Swimwear Struggles

Brace yourselves for Summer is coming! Today the temperatures are set to reach 24°C in Belgium so I figured the time was right for a swimwear post!

Now in Belgium we don’t have that many bikini days per year, and even if the temperatures reach 28°C or more, you’re lucky if it’s in the weekend when you can actually soak in the sun for a bit. Luckily we’ve had our Summer holidays booked for a while now, but even though I set out to lose 5 kilograms before we jet off, I hardly think I’m going to be the happy bikini shopper I was as a teen.

Since I suck at making mental lists for myself, I decided to make a visual list of the styles I would like to try out, and share it with you guys, too!

Left: draw attention to your ass-ets by wearing bottoms that are louder than your top
Right: because the top is just too darn cute not to try

Our annual family holz was a three and a half week outing to a campsite in Spain, we’d eat every meal outside, steps away from the beach. I never thought much of that but in hindsight, being able to do spend your entire day outside in swimwear (and still be sweating), a minute walk away from a refreshing dip in the ocean, that’s quite something , right?
One day I hope to go back to that place with my boyfriend, and not be too melancholic about it, especially after my dad dying.

All that time spent in swimwear meant having an enormous collection of swimwear! My mom’s always been an avid bikini fan. Halters and classic balconettes were her go-to shapes and I would estimate she had about 8 to 10 sets packed in her luggage. I stuck to 2 or 3 sets up until I was about 13 years old, as that’s when I pretty much stopped growing (length and width – don’t worry I picked up where I left about 3 years ago, lolz): Buying separates for DIRT CHEAP in the sales and trying to mix them together was like a challenge to me, and soon I had a collection that would’ve made my mom envious.

Left: full coverage top and a high cut brief for longer legs
Right: for if I wake up tomorrow feeling like a badass bitch that’ll wear whatever she damn right pleases

I stopped joining my family to the annual outings at the tender age of 17 and as I said: Belgium just doesn’t have much to offer for swimwear lovers (or Summer fashion aficionados , for that matter). So my collection shrunk as I widened (hah), and I’m down to 2 or 3 pairs again, that I don’t even like all that much.

Bikini shopping used to be no biggie, I was mannequin-thin and could wear whatever I wanted, it looked fine, but then came round 2 of puberty: Adulthood. I always thought I was an apple shape but a stylist told me I’m actually a pear, which I can see objectively but I don’t even care about my “heavier” bottom, my midsection is actually what I feel uncomfortable with.

It took me ages in the fitting rooms and countless bikinis to try on to figure out that skimpier bottoms and tops with more coverage work best for my body type. I wish I was the kind of girl to go like “FUCK IT I WEAR WHAT I WANT” (much admiration, so wow) but I’m a perfectionist and I set ridiculously high standards for myself, so yeah.

Left: because the print and colour work so well together
Right: running to H&M asap to try this on

Left: I like the shape of the top, which I’m seeing quite a lot this Summer! I’m not expecting this to be flattering but I’d like to try nonetheless.
Right: Might just put this in my basket next time I stop by at Asos. I got really mad at them for switching the return address from UK to Poland (Belgian shoppers beware!) thus doubling the return costs, but they added Kiala to their services so I say BRING ON THE PACKAGES because at €5,90 for a return, I can’t complain.

And that’s about it! I was hoping to get some extra Vitamin D today but as my boyfriend is rehearsing with his band tonight, I might as well use the alone-time to go to the gym – in short shorts! YES!

Until next time, friends!