Swimsuits should be designed for swimming – not social media likes

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to test many women’s swimsuits for this website. High leg, low leg, thick straps, thin straps, racer back, wide back… I’ve tried them all. More recently though, it feels like in some corners of the market, brands have forgotten what a swimsuit should be for.

Case in point. There’s a swimsuit that has been doing the rounds lately on social media. Constructed from a slip of fabric with various strappy straps attached, the models in it look amazing. Sporty, lithe and ready for action.

I sent a photo round various swim buddies of mine though and it was met with unanimous mirth. “That won’t hold anything in”, one said. “I’ll give you £50 if you can tumble turn in it and keep your boobs in”, was the rather blunt challenge from another.

So in the interests of investigative journalism (of course) we secured the viral suit in a size which the website suggested would fit me.

Keeping everything in

Now, if you’re scrolling down to find a photo of me wearing it I’ll save you a job – there aren’t any. Basically because we aren’t that type of website. Needless to say the suit didn’t cover me at all and there’s was no way I was getting that £50 (dammit!).

In the interests of fairness though and recognising that not every suit is designed for every body, I asked another of 220’s writers to give one a go. While I’m a UK14 and on the curvy side, she’s a UK10 and could give most sports influencers a run for their money. She also recently completed Ironman Leeds, a race which is already whispered to be amongst the toughest iron courses out there.

The good news? She looked fabulous in the viral suit. The bad news? Her body wasn’t telling her face. “I don’t feel very… secure in it,” she muttered.

And here’s the point. If a swimsuit is being sold for swimming, then we need to actually be able to swim in it. Regardless of the waste of money if we’re buying kit not fit for purpose, there’s also the waste of precious resources being used to produce swimwear that won’t actually be swum in.

Of course there’s a much wider argument here around fast fashion which none of us should ignore, but for the purposes of this article it’s functionality for actual sport that’s bothering me.

Form over function

Now I’m no prude and I’m not suggesting we should be returning to woollen Victorian bathing suits down to our knees. I like a racer back or a high-cut leg as much as the next swimmer, as they will generally allow me the freedom I need to swim and perform in training.

It’s hard to do that though if you’re worried about accidental nipple exposure or whether your bum is adequately covered.

From what I can see working as an open-water coach at a lake, men don’t have the same problem. Without staring too closely at their crotch area (I don’t want to get a reputation) male swimmers seem to be divided between wearing jammers and budgies (with Aussie brand Budgy Smugglers who give these trunks their nickname leading the charge).

I’m not saying men aren’t subject to pressures around body image but unless I’m wrong (and please do email in if you disagree), male swimwear is designed with function as the top priority. Unless you’re rocking a Borat-style mankini (and fair play if you are) men’s swimwear never seems to leave them removing wedgies as they swim or worrying about things (ahem) falling out.

(By the way, if you’re a chap reading this and looking for men’s reviews, you can find our top jammers reviewed here!).

So why does this matter? It bothers me that kit is being manufactured for women that isn’t functional. With digital enhancement a real concern online too, we should all be wary of what is being marketed to us through seductive imagery.

The good news? There are also some really great brands making swimsuits that you can swim for hours in without discomfort or chafing and which are sustainably produced and able to withstand many wash-and-wear cycles without falling apart. Many of them look fantastic too, so there’s no reason you can’t get that great pic for your social media as well as a decent training session in.

Our reviews here cover many of them but here are some brands I turn to again and again in training.

• Zoggs for a wide range of sizes and styles and technical innovation including silver-lined swimsuits for winter warmth.

• Aquasphere for suits that come with a choice of straps based on preference but will never let you down in training.

• Funkita for fab prints and designs and a fit that perfectly balances skimpy enough to train hard with a design that keeps everything in place.

• Budgy Smugglers for women’s swimsuits in great prints that are a lot of fun and last extremely well.
• Coots London for UK-designed sustainable swimwear that is beautifully made but with performance at heart.