Living in Canada is like living near the artic. Winters are cold and long Dec.-March and Summers are short and only hot July-August. And well, that means for us, swimwear fashion starts in February/March, before the spring break where there is a scramble to find a bikini for the “escape the cold” vacations in March. We all want to go south to Cuba, Mexico, Dominican Republic…it’s all fair game to those of us frozen by 4 months of winter and desperate for a chance to thaw out. So let’s do the work of bikini shopping. Yes, the swimwear shopping season is upon us, and hopefully it can be pleasant and hopefully we’ve lost our holiday gut! But alas, bikinis can actually be forgiving to weight gain because they are not that confining. But I digress. Let’s talk about what to look for in the best swimsuit for 2022.

For this article, I have focused on bikinis that are easily accessible from known retail chains in North America. Because nobody has time to wait for an expensive designer bikini bought online to be shipped to home, only to find out it’s not gonna work…And I focused on affordable choices, cuz, girl…we want more than one set and we do not want to break the bank!

Before Shopping: Know thy body, know thy style: There are so many styles of bikinis out there and they all do a different things. Some are more athletic, and offer more support for the breasts, some are skimpier, leaving less tan lines and less support. Bottoms can be boyshorts, thong, tanga, strong thong, classic bikini cut..etc. So there is just so much to choose from. I noticed I didn’t have many string bikinis in my repertoire so for my shopping haul, I focused on this style. The classic string bikini was not always easy to find, so I did deviate slightly from this style by buying suits that were just on the skimpy side. Haha, if I want modesty I would go with a one piece anyway! Knowing what general style I wanted is key to finding the best suit for me! So let’s go try on some bikinis:

H & M: Padded String bikini top and bottom with recycled fabric: $40. CAD

Details: Loved the top with non-removable pads because they don’t move around or crease. The padded cups were also slightly contoured and sown into the top triangles, giving it support and shape. It was a classic side tie string bikini bottom with medium cheekiness. and medium front coverage too.

Colour: A delicate floral print with colours in sweet pastels like lavender, pink and yellow…

Pattern: Not overly floral, it was a very fine pattern, reminiscent of floral pjs once had (sweet but sexy?) I liked the gold jewelry on the ties, made it look more expensive.

Overall fit: Very good string bikini, with enough coverage on both the top and bottom to keep it innocently family, but the frills and the string cut makes it more demurely adult. B+

Aerie Eyelet String Bikini top with bikini cut bottoms $54 CAD

Details: Not sure if a cotton eyelet material is that racy (think country summer dress), but something about using it in a string bikini says naughty! In the past I’ve notice Aerie Swim tended to not be that dishy, but this year, their cups got smaller and excess coverage was shaved off for better lines. Also, the bikini bottoms with this set was slightly cheekier that usual too!

Colour: Not white, not lavender, but light lavender? It’s such a cool toned colour that can compliment any tan. It’s also pale enough to make my skin colour look less ghostly after 6 months of no sun.

Pattern: Solid colour bikini with a subtle eyelet embroidery designs are very pretty, and it also has lettuce edges for a feminine softness about it.

Overall fit: Lovely . The size Small cups were padded, but not overly structured, which I liked. The triangles were not overly big, leaving just the right amount of coverage, while maximizing curves. Good deal and good for pool or beach, it sends out a lounge like vibe. A-

Victoria’s Secret Terry Cloth Halter/Bandeau top bikini with High waisted Cheeky cut bottoms

Form: Supportive bandeau top. The decorative gold buckle in the middle makes for a bit of glam. The addition of the halter straps can add more support and visual interest. It has just the right sized cups, but I went with the xs size since VS Swim sizes seem larger in general. I felt a bit more Bond Girl in this suit. It’s more grown up with less frills. The bottoms are nicely high waisted, while having a modest amount of cheeky.

Colour: love the mid toned lavender! It’s a unique colour and so fun.

Pattern: Solid coloured suits are great, especially when it is made of a different material. The focus is shared with the texture of the terry cloth.

Overall fit: perfect amount of coverage and overall the silhouette of the bikini top is flattering and supportive. The high waisted bottom is good as a way to tame that extra pouch all women have under the tummy and the cheekiness is playful with out be distasteful. A

So there it is. 3 excellent bikini sets for pool, or beach For fashion and fit the Victoria Secret Swim rose above the others a tiny bit. But if I was to look for a classic string bikini silhouettes with ties, it would be the H & M bargain. If it was based on which suit was prettiest, it would be Aerie’s take on Eyelet swimwear! Thanks for reading and happy swim suit shopping!