fashion

CULT BUY: The $50 one-piece swimsuit that goes up to a size 24 and isn't frumpy.

I’ve spent the last two weeks waking up in a cold sweat, hair stuck to my forehead and eyes weary from scrolling the internet late into the night before.

Why? Because I’m going to Bali and will inevitably need to put on a pair of swimmers.

Thanks to Instagram, magazines, the fashion industry and the patriarchy (bloody patriarchy), swimwear shopping tends to be a soul destroying expedition for a lot of women.

There is no worse feeling that standing in a humid change room with truly terrible lighting, looking at your reflection wearing the swimmers you just smooshed and squeezed yourself into. With your undies still on because, hygiene.

To avoid this exact experience, I set about finding a one-piece online. Risky, I know, but honestly, I couldn’t face trying them on in person in a store. I’d much rather suffer that humiliation in the privacy of my own bedroom.

One-pieces are in, but I’ve always felt like a rectangle with legs when I put one on. And to find one that fits well in all the places (i.e. big enough on the bottom not to get lost between your bum cheeks and small enough to hold your boobs in and up) is a struggle.

Also, has anyone else noticed most one-pieces that go above a size 18-20 look like this? Black or navy with ruching on the stomach to hide your sins.

stripped bathers
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Lovely, but not exactly inspiring, are they? Image: Kmart.
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There's nothing wrong with this style of swimwear, but I'm in my 20s and I want to wear fun prints and cuts like everyone else my age on the beach.

So when I typed 'plus size sexy one piece' into Google and this one popped up, I felt like I had nothing to lose, right? I'm so glad I did because these bathers make me feel really good about myself.

They're called the Boohoo Plus Cut Out Swimsuit and it starts at $32.

This particular style comes in three colours and prints (at the moment, but I have a feeling they'll restock in other colours as we get closer to summer):

*The blonde model is wearing a size 16 and the model with the pineapple, an 18 or 20.

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The black is quite chic. Image: Boohoo.
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Plus-Tropical-Print-Cut-Out-Swimsuit
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I bought the tropical and it's SO FUN. Image: Boohoo.
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Plus-Heart-Print-Tie-Front-Bikini
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If you've got a warmer or darker skin tone, the white would look awesome. Image: Boohoo.

I firmly believe the genius of this one-piece is in the cut out.

I've tried this swimsuit on in a size 20 and I can assure you the cut out isn't as gappy or exposing as it looks. Having that flattering bit of skin between your boobs and your belly button exposed serves the dual purpose of making the look feel younger, and drawing the eye to the waist.

This is crucial for me because my waist is the smallest part of my figure, and the cut of this one-piece made me feel less like a rectangle, and much more hourglass.

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The material is surprisingly thick for the price and the straps are thick, my stomach and back felt tucked in. You can also tighten the bust area by wrapping the tie, which is meant to be decorative, around itself a few times, pulling the fabric in closer for more support. For context, I'm an E cup.

Keep in mind, Boohoo orders are shipped from the UK, so they won't arrive as quickly as ones from The Iconic would. Mine arrived within 7-10 working days.

But the very best thing about this one-piece is that putting on this swimsuit made me feel included in the whole Instagram trend of amazing swimwear in bold colours and fun prints.

When you're not the standard size, buying swimmers feels crap. But sitting on a beach in a pair of bathers that make you feel irrelevant feels worse.

This one-piece makes me feel like me, and I deserve to feel bloody good about myself at the beach too.

Need more summer inspiration? Here's some lovely women explaining how to get a 'beach body'.

Video by MMC

Have you found a very excellent one-piece? Tell us in the comments below.