Swimwear

Swimwear has to do something underwear does not: hold together when wet and moving. Wet fabric stretches and gets heavier, so a swimsuit that feels snug when dry usually loosens in the water.

The main shapes

• One-piece: a single garment, from plain tank styles to high-leg, plunge and cut-out designs.
• Bikini: separate top and bottom. Tops include triangle (soft, tied), bandeau (strapless), and underwired styles that fit like a bra.
• Tankini: a longer top that reaches the bikini bottom.
• Swim dresses and shorts: more coverage below the waist.

Fit and fabric

If you wear a cup-sized bra, a cup-sized swim top is worth looking for. Brands such as Freya and Panache size swimwear by band and cup the same way they size bras, which matters most for underwired tops. Fashion swim sized S, M, L can suit softer triangle and bandeau styles.

Most swimsuits are nylon or polyester blended with elastane. Rinsing in fresh water after chlorine or salt helps the stretch last. A lined front stops fabric going sheer when wet; check this on pale colors. Look at ties and hooks: ties adjust, hooks stay put.

For one-pieces, torso length matters, just as it does in bodysuits. A suit that is too short pulls at the shoulders.

Some members post holiday photos, some post flat lays and fitting room shots, and many ask which tops hold up in a real swim rather than on a sunbed. Eres comes up for its plain, unpadded French swim and lingerie.