Are you a bikini or a one-piece woman?
Every woman over 50 knows the answer to this question without thinking twice. You may be at the wavering stage – you might take both in your suitcase and see how you feel when you get there, or maybe you have a ‘one for sunbathing/one for swimming’ rule.
But, in the end, everyone comes down on one side or the other: less on show, or more; a ‘Bikini Brave’ or a ‘One Piece’ woman.
This week on holiday with her extended family, Penny Lancaster, aka Mrs Rod Stewart, pinned her colours to the mast and wore not a compromise bikini (more about this in a minute) but a slip of a bikini – the kind of bikini that gave the bikini its youthful, racy, image.
This week on holiday with her family, Penny Lancaster, Mrs Rod Stewart, wore a slip of a bikini, the kind that gave the bikini its youthful, racy, image
There is a school of thought (and 53-year-old Penny is clearly a fan) that if you’re happy wearing a bikini then you should go for it and wear the itsy bitsy sort
And before we go any further – we salute her! There is a school of thought (and 53-year-old Penny is clearly a fan) that if you’re happy wearing a bikini then you should go for it and wear the itsy bitsy sort, not tie yourself in knots finding a more covered-up style which won’t give you the same pleasure and – let’s be honest – that ‘I’ve Still Got It’ feeling.
You’re on holiday! Wear the (very) cut-off denim shorts. Dig out your practically-a-top minidress. We all know the rule: when abroad in the sun, the normal dos and don’ts of dressing no longer apply, and you can do pretty much what you did 20 years ago.
Penny showed off her figure, and confidence, in the tiny bikini as she enjoyed the trip to Sardinia with her family
J-Lo, 54, is often seen rocking an itsy bitsy bikini. Here she is on holiday in St Bart’s in December last year
We’re used to seeing supermodel Heidi Klum, 51, in a bikini she could have borrowed from her daughter
You may go to the shops in a boob tube and towelling shorts. You can saunter to the local bar in your Carmen Miranda dress and cork clogs. And you can hit the beach (or the deck of a £50million yacht in Sardinia in Lancaster’s case) in whatever you like, including a barely-there bikini.
We’re used to seeing Heidi Klum, 51, in a bikini she could have borrowed from her daughter, and J.Lo, 54, in a glamorous high-cut two piece. Meanwhile Liz Hurley, the poster girl for ‘Yes We Can Wear A Bikini At Any Age’, has never moved on from her skimpy Lambs Navy Rum bikini styles, and has no intention of doing so, at the age of 59.
There’s no question that you don’t have to hang up your bikini any more when you pass a certain milestone and, what’s more, you might well get a late burst urge to wear one all over again – because your Pilates classes are paying off.
Still, there’s no point pretending most of us 50-something plus civilians don’t need a little more assistance if we’re going to dream of wearing a bikini – and this is where the compromise bikini comes in.
If you’ve got bigger breasts than you had in your bikini heyday, then the chances are you want a top built like a decent proper bra, with underwiring, thick straps and double-lined fabric (we’re not all doing the unsupported triangles any more, even if Penny is).
For quality bra-style bikinis, you want to go to places where they deal in cup sizes, and more affordable brands that focus on cup fit include Marks & Spencer, of course, Boden and underwear brands like La Perla.
My top tip, for medium to smaller breasts, is a halterneck with substantial straps that you can tie as tightly as you need to, which gives you not just support but extra lift. If you are large breasted you’ll want extra coverage too and, whatever your breast size, you feel safer and less exposed in bikini tops that contain you not just in front but at the sides.
Lorraine Kelly at 59. For medium to smaller breasts, is a halterneck with substantial straps that you can tie as tightly as you need to, which gives you not just support but extra lift
Coverage is an interesting one: too much and you look as if you’re unsure of your choice and the opposite of fresh and summery, but bottom coverage is something most of us feel the need to increase as the years go by.
This doesn’t mean high-waisted bikini bottoms are necessarily the answer. It is the canny tricks and details that make bikinis wearable for us 50-somethings. A bottom that finishes on or just below your tummy button will always be more flattering than one that covers it, plus some softening of the line helps to prevent you looking like you’re wearing a solid 50s-style girdle.
A fold-over bottom allows you to adjust the depth of the pants according to your mood (try Boden’s Levanzo fold-over bottoms) and gives you a bit of flattering excess fabric that works in the same way as ruching on the stomach of a one piece.
Slightly ruched or string-tied sides are also, surprisingly, a good bet; so long as the side ties are thick enough to provide a bit of extra coverage while at the same time giving the illusion of an upgraded string bikini.
Otherwise, boy pants work well if you suit them. They look youthful, sporty and guarantee complete bottom coverage – head to Boden again for the best fit and quality at reasonable prices.
Boy-style pants, as worn by actress Melanie Griffith
The other option is a tankini – matching top and bottoms – but these are a cover-up too far in my view. If you want that much coverage, you are far better off getting a structured, body sculpting swimsuit, with or without eye-deceiving, slimming side panels. No doubt people think they can roll up the top, as and when they feel safe to, but these are the mumsiest of all the swimwear options.
On balance the bikini that most of us want is one that flatters our figures and makes us look as youthful as possible without letting us down. Post 50, one way to achieve that is with striking bright colour. Red is always great in the sun and red is the colour of that bikini Helen Mirren was photographed in, unbeknownst to her, 16 years ago. Back in 2008 it was still a bit surprising to see a woman of 63 wearing a bikini and the fact that Mirren looked so great in it probably did a lot for the cause of the Bikini Braves.
Back in 2008 it was still a bit surprising to see a woman of 63 wearing a bikini and the fact that Helen Mirren looked so great in it probably did a lot for the cause of the Bikini Braves
That particular bikini came from a boutique in Nice (no use to us) and the key to its appeal, MIrren has said, is that the top was built like a bra – although it’s worth noting that the bottoms were not big but the sides were just wide enough (key) and they were a little bigger than they looked on account of being edged in white.
You can find something not dissimilar at Rigby & Peller – bra makers by royal appointment (rigbyandpeller.com) or on the Marks & Spencer website. M&S is good at brights with serious underpinnings. Their Freya jewel cove wired bikini top in a turquoise and white stripe would work on pretty much any figure.
Top bikini brands for over 50s
- Best for big boobs: at the premium end Form and Fold makes bikinis exclusively for women with D plus cup sizes and on the high street Marks & Spencer specialises in bikinis for fuller busts with ‘powernet’ for extra shaping and support.
At the premium end Form and Fold makes bikinis exclusively for women with D plus cup sizes
- Best for plus size: sustainable swimwear brand Tona makes double-lined, underwired tops with thick adjustable straps for maximum support and high-waisted bottoms with medium coverage across the bottom. Deakin and Blue sell tops and bottoms separately up to a size 24.
Tona makes double-lined, underwired tops with thick adjustable straps for maximum support
- Best for fashion forward glamour: ME+Em’s adjustable rise, medium-coverage chocolate brown bikini (£85).
Me+Em’s adjustable rise, medium-coverage chocolate brown bikini (£85)
- Best for sports: Next’s Athleta square neck bra with hidden undewire design (£60) and mid-rise bottoms (£40).
Next’s Athleta square neck bra with hidden undewire design (£60) and mid-rise bottoms (£40)
- Best for quality that lasts: Boden, and Marks & Spencer.
Now all you need is a sarong!
