing a high neck when there’s a whipping wind and you’re getting in and out of the water”, plus a zip down the front, “so you can get out of it quickly”. Long-sleeved swimsuits have been selling well at Kahm, and at John Lewis. They offer extra UV protection “but we find they are particularly handy if you meet a crab or jellyfish”, says Sherry. Finisterre has long-sleeved swimsuits with front zips, which go up to a size 22, that you can rent, and Watertex swimsuits, which are chic and knitted, claim to be the fastest-drying on the market.

Like underwear, gussets should feel “as if you are wearing nothing”, says Gellard. “If you [feel] discomfort, you are wearing the wrong style for your body or the wrong size.”

Sherry says you should clean it each time you wear it, using “cold water, no conditioner, and dry it by hanging it up away from sunlight”. For more of a “deep clean”, you can try “hand washing it in specialist lingerie detergent”, says Gellard.

The solution is to buy secondhand. But that’s not always the most appealing option. Finerty says John Lewis has replaced most fabrics with “better” options and now sells 90% sustainable fabrics. “We like to use reprocessed polyester and fabrics made from old fishing nets,” he says, adding that the elastane found in swimwear makes being truly sustainable tricky. The Kahm sisters use Econcyl, made by an Italian company that takes fishing nets out of the seas around Europe.

Spandex also complicates things, says Gellard. “It relies on nonrenewable resources, predominantly derived from petroleum [to produce it].” Instead, she suggests looking out for fabrics that “bear the hallmark of the Oeko-Tex label, signifying their origin from sustainable and recycled materials”. Failing that, many high street stores – including John Lewis – have a take-back scheme.

This article was amended on 3 August 2023. An earlier version said the brand name Kahm means “Big Beach in Irish”. In fact the name comes from the first letters of Sally Anne Sherry’s children’s names.