Women's Bikinis

How to buy a bikini that actually fits

The single biggest advantage here is that most of the surf-brand tops and bottoms are sold separately. Very few women are the same size top and bottom, and buying as a set forces a compromise on one half. If you're a 12 on the bottom and a 10 on top, buy exactly that.

Getting the top right

• Triangle tops adjust at the neck and back, so they suit a wider range of sizes, but offer least support. Best for smaller busts and for lying down rather than swimming.
• Bralette tops have a fixed band and more coverage. More supportive, less adjustable, and the most flattering for most people.
• Bandeau tops are strapless. Excellent for tan lines, poor for actual swimming unless they have a removable strap.
• Underwire gives structure and shape for larger busts. Check the band size carefully, as with a bra, the band does the work, not the straps.

Getting the bottom right

• Skimpy and cheeky cuts sit high on the leg with less rear coverage. Lengthens the leg; not the choice if you'll be walking a beach all day.
• High hip is cut high at the leg but full at the back, the compromise most people settle on.
• High waist sits at or above the navel. Flattering, secure, and the most practical for swimming and surf.
• Everyday and full coverage cuts do exactly that.

How to choose for what you'll actually be doing

Sunbathing and pool

Anything goes. Triangle and bandeau tops suit lying still, and this is where the prints are worth choosing for.

Swimming lengths or in the sea

You want a one-piece or a high-waisted set with a bralette top, something that stays put when you push off a wall or take a wave. Nothing strapless.

Surfing or watersports

A rash guard over your bikini, or a one-piece. Rash guards do two jobs: they stop board rash on the ribs and they give sun protection without reapplying cream every hour.

Holiday with children

A one-piece or high-waisted set. You'll be bending, lifting and chasing, and you want to think about it as little as possible.

How to work out your size

• Sisstrevolution and Amuse Society use US sizing that maps closely to UK: S is roughly UK 8-10, M is UK 10-12, L is UK 12-14.
• Swimwear stretches when wet by around half a size. If you're between, take the smaller for a fitted style and the larger for a one-piece.
• For one-pieces, check the torso length, not just the bust and hip. A one-piece that's short in the body pulls at the shoulders however well it fits elsewhere.
• Tankinis are the most forgiving if you're unsure, the two pieces move independently.

How to make swimwear last

Swimwear has a short life if you treat it like normal clothing. Chlorine, salt, sun cream and heat all attack elastane, and the damage is cumulative.

• Rinse in cold water immediately after swimming, before it dries. This is the single most effective thing you can do, chlorine and salt do their damage as they dry in the fabric.
• Hand wash in cool water with a little mild detergent. Machine washing abrades the fibres and the spin cycle stretches them.
• Never wring it out. Press the water out in a towel instead.
• Dry flat, in the shade. Hanging a wet swimsuit stretches it out of shape; direct sun bleaches and degrades elastane.
• Keep it off hot surfaces. Sitting on hot poolside tiles or a wooden bench in a wet swimsuit is a common cause of snagging and pilling on the seat.
• Rotate two. Elastane needs 24 hours to recover its shape. Alternating two swimsuits roughly doubles the life of both.

How to deal with sun cream stains

The white or yellow marks that appear on light swimwear come from avobenzone in chemical sun creams reacting with the fabric, and they're largely permanent once set. Prevention is the only real fix: let sun cream absorb for ten minutes before dressing, choose mineral-based creams if you wear pale swimwear, and rinse the swimsuit the same day.