I’ve got good news for the guys!  Men’s boardshort designers have outdone themselves this year with innovative stretch fabrics. They