It's a 90 degree July day and in retail world that means it's time to start shopping for fall clothes. Unfortunately, I never got around to shopping for the bathing suits I need (rather desperately) in February when I was supposed to. One piece suits are on my list and apparently I'm not alone. I read recently that something like 63 percent of women prefer one piece suits. No mystery here since the population of over 40 bathing suit-wearers outnumbers all other female shoppers. But there are more reasons to love the one piece than just 'bits' coverage. Just like wearing the right bra, a one piece suit can be a feat of architecture in lycra and spandex.
I've done some legwork on-line. The 8 one piece suits below were available as of yesterday ( Monday, July 12) many on sale and in a range of sizes and colors. Since nothing is more depressing than the glare of a fitting room fluorescent trained on a half naked body, I prefer shopping for swimwear online. Before I commit to a purchase I perform a fit ritual in front of my bedroom mirror. Try this: Bend over, reach, squat, sit down on the floor indian style. If the suit passes the 'bits' containment test then move on to a color inspection in daylight. Ocean side strolls require skin flattering (and sophisticated) shades. And you don't have to fall back on solid black to look slimmer.
I especially like the look of shirred and ruched styles inspired by the 40's and 50's with feminine lingerie touches. Nothing offers clever camouflage like draping, gathering and embellishment in the right places.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Enhance or fake an hourglass shape in The Original Norma Kamali Swimsuit in black
(also available in white, cobalt and a bright acid yellow). The front of the suit has a shirred top layer over an under layer for a shaping fit. Check out the site's Try Before You Buy option. They'll even help you via Skype. $98 normakamali.com.
Fake a flat tummy, a fuller bust and a smaller bottom in J. Crew's Ruched Femme Tank in neon purple. Available in a D cup. $80-$82 jcrew.com.
The Chikara Anastacia tank with rosette details is designed for women who have had left, right, or bi-lateral mastectomy. Ten percent of the proceeds of Chikara sales are donated to Komen Greater NYC, an affiliate of Susan G. Komen For The Cure. $160 chikaradesign.com.
Ruching, a vertical ruffle and a high cut leg make for a longer, leaner and more hourglass appearance. Suit has a high back and is available to size 16. Karla Coletto $292 everythingbutwater. This site offers great suggestions for different fit questions.
LEFT TO RIGHT: A colorblock design from Spanx creates waist definition, de-emphasizes a tummy. Underwire construction supports and lifts the bustline. I like the slim-appeal of black in a non-black suit.
On sale for $119. The horizontal ruffle detail on this style (detachable straps) also from Spanx, draws the eye upwards from a full bottom and adds volume to a small bust. High cut leg openings make gams appear longer. On sale for $107. Both available spanx.com.
Plus size style Sonatina by Miraclesuit has waist shirring to disguise a tummy and a high cut bottom for a leg lengthening effect. $142 cyberswim.com.
Color blocking, side drape, shirring and a graphic, mid-sized pattern add up to a defined waist, tummy coverage, a minimized bottom. High cut bottom lengthens the legs. Chamberlain sweetheart neck bandeau by Miraclesuit. On sale $70.99 saks.com.
It started with an article I read last week in the New York Times. "The Long Road To Adulthood Growing Longer" explained that while baby boomers are the generation that hangs on to a kind of 'perpetual adolescence" forever, now a younger wave of women in their 20's and 30's is following their example.
Apparently, "independence no longer begins at 21" and women now officially take much longer to finish school, leave their parent's homes, achieve financial independence, have kids---and regardless of our age, many women are dressing to show that they still feel like teenagers right up into our sixties.
The day after I read the article, I met with a new client. A well-known writer. Just turned 40. A very talented and very sexy girl with an emphasis on the 'girl' part when it came to her wardrobe. Having been engaged to help her evolve her style but still retain her signature look, ( did I mention sexy?) I went through her closets and found them filled with plunging necklines, tight, short short, faddish, disposable gear. "Young' was putting it mildly. As I pulled out the second short shorts jumpsuit I explained that these looked very Forever 21 to me. Not 'youthful' or hip just flat out young. "But shorts shorts are super cute," she said. And then she layed it on me. "What's wrong with looking young?", she asked as she tossed her very long, layered hair.
So, let's take a second to talk about 'super cute'. On my list: babies in little rompers. Little girls in sweet dresses with bows or tiny ruffles. Teeny tiny flower prints. Puffed sleeves. Baby doll anything. Coltish teenage girls in the outrageous and short looks of the moment. Grown women need to pack away 'super cute' with their yearbooks and move into a sophisticated update of their personal style. Problem is we can't seem to nail down when 'grown woman' begins visually.
Another day and NYC's first sidewalk-searing heat wave. Nothing brings out the short short lengths like savage humidity. I was shopping for a job in the contemporary department at Saks (ground zero for women of a certain age shopping for 'super cute') when I spotted La Romper, a 50-ish woman stepping from the dressing room to take a turn on the selling floor in a cotton romper ( that would be a thigh-gripping pair of bloomer shorts attached to a strapless blouson top). As I gawped, I heard this exchange:
Saleswoman: "That looks soooo cute on you!"
La Romper: "I probably shouldn't be wearing this right? I've always liked to dress for my legs."
Saleswoman: " Oh no. It's great. You should get it! You look FABULOUS".
She did have a pair of well-turned calves along with a braless and drooping bust, slack skin on her upper arms and some cellulite and a riot of busted capillaries on her thighs. In short, a normal woman. Normal aging. Big deal. But I wanted to say "Geez Romper! Why not show off your great calves and cover the rest of the bits that expose the age you are working so hard to deny?" Now, if you are out there thinking "Oh c'mon! She is clearly delusional." Maybe. But aren't the romper-wearing 50-year-olds of the world like distress flares sent up over dark, open water? Isn't a woman dressed like a teenager a livid reminder of how far our culture's morbid obsession with growing old will drive some women to avoid looking old?
There isn't anything natural or even familiar with the way we age now. We can Botox, porcelain veneer, fraxel, lipo, fortify our stressed and aging tresses with miracle conditioners so that we can wear them very long. And as long as media holds up celebs like Madonna and Demi Moore as the standard bearers of aging well through 'yoga and diet' the greater the age rollback among average women.
Our concept of what 'old' looks like is as skewed as our culture's trajectory from Forever 21 to womanhood.
Altering our bodies to look decades younger doesn't mean we won't look ridiculous dressing decades younger. So, here's how I reconcile the mid-20's age I feel in my head with my reasonably fit but middle-aged body. It's my ageless equation ( and the raison d'etre for my book Style Evolution) for looking great in your skirts or shorts or your anything this summer: Concentrate on real body awareness. A clever conceal wherever needed plus a subtle reveal wherever flattering equals grownup style intelligence. Easy.
If your legs look good and your knees are intact - one inch above the knee in skirts and dresses. Don' t care how great those stems are. Sleeveless is not your friend if it puts aging skin front and center. Wear clean-lined or pretty sleeves. And no rompers past college graduation.
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