Aussie Curves: Swimwear

This week, things are getting well outside the comfort zone at Aussie Curves, with a theme of swimwear on the table. Honest to goodness, I really thought I was going to sit this week out.  I don't think I'm alone in my trepidation around swimwear.. they're garments that reveal rather than conceal, and we're inundated with images of how we're "supposed" to look in our togs. The "Bikini Body" is one of the ways in which a woman who is suitably slim for the approval of society is described.

Well.. I do have a bikini body, it's about size 20 or so, and it has lumps, bumps, rolls, cellulite, scars, freckles and a host of other "imperfections". It might not look like the body you see in the magazines but it's been serving me well for the past four decades or so, and I'm actually quite fond of taking said body down to the beach for a bit of a paddle. 

We live close to the water, and it's an absolute delight to go down to the beach after work, just before sunset and enjoy a swim while the sun is setting, the water is still warm but the heat's gone out of the day, there's no real risk of sunburn, and it's not a popular time so we normally have some space to ourselves. 

Am I going to let some nameless "someone" and their disapproval of me stand in the way of enjoying the ocean? I most certainly am not!! So off I go, and this is what I usually wear to do it..

This swimsuit is from City Chic and it's at least a year old, it was one of the first ones they bought out. It's still holding up well despite fairly regular use and I'm really happy with the quality of it. It has a nice built-in bra as part of the design which is really comfortable and gives me nice support too. 

Even though the late hour of the day didn't really warrant it, I couldn't resist showing off my parasol, either - it's from Boston Umbrellas and the style is called "Frou Frou". I take it out in all weather, and it protects me from rain and sun alike, and adds a dash of flair to any outfit I combine it with.

For my cover-up I am wearing a lovely mesh top from TS14+, and a black skirt from an opshop. On my feet are my comfy croc sandals, just the thing for a dash across warm sand!

Now, I don't normally put on a full face of makeup to have a swim, but this was special circumstances, so I got a bit silly and put on some 1950s style pinup makeup.. of course when you do this you simply HAVE to pull silly faces at the camera as well.

Here's some swimsuit options you might want to consider if you fancy taking a dip yourself!

Of course you need to check out all of the other fab ladies showing off their swimwear in the blog hop too: