Slipping into swimwear is such a big deal for so many of us. You know you cannot keep up with the Kardashians... and well, you shouldn’t even try to. The idea is to own up the bodies we have and love the way we are. Does that mean you can hit the beach in a swimsuit? Yes, of course. Take a whole lot of cues from our summer swimwear special! 

I decided to listen to my body 
— Sneha Ghosh

I found my middle ground of confidence, mental strength and mental health in my 20s. What I wear best is my confidence. It’s something that I have inculcated and it has been a gradual process. Considering the fact that I belong to a fashion industry that is extremely diverse, I have this constant battle with the cultural ideals that the world bestows on us. I have redefined beauty for myself, which is more than the body, more than just being a name… it is who I am truly from inside.

I wasn’t born out of my mum looking like this. There has been a lot of hard work that has gone in. It has been an extremely lonely battle. The inception of the determination behind making this body actually goes back to my childhood days when I was bullied in school and in the building that I lived in. There are certain things that you cannot forget. I was body shamed. 

I think we are constantly judged by the outside world. We never get an opportunity to tell ourselves to love ourselves and live for ourselves. At this age, 26, if I become too skinny, somebody would tell me to eat a cheese burger and put on weight. If I become muscular, somebody is going to tell me, ‘you are looking manly and scary’. At the end of the day, your experience of your body is the truest form of experience and not what other people experience of you. 
I have gone through a lot of body transformation because of the constant glare of social media and the destructive images that are constantly given to women — they are made to feel miserable about their bodies. I have been asked to lose 20kg. I was told I don’t look great in saris because I was too skinny… then I became bulky. 

I have self-objectified myself for years… oh my god, my arms are looking fat, my thighs are looking fat…. Today I take absolute credit for the body that I have built. I decided to listen to my body. I stopped listening to others when I got my family’s support. The longest relationship you share is with your body. Be kind to it. Understand it. It’s okay if I have a paunch on days I have too much biryani and rosogolla as long as there is a glow on my face! (Laughs) 

Before I hit the sea, I will do a small prep of 10-15 minutes to get myself stimulated and mentally energised to enjoy the ocean. I love Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21, H&M for swimsuits. I am more into monochromes and like to break it down with accessories. This time when I went on a holiday, I wore a waist chain. That is something I saw Beyonce wearing. We all have our inspirations. Sometimes, I like to wear stone and shell anklets. If it is a girlie bikini, I’ll wear it with hoops. If it is a sporty bikini, I’ll pair it with a cap. 

I really like Jennifer Lopez’s body… extremely healthy and fit for her age. The kind of clothes she has pulled off at this age is unbelievable. I also like Gigi Hadid… I love the fact that she has curves. My whole motto right now is to end this pursuit of perfection and look imperfectly perfect. I am going to probably wear a bikini with my daughter and walk the beach with her when I am 80! 

The world will make space for us 

Imagine being asked to be part of a fashion shoot when your entire life you have been told you are either too much — too fat, too broad in the shoulders, with too wide feet and too much hair on your body, or not enough — not tall enough, not pretty enough and not lady-like enough, for anything fashionable. Imagine agreeing to it, despite all your misgivings, because you’re excited to give it a go. And now imagine showing up on the day of the fittings and discovering it is, of all things, a swimwear shoot, instead of the normal summer shopping bonanza you had expected it to be! This is exactly what happened to me on this occasion. 

For almost half an hour, I considered backing out of what had seemed like a wonderful opportunity to overcome my inhibitions. Will I look laughable in those tight-fitting swimsuits? Will I look like I’m spilling out of those beautiful clothes that everyone else looks so sensuous and appealing in? Will I be secretly laughed at, by my editors, by the cameraman, by the other professionals who would be present, and then by the thousands who would read these pages? 

All the darkest parts of me whispered, ‘You are a failure, and you will never look acceptable in this — or in anything else, for the rest of your life.’ And then I saw myself in those clothes. I felt transformed, like all my life I had been cooped up in a dark room, afraid of my body, afraid to see it myself and afraid to be seen, when suddenly, someone had let in all the light. I saw myself properly for the first time: not ugly or undesirable but whole, healthy and loveable, with a beauty all of my own. 

All our lives, us girls, and even boys, are told that to be fat is to be the worst thing one can be. Even unkindness and prejudice are not considered to be vices as great as being fat. We are told to constantly cut ourselves down to size, health and safety be damned. We are told that to be fat is to devalue oneself in the ‘marriage market’ — as if our bodies are commodities up for sale that determine our worth as people. It is time for us to shut out this chatter. The world will make space for us. 

Try thinking you can overcome those people who tell you that you are both too much, and not enough — because I promise you, you are. 

— Rushati Mukherjee
(A second-year English masters student at Jadavpur University)

Embrace the bikini body you have — Narresh Kukreja and Shivan Bhatiya, of luxury holiday brand Shivan & Narresh 

Back in the decade, owing to the modest sartorial sensibilities, swimwear was not a very explored category for plus-size women. Today women of all body types are more confident about their figures and flaunt their curves with pride, which has subsequently led to an upsurge in awareness and acceptance of the trimmed silhouette. Plus-size women as well are setting their own standards of beauty and body positivity by adopting swimwear solutions that do not compromise on style, thus mobilising the much-needed mind shift.

