Last day of summer

Celebrating the last day of August with a long-due post bikini post.

This is the Coral Tropical print by Pretty Me. 

You can feast your eyes on this Pinterest board by Hondos Center (who is the only place that stocks them here in Greece) and pray to the allmighty Flying Spaghetti Monster that there would be any sizes left in stock that you can bag for 50% off.

Hell yeah I got the frilly bottoms! What did you expect, that I would act like I'm a grown ass 31-year-old or something?

And when that day I realised I hadn't brought any hair ties with me (where DO these things disappear anyway) I just untied the center front tie of the top and made a matching hair elastic. MacGyver would be proud.

Till next year...

Swimsuit Edition

My dear reader Πράσινη Νεράιδα (pronounced Prasini Neraida, which means Green Fairy for you non-Greeks) asked my help to find bikinis that will suit her Mediterranean body. For those of you wondering, a Mediterranean body type looks like a standard hourglass shape, but with more emphasis on the hips, if you know what I mean. Think Jennifer Lopez or Monica Bellucci. As I consider myself a standard example, let me pass on to you the swimwear-buying wisdom I have accumulated all those years of fighting with lycra inside badly-lit fitting rooms. As I will be speaking mostly about bikinis, let's start with the top part and get down to the bottom:

1. A triangle shaped top is the best for big boobs. You're less likely to "fall off" your top (you know what this is) as the triangle holds your boobs from every angle. Much unlike a bra-type top, which depends on the force of gravity to keep them inside the cups. And guess what happens when you loose gravity. It's not me who says, it's Physics!
   
2. Be sure to get wide straps. Get a triangle shaped top, but not one with dainty little strings. They are more likely to hurt and leave marks after lots of hours of wear and offer minimal support. Look for straps that are at least 2cm wide and have strong elastic. And that is for both around your back and neck.
3. Sometimes it's not the shape that is to blame, but the material. Look for fabrics that are not too elastic, as they will offer minimal support and shaping. I can't exactly describe what you should look for, but keep this advice in mind. Oh, and try to avoid padding. It takes forever to dry!
   
4. As for the bottom part of your bikini, the rule of thumb is: The bigger your bikini bottom is, the smaller your ass will look. Trust me. And that goes both about bikini shape (no Brazilians for the Mediterraneans) but also about the size. I used to be pissed, having to buy size L bikinis just because the top had to accommodate me, but then I realised that the bottoms actually looked better in that size! Go up one or even two sizes than you'd normally get. Usually, bikinis are so elastic that they won't slip off that easily, when a vicious wave leaves you tumbling on the shore.
5. Boy shorts usually only flatter boyish shapes. Personally, they make my hips look huge. Avoid at all costs.
   
6. Bikinis are much more forgiving to the Mediterranean figure than swimsuits. Swimsuits bring all the attention to legs, hips and thighs. And those are not exactly our strongest feature. But our waists are, so we'd better keep the attention there. Leave swimsuits to Scandinavian chicks!
7. Buy at least one bikini in a style different than your usual. Even if you swear by your halterneck, try to find a bandeau/strapless that will suit you. I stick by this advice beacause I simply hate tan marks and I try to avoid them at all costs. By alternating my bikinis, at least I manage to avoid specific lines.
8. Try mixing them! I do wear my bikinis as sets, but I also mix and match them whenever I feel bored or want to try something different. I am also buy seperates in ridiculous prices during sales, like cute bottoms from Oysho or a triangle bikini top from Benetton, to act as pairs of something entirely different from my collection.
9. Shops that carry bikinis that will fit 75C or bigger are Marks & Spencer (my best recommendation), Calzedonia (if you buy size 3 or 4), Accessorize and sometimes Benetton, always in size large. Stay away from Oysho for tops, its cup sizes are a joke. Oh, and if you have the strength to avoid annoying salesgirls, try Hondos as well. Although you won't find me in there often, they stock brands that carry all cup sizes.
   
10. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines. Everyone's body is different, not to mention taste in clothes, and there will always be exceptions to the rules. Like this Undercolors of Benetton star-printed bikini, for example. It's cut is very similar to a boy short and it probably isn't the best option for my body type, but I love it anyway!
    

If you are still bikini-hungry, check out my previous bikini-related posts on this blog, like last year's bikini search that ended triumphantly in Marks & Spencer, instructions on how to sew your own bikini, and also my bikini post on ermoumag. And if you're still not content, I really don't have anything else I can think of... Except maybe show you my brand new bikini for this summer!

Stripped bandeau bikini, BENETTON, €39,90

Sorry if I bored you with all that "advice" and have fun choosing your new bikinis!

Holiday

I would like to announce that as from tomorrow I will be parading my bikini collection on the sandy beaches of Chalkidiki, so I will be unable to post until Monday. Either than being extremely jealous, feel free to also

1. go through my archives (there is some interesting stuff there, people)
2. visit some of the talented folks on the list below my archives
   

And remember, summer isn't over until we say so. That is unless you live on the southern hemisphere, in which case I can't really help you. See you soon!

Summer is still going strong...

...and I am still enjoying my new bikinis. This one is by Undercolors of Benetton, bought from their bargain basket for just 20 euros! I think it's just been promoted to my favorite.
As I spent all day in the family vacation house, I threw it on in a hurry to go for a quick dip in the sea with my mum. I managed to take the picture in the balcony, just before we headed to the beach. I think this cat thought I looked really silly.
Next time dear kitty, stick to the balcony view, or I'll make you my bikini model. Wet bikini model.

Bikini fever

With less than a week till Color Your Life graffiti festival starts, I have to think forward and prepare. My boyfriend coming back from the stores with the most amazing Quicksilver green surf shorts didn't help either. Got jealous. HAD TO SHOP. Problem there: I'm rather "gifted" on the boobs department and most stores think all women either are a 34B or don't care if their boobs look like sacks. So, I walked, and asked and walked some more. No luck at Calzedonia or Undercolors and numerous other small shops. And then it hit me. Good old Marks and Spencer! They always have bigger sizes and only half of their styles are too mumsy. I got in there, browsed for five minutes and took a whole lot of bikini tops in the dressing room. I always try on just the tops for starters, and the 10% that make it through the test get to go to the next phase: the bottoms. So, these are the ones I tried on, but didn't quite make it:And these are the ones I finally bought:
Beautiful double print combining zebra and polka dots, great colors and very supporting top... ...surprisingly well-fitting, with yummy white and yellow print.

Now, repeat after me: Don't snob the shops your mum shops