Swimwear for Spa Days

So, it's decided (I decided) that Mr BB and myself are overdue a spa day.  I haven't been to a spa for three years now and I've never been with the other half before, so to say we're overdue it is an understatement.  I'm looking forward to swimming in the pool, chilling out in a jacuzzi and sweating it out in a sauna, and some treatments would be rather nice too, such as a massage and a facial.  All that needs to be done is book up with the right spa package and, oh, sort out the issue that is wardrobe!

Champney's Springs in Leicestershire - ooh yes please!

With spas, it doesn't matter whether you're a swimsuit wearer or prefer a bikini, what's more important is making sure you choose the right one for you that makes you feel confident about yourself and importantly, comfortable.  After all, what's the point in worrying about ties coming loose when you're meant to be relaxing?

Not all swimwear is the same so it's wise to thoroughly fit and check out your suit before the big day.  These pointers might help you out:

• Check your suit's not see through when wet (no nipples or pubic hair on show)


• Ensure the bottom doesn't ride up between your cheeks.  No one likes a wedgie.


• Can you can fasten fiddly ties or clasps yourself?


• Boob slips can happen - prevent it!  Bounce and move around, do your boobs stay in place?


• You don't want shoulder or neck pain from too tight straps - adjust to a comfortable tension now before you go.

Here are my top favourites of swimwear perfect for a spa day.  Hmm, which to choose?...

Freya 'Fever' Bikini Top

Leia Lingerie, £30

Kelly Brook 'Pink Rose' Bikini Top

New Look, £16.99

Curvy Kate Moonlight Bikini Top

Figleaves, £34

Lepel Capri Swimsuit
Figleaves, £38

And which did I choose?  The Freya Fever bikini!  I bought the gorgeous blue colourway from Leia Lingerie in a 28GG in the plunge style with medium brief bottoms.  It fits perfectly; the plunging cups are perfectly positioned and super flattering.  I was wise to order the 28GG as opposed to the H too as the cups are just the right size.  All I need now is my spa!

Becky x

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What IS Curvy?

"You're not curvy, you're fat!"

"You're too skinny to be curvy!"

Curves.  We love them.  We hate them.  Gok Wan really loves them.  And often, we get curves all wrong.  The thing about curves is that they're not size specific, yet time and time again the term is misused and abused to mock the bigger figure and defeminise the thin.  And while we debate the true meaning, we miss the real point that curves or not, we are what we've got.

Growing up, it was a regular reality that I was bullied for this, that and the other.  I was often picked on for my slim frame; my skinny legs, undeveloped chest and titchy waist, and 'anorexic' was a common name for me.  Fast forward a few years and I have the figure I thought would never come to fruition.  I'm not exactly skinny anymore but these days I have boobs, hips and a bum; a shapely hour glass figure I would call curvy.  But I'm not the only type of curvy.  Think Boux Avenue's plus size hotty, Robyn Lawley who is a size 16.  Kelly Brook is another curvy kitten wearing a size 8-10.  Both are curvy yet classified differently.  A size 16 is typically vilified where a size 10 isn't.  What's going on?

Robyn Lawley for Boux Avenue

There's an article in the Daily Mail Online about the proliferation of the plus size market.  It opens with a discussion about celebrities who have been labeled as curvy, and when asked about the idea that model Daisy Lowe is curvy, from some, there's laughter.  Again, when voluptuous Kim Kardashian is the next questionable curvy figure,  "no one thinks she is anything other than miniscule".  Why is it laughable that these two women couldn't possibly be curvy?  When did size decide whether a figure has curves?

Kim Kardashian

Today another blogger friend has been dealing with body bullying on her own blog.  Despite her blog being there to help all women, size unbiased, she has been hit with a vicious barrage of vile hate speak, criticizing her feminine figure and larger bust.  People like this think it is okay to tread on others when seen as inferior.  This coming from a size 6 woman who thinks anyone a size 8-10 would look like 'a whale in her social circles'.

No size is superior.  Our bodies, whatever the number, are ours to be proud of and we all have the right to express our happiness in our own skin.  It means not to poke fun at what may be the opposite that you are.  It means to make all women feel good about themselves, even if we're not as meaty or skinny as we desire.  It doesn't mean that being bigger you have the authority to officially label someone else's body, as it isn't acceptable for a thin person to make someone feel like crap.

This viral image created an onslaught of complaints,
proving it isn't about 'skinny or fat'.

Curves aren't exclusive of the larger woman, and not all larger women can lay claim to being curvy, as any other body shape and size can and can't.  But what's most important - if we could even forget the term curvy exists - is we're all women, practically non of us are 100% body confident and we should support each other, not pigeon hole and point.

Becky x

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