Pool Days

Summersalt swimsuit (c/o)
Zara shorts (similar)
Aldo slides
Mango hat
Celine sunglasses
Amazon bag (similar)
& Other Stories necklace
Linjer rings (c/o)
Mejuri earrings (c/o)
CHANEL La Creme Main
CHANEL Palette Essentielle
Location: Osborne Village – Winnipeg, Manitoba

I love summer, but I do not love to swim. There was a brief period in my childhood, between my absolute horror putting my face in the water in kinder swim class and my realisation that finding a bathing suit that worked for my adult body would be a lifelong struggle, when I enjoyed pool days. We spent a lot of them at the outdoor pool at my aunts’ apartment, splashing around with our cousins. Now, my pool days number approximately one per year. Despite the fact that our building has a rooftop pool, which felt like a major selling feature when we bought our apartment.

Pool days just aren’t my thing. Most of my favourite summer activities involve snacks. Or at least include a stop for snacks. I don’t love the water but swimwear still plays a big part in my desire to avoid pools and beaches. There is no activity more demoralising, from where I’m sitting, then shopping for a new swimsuit. Especially if you have anything resembling curves. By the time I’ve finished trying on half a dozen swimsuits, none of which fit quite right, my desire for pool days has dissipated entirely.

But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on finding a fabulous swimsuit. I go through the exercise of trying to find the swimsuit of my dreams every summer, only to come away emptyhanded every time. That’s not true. I tried a bikini a couple of years ago. It felt like a victory to wear one for the first time since junior high, but that victory was shortlived. In the end, I never really did feel comfortable in it, and quickly went back to the same one-piece that I’ve been wearing, year after year, since 2007.

Last year, I stumbled upon a brand called Summersalt, whose promise was two-fold: comfort and style in a swimsuit. Swimwear you can lounge around in and run around in? I was admittedly intrigued. And impressed by the wide range of one-piece styles. But I was also skeptical. Could a brand really take a practical swimsuit and make it fashion? There was only one way to find out… When Summersalt kindly offered to let me put their suits to the test, I accepted.

My Summersalt swimsuits arrived just as summer was ending. I planned to pack them for Greece, where we will have beach and pool days a plenty. But after trying them on, I found myself asking, “Why wait?” Which is proof that they lived up to their comfort claim, because I can always wait to wear a swimsuit, and generally prefer to.

The first of my two suites, called The Plunge, is a cut I would never normally take a risk on. In my mind, plunging cuts are reserved for people with a certain body type, and I am not one of them. But in reality, the cut fit me comfortably, with no need to shift or fuss with the straps to keep it in place. If I wanted to, I really could run around in it. But I admit that I prefer my pool days to be more of the lounging variety, so I spent most of my time poolside.

After all these years, I’m not sure the perfect swimsuit actually exists. But I do know that not all swimsuits are created equal, and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt as comfortable on a pool day as I did in my Summersalt suit. If you’re lucky to live somewhere warmer than I do, or have a sunny winter holiday planned, the brand is definitely one to check out for your next swimwear purchase. And if you do decide to take the plunge – I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist – the brand is kindly offering a gift of $10 off your purchase of $95 or more with the code CEEFARDOE10.

Happy swimming!

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