is wearing bikini the only way to look cool by the pool?

are you seriously writing about swimwear in september? 

well. parts of the world are swimwear season all year round, parts are just turning summer, hong kong is still boiling hot and most people love traveling to hotter countries in winter. so why not? 

i love summer- i love the water, the beaches the sand and the sun, but there are years i haven't been visiting the pool nor the beach. why? you probably got it right, it's the body issues. 

since i don't know when, beaches and pools are packed with people who wear bikini ONLY. and since it became such a norm, some people might feel like it is a must to wear them. no. don't get me wrong. bikinis are fine. they are beautiful and there is nothing wrong in wearing them. but since we are in the era of people raving about having the "perfect" bikini body, it might feel wrong for some people to wear them with the "wrong" body. 

so what do we do? we go to the beach or pool with bikini on, covering ourselves with a big tee shirt. or we still wear them feeling super uncomfortable inside. or we just simply not go to places like that anymore. but honey, you don't have to do that anymore, you don't have to force yourself in wearing bikini if you don't want to. nowadays, there are tons of beautiful one piece swimsuits out there for you . they are cute, elegant; and when styled right, they can look extremely chic on. 

so today i've put together some really beautiful one piece i've found in different online stores, from more expensive ones to more affordable ones, so everyone could have the chance to wear something they love while enjoying themselves by the pool. 

Bane Commercial $295usd | Elizabeth $295usd 

Elsa $295usd 

this is by far my favourite swimwear brand ever - OYE swimwear. extremely chic and fashionable, clever use of pattern which are design to help accentuate your body curve, beautiful use of fabric, and most interestingly is that you can easily transform them into everyday wear by pairing them with maxi skirts, shorts, or a pair of jeans. 

moving on are some other pieces that i personally love and would like to own; categorised by their price. 

Norma Kamali Zig Zag $375usd | Norma Kamali Bill Halter $350usd

Miraclesuit Jena Peekaboo $1438hkd | Michael Kors $1668hkd

Beach Riot $94usd | La Blanca $860hkd

Michael Kors $575hkd

ASOS Mesh $50.63usd | ASOS Bandeau $47.25usd

Motel $59.07usd

even though there are so many beautiful options beside bikini that you could wear, i would still recommend you to bravely deal with your personal body issues. 

here're a few tips that i read online which i think you could try

• don't focus on what other people's bodies look like 

• do focus on what you like about your appearance. try writing them now! 

• each day say one thing that you like about yourself

• focus on accomplishments that have to do with who you are as a person, not what you look like (i was listening to gala darling's good life project interview yesterday and she said she writes down every compliments she heard from other people; when you feel bad, read them)

• understand that things we see in print or on television have been ALTERED to perfection, everything is NOT as it seems. (this i can ensure you. i worked as a photographer assistant and you have no idea how much 'surgery' we did on photos)

• you don't need validation from anyone else to feel good about yourself

• wear clothes that make you feel good about your body. be a fashionista, not a fashion victim

• surrond yourself with positive people, who support you and make you feel good about yourself

• do something nice for yourself- something that lets your body know you appreciate it

after then, whether you wanna wear a one piece swimsuit or a bikini would be your choice! xx