Bikini - to wear or not to wear, that is the question!

How lucky are we, during the lockdown, to have such beautiful bikini weather here in the UK. I hope, wherever you are, the sun is shining on you too. Since were are only allowed to meet friends in the open, at 2 meters, the weather has been a great excuse to meet for picnics on the beach, in parks, wherever we can. (And Jack has had the most full days out he’s ever had in his life!) I feel as if I’m on permanent holiday and am now neglecting my chores - plenty of time for those as the weather is bound to change! I haven’t stopped my exercise though as I wear a two-piece on the beach, (not really a bikini) in public, at my age!!!! (I still do the 5:2 “diet” to keep the flab under control!) So this is what this quick blog is all about, can we wear bikinis at any age (of course we can!) and what are the alternatives if you want an all-over tan but don’t want to show too much flesh in public?

i love these bikini bottoms (from For Luna) n but the matching top was too brief. So, I mix tops and bottoms.

This is great for walking along the beach : waterproof short shorts and a bikini top! More mixing it up.

The main reason I wear a two-piece, rather than an itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie bikini (that’s a step too far for my bod!), is that I really hate that feeling of wet, cold material on my belly after a swim, especially in the UK, and I like having a brown tummy! But I always wear big pants, 50s style. And, frankly, I just don’t care what people think anymore! There are young women out there not caring a hoot whether their beachwear suits them or not, and bravo to them, so why should we? I’m glad there is such a prominent body-positive movement, now more than ever. We should be proud of our bodies for being healthy and not worry about how fat, flabby, or wrinkled they are. Agree?

It seems to be frowned upon in the press for women over 50 to be sporting a bikini. But women in Europe don’t seem as age conscious and in Brazil, all ages are strutting their stuff on Ipanema Beach not giving a jot in the skimpiest of outfits! And they look great! But for the rest of us the thought of baring a midriff, let alone less than perfect thighs and upper arms, fills us with dread! So let’s embrace it or look at some other options.

If you are like me and have short legs, a swimsuit often doesn't cut it. I find them deeply unflattering, on my body, unless I can get the cut absolutely right, like this one exception below that I borrowed from a friend for a shoot! I But swimsuits suit a huge amount of women and there are certainly more on sale than the vintage style big bikini pants and matching tops I love! My friend Charlotte, well over 70, looks great in her swimsuit below. But she has swum huge distances all her life (just the best exercise, if only I enjoyed it!) so looks fab in all the right places and doesn’t mind a damp tummy! There’s a happy medium coming up………

The happy medium is the TANKINI! A cross between a swimsuit and a bikini! The top is often ruched so covers up a multitude of sins, and the top looks fab with shorts or a skirt (great for minimal holiday packing). The bottoms aren't bikini brief and are cut more flatteringly than most swimsuits and, best of all, you can still brown your tum whilst lying in the sun by just hoisting the top up! I found masses on the Boden website so have a peek here, they’re just the perfect mix of a flattering swimsuit/bikini. And if you’re fuller chested, Bravissimo have some lovely tankinis too. Here’s an example of a couple that I used to love - till the chilly stomach got too much for me - and just look at that hair! We’re going back six years here……….

Think I was a bit podgier then! Whatever swim wear you like, If you’re feeling a bit self-conscious, especially in countries that aren’t used to women walking around half naked, I find a long kaftan does the trick and then you can just strip off once you’re lying down!

I wore this in Abu Dhabi. A cheapie from India that is just great for covering up on the beach.

But for living very near the beach where I live, I really do wander around in shorts and a vest top with not a care in the world. Sometimes I stop to talk to people and am convinced they are looking at my wrinkly thighs or upper arms. Crazy isn’t it? But I know I’m not alone. So enjoy the weather girls and get in that sun, you know our bodies always look better with a tan and I guess you know by now how important Vitamin D is for you, especially during the coronavirus. (15 minutes in the sun WITHOUT any suncream on - then slap on the 50 SPF. I got this advice from the UK’s top dietician years ago.)

So it just leaves me to add that if you spend time on a stony beach, these shoes are just the best! They take me across the pebbles and straight into the sea and they look really cute with any beach outfit! They seem to have more than doubled in price since I bought them for £7.99, years ago, but I think they’re still worth it. Click here.