In the second part of my swimwear special I have some swimming costumes for both the beach and sport swimming.  A trendy bikini will suffice for catching a tan but if you’re venturing into the water and getting a bit active, you need something more substantial for the job.

My first proper swimsuit was a Speedo back when I was a nipper at school learning to swim.  It’s a brand most of us will recognise and have heard about because of their well made functional costumes, and they’re a reliable option when swimming is the priority over beach fashion.  That can be the problem with sports swimwear, it can be mundane, dull and less than exciting.  If you have the added complication of being bigger busted, it’s all the more difficult finding something that will fit.

Speedo Sculpture is Speedo’s female tailored collection, addressing the very issue that us big boobed girls struggle with.  They do a good range of swimsuits by cup size up to an H so you can get the best fit according to your bust.

I tried two swimsuits from Speedo Sculpture.  This is the Premiere Ultimate Underwired which I got in my sister size 32G as my usual size of a 30GG was out of stock.  The Northern/Mystic colourway which is new for 2012 is a gorgeous vibrant deep blue with an aqua trim to the bust area.  The straps are adjustable at the back and it fastens with bra like wings and a snap clasp.

I loved the cut around the hips and the excellent bum coverage as there’s nothing I can’t stand more than a costume that rides up into your bum.

The bust section is a hidden underwired bra so it’s not obvious you’re wearing bust support from the outside.  I found this area a little odd, predominantly because I wasn’t wearing my best size but I found the bra lining showed through highlighting a lot of rippling and seams.  It made me feel a little self conscious so I think the bust area could do with some thicker fabric to smooth out the material so nothing detracts from the look.

The second costume is the Black and Pink colourway Premiere Shine Underwired, again in the 32G.  It’s very similar in design to the Ultimate but has a much more sporty look with it’s colour blocking at the pelvic area and the cross over back straps.  It fastens with the same snap clasp but because of the cross over design there are no bra like wings.

The underwired bra is the same as the Ultimate but is more prominent to the front with a more defined separated cup area.  I really liked the v neck shape as I felt it fitted me better and was more supportive which was lent by the good cross over strap structure.  Again I felt the bust area would benefit from some sort of padding for discretion; the bra seams were showing through as were my nipples.

Once I had the swimsuit on it was a great fit and supported me in all the necessary areas but getting the suit on was quite a challenge.  I struggled to find the best way to get into it because of the cross over straps and it was a heave-ho pulling it up over my hips.  I felt as if it just wasn’t of a sufficient size to accommodate my large hips which I think can be the problem with swimsuits sized according to your bra and not taking into account your dress size.  I did feel if I had a smaller frame I would have had an easier time with it, it’s possibly more fitting for a size 10 or someone with slighter hips than mine.  Once I’d got past the difficulty of getting the suit on, it was absolutely fine and it felt really good.

Both the Premier Ultimate and the Premier Shine retail for £60 and £63 respectively, so they’re not cheap compared to a regular Speedo in the region of £30-£40.  You are paying the premium that it’s specifically catering for your bust so you want to be sure it fits right.  If you are big busted then the Speedo Sculpture range is absolutely worth looking at.  Having a swimsuit that you don’t feel like you’re falling out of is the answer to a big boobed girl’s prayers.  But, I would suggest to Speedo about developing further on the bust area.  Given a layer of smoothing fabric to iron out the lining and seam show through and this is a spot on range for the busty.

Becky x