The hottest way to be cool
IMAGINE the languid elegance of a Bel-Air poolside. Conjure up your own picture of svelte bodies gently baking in the heat of a long hot summer, just occasionally slipping into the impossibly blue water of the pool itself . . .
Too good to be true? For most of us, this lifestyle is the stuff of filmset fantasy - a picture of absolute decadence far removed from our own all too brief fortnight in the sun.
But at least we can dream. And fashion is always there to help us flesh out such fantasies.
Cue this season's swimwear - most especially the new barely-there bikini sets, which are held in place with tiny shoestring straps and fragile ties.
Some bikini tops are nothing but a bandeau. Others slice and slither away the halter principle to a daring new brevity of cut. Many require a Boy Scout training in knot-tieing to minimise the risk of an unseemly underwater mishap.
Thanks to revolutionary developments in fabric technology, swimwear has generally never fitted, performed, or looked better. Indeed, usage of high-performance fibres such as Lycra (together with an ever-increasing concentration on design) helps today's cost-effective buys from high street chain stores outshine most of the costliest models of yesteryear.
You clearly no longer need spend a fortune to achieve that glamorous Hollywood poolside look. But, unless you are blessed with the perfect body, heaven (and every intelligent consumer) knows it helps.
Let that be your justification for splashing out on one of our stunning glam-ultimate swim-fashion finds this summer.
n Frasers,
Buchanan Street, Glasgow
(0141 221 3880).
Swimwear by Aquasuit, Anne Cole, Calvin Klein, Elle, Fantasie, Morgan, Jantzen, and Slix. Glam-ultimate: Anne Cole's black sequin-trimmed bikini set, #105.
n Heaven or Hell,
Wilson Street, Glasgow.
(0141 552 9977).
Swimwear by Anna Club, Aquasuit, La Perla, Gottex, Malizia, Marvel, and Oceana. Glam-ultimate: La Perla's black bikini set with lace-trimmed overskirt, #294.
n Pampas,
Hyndland Road, Glasgow
(0141 357 2383).
Swimwear by Fantasie, Gideon Oberson, Gottex, Maryann, Rasurel and Ronsard. Glam-ultimate: Gideon Oberson's gold-studded black bikini set, #73.
n Jenners,
Princes Street, Edinburgh
(0131 225 2442).
Swimwear by Anne Cole, Catanar, Christina of Canada, Fantasie, Gottex, Huit, and Slix. Glam-ultimate: Black bandeau bikini set with net shoulder detailing by Christina of Canada, #34.95.
n La Jolie Madame,
Morningside Road, Edinburgh
(0131 447 6715).
Swimwear by Beach Life, Fantasie, Gottex, Jantsen, and Rasurel.
Glam-ultimate: Gottex's green and blue-piped black bikini set, #56.95.
n Silks,
Clarkston Road, Glasgow
(0141 633 0442)
Swimwear by Fantasie, Gottex,
La Perla, Maryann, Rasurel, and Slix. Glam-ultimate: La Perla's white shoestring strap bikini
set, #157.
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