Although the awareness for plus-size fashion is adequate, it still has a lot of catching up to do in terms of availability. Women with well-endowed figures are hesitant to go for visually-engaging prints with big patterns. Bolder silhouettes too with minimum coverage are observed to be one of their least favourite picks.

For women with curves, creating an illusion of diagonal lines works wonders. They should opt for styles that have gathers along the waist or have high-waisted bottoms, namely a ruched maillot, a front-knot maillot or a halter-neck bikini with high-waisted bottoms, to present an hourglass silhouette. Deeper necklines that run straight from top to the midriff give a leaner perspective. 

Everyone needs to understand that happiness is not size specific. There is nothing more essential than loving the body that one is born with. One needs to have an optimistic outlook towards their swim style and shed inhibitions associated with it, thus embracing the bikini body they have. We are part of a selfie generation where being a narcissist is not frowned upon; this has rapidly changed body idols to real people with real bodies. It’s the age of Beyonce and Kardashians who embrace and love their bodies. High time we do too!

Don’t be ashamed of your body 
— Suman Nathwani, sleepwear and resortwear designer

Even five years back, plus-size women only wanted to wear skirt-style swimwear or one-piece in a frock style. A V-cut was a complete no-no. We have come a long way but it’s not as if every plus-size person wants to opt for a V. Say, three out of 10 are opting for a V and that too when they are travelling. Of course there are women who still opt for frock-style. Then there are some who don’t care if they are spilling out or not. 

Thighs and stretch marks are the problem areas for most. I tell them a fuller figure looks nice. And a V actually makes you look thin. My daughter Khyati loves Vs. I think I have learnt a lot from Khyati on how to interact with plus-size women. My top tips would be when you are buying swimwear, try your size and check out where you are looking big. Most importantly, don’t be ashamed of your body. 

I have always been a firm believer of dressing for your body type and being comfortable in your own skin. People usually tell me that a skinny model will look good in whatever she wears, but honestly I feel you can rock whatever you wear if you accept your curves and flaunt them the right way. Understand your best features and flaunt them with confidence — Neha Gandhi, who styled our two models for the swimwear shoot

What’s trending? The trikini!

“I had never worn swimsuits before I participated in Sananda Tilottama and I was apprehensive whether I would be able to carry them off,” said Mouli Haldar, a 20-year-old model from Chinsurah, as she slipped into a Izu Juno-printed Shivan & Narresh trikini. Of course she has shed her inhibitions now. “Everybody is perfect in their own way. Look at the three Khans — Aamir, Salman, Shah Rukh. They are shorter than a lot of their heroines. Are they insecure? No! You have to believe that you are the best version of yourself.” 

SHIVAN AND NARRESH

Styles trending: Trikinis, one-shoulder maillots, high-waisted bikinis  
Colours trending: Powder blue, flaring orange, coco brown, sapphire 
How best to accessorise your swimwear or resort wear? 
One can match their swimwear with headbands and clogs of the same print 
Top trends in resort wear: Twinning will be one of the leading trends in resort wear with couples opting for similar prints and hues for their holidays or honeymoon 

PREP TALK 

When you think of swimwear and beach holidays, the sun-kissed look comes to mind. You can add lots of liquid bronzer for that shine on your face. 

Coat your eyelids generously with mascara. 

Blush it up with a peach or terracotta hue. You can go for a powder blush or a cream blush, depending on your skin type.

Go for peach, nude or tangerine mouth. 
You can tie up your hair or go for beach waves. Salt-spray your hair. You can also tie it up in a casual ponytail. 

BRIDGETTE JONES, BEAUTY PRO 

Products that contain soothing ingredients are key for protection. Slather on a lot of sunscreen. Many of them serve the dual purpose of moisturising as well. You should wear sunscreen 365 days of the year, but when you are out on the beach, it is the most important protection. Always give it 20 minutes to soak in before you put on any make-up. SPF 50 is good enough protection. You must apply it on all exposed parts of your body and reapply every two hours. Pat your skin dry before you reapply. The absorption will be a lot better. 

Skip your foundation and use an oil-free moisturiser. 

Rinse your hair in fresh water before hitting the water. That way your hair will not absorb all the salt. Apply oil or conditioner. When you come out of the water, immediately rinse your hair with fresh water to eliminate any damage from the salt and always use a clarifying shampoo to remove sand or chlorine, followed by dollops of moisturising conditioner. Follow it up with a leave-in spray conditioner.

If you are planning to spend more time on the beach, tie your hair in a ponytail or a bun. Detangle your hair before you get into the water. 

For people with coloured hair, it is all the more important to protect their hair. Post-swimming, they must use a colour-protection shampoo. 

Text: Saionee Chakraborty 
Photo shoot pictures of Rushati and Mouli: Pabitra Das;  
location: The Park; stylist: Neha Gandhi; 
hair and make-up: Abhijit Chanda; jewellery: A Bling Story 
Nusrat’s cover picture: Somnath Roy; 
hair and make-up: Prasenjit Biswas; styling: Sandy