According to Salajko, the secret to swimsuit happiness (or at least comfort with presenting one’s shifting body to the world in Lycra or other clingy and scanty materials), is to go for custom. “Every woman and every woman’s body is different,” says Salajko. “A custom process is very collaborative. The design session is an experience – it is very safe, there are just the two of us here,” she says of her designer, Jennifer Fennell.
“I know who I am designing for,” says Salajko. That is women 45-plus: “Our bodies are changing, it is just a fact of life, menopause, hormonal weight redistribution, it all affects how a swimsuit feels. But you can find the right design for every body.”
Our other favourite swimwear shops for 45-plus women’s bodies (in all our various shapes and sizes) across the country include Toronto’s Melmira, established in 1992 (appointments seriously recommended). Some of their swimwear is available online, but these ladies can measure your body like nothing you have ever experienced, and you will end up with a whole new bra and swim wardrobe. In Calgary, Shapes ‘N Figures (which does not sell online) carries an awe-inspiring 10,000 pieces of swimwear. And in Ottawa, Brio Bodywear’s two locations (also not sold online), offer personalized fitting and consultation for swimwear, bras and dancewear. We were introduced to La Blanca suits there, and have never looked back.
Here is some body-concern-specific advice culled from our swim investigations and archives. The image of Helen Mirren in snorkelling gear and a perfect red bathing suit, circa 2014, is an enduring one for a generation of women. She looks confident and glowing, making the perfect one-piece a life goal. What does her suit choice teach us? That bold colour is always a winner.
Also: this classically styled and proportioned piece keeps everything elegantly in place. Says Salajko, support for “trouble areas” such as tummies and back fat, needs to be judicious, rather than constraining: “Proper support products should feel compressive, as opposed to tight. Otherwise, you feel, and look, like a sausage squeezed into a casing.” Bathing Belle has a great take on the Mirren-inspired suit: So does London-based designer Heidi Klein, who incorporates a pretty twist under the bosom in this version of a full-coverage suit: Klein suits can often be found at Melmira.
If you want to distract from your curves, a pattern is always a good idea. As Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor of Vogue, famously said: “The eye has to travel.” For inspiration, check out this Australian brand, Sea Level, available at Melmira, in a classic leopard print: Mrs.Vreeland would no doubt approve.
If you have extra-big boobs you no-doubt already know that you need wide straps that are adjustable, and prefer compression fabrics, plus underwires or heavy elastic to prevent uni-boob. Canadian brand Left on Friday offers swimwear you can search for by cup size, height and bum coverage. The D+ line is especially helpful. The Peak Suit D+ is specifically engineered for larger bustlines: soft, wide straps, elastic support under the bust, with a peek-a-boo cutout to add interest. It also comes in regular and long torso types and six colours.
For those more concerned about their butts, look for suits that say full-coverage, to avoid any riding up. Sometimes a little less material can be effective. To wit, if you want to give the illusion of longer legs, a higher cut at the leg is the best trick in the book, but the fit has to be exact, again, to avoid the seat of the suit from slipping crack-wards. Keeping your bathing suit in good repair – washing on cold with a delicate soap such as Woolite, and never putting the elasticized fabric in the dryer – helps keep the fit snug over your butt. Ruching at the waist is also super helpful, as it helps carve out the hourglass and minimize the tummy. Dark colours can also slim the line, visually. A great example of all these factors is from Anne Cole, the woman who led a swimwear revolution in the early ’80s; though she passed away in 2017 at age 90, her namesake company continues to produce great suits.
There are many tricks for those of us who struggle with a long torso. Again, high-cut legs are a boon to make legs look longer, and a plunge front is the classic way to bridge overall proportions. Here are two great examples from La Blanca and Heidi Klein.
Of course, a short torso is equally vexatious. The pro trick for this is to choose a cut-out or a peek-a-boo feature. See this fun two-colour tie-up from Bathing Belle.
We are all hyper aware of the need for sun protection. For some of us, especially those who are high risk or have experienced skin cancers, or are taking medications that cause photo-reactivity, covering up on top of full-spectrum SPF is not optional. Fortunately, the surfer look is eternally cool. Here are a few fun options for extra coverage: from Left on Friday, try the Rays Suit, and from old-school manufacturer Body Glove this is a really cute rash guard that doubles as sun protection.
Another big advantage of the custom work done by independent designers such as Salajko at Bathing Belle is that women with health-related issues – from mastectomy to ostomies – can find suits that accommodate their needs. “From no boobs, to one boob, to two boobs – we have done it all,” she says.
We all have trouble recognizing our bodies, particularly in a swimsuit. “Instead, look at your body where it is now,” she says, “and prioritize comfort.” Comfort is what makes us feel most attractive.
Most of all, concludes Salajko, getting a great suit that you are comfortable in and will use is a matter of mindset. “What we see of bodies in movies, online, in magazines – I think we have to break away from all that. We are all beautiful.”
Always asking questions,
—Leanne Delap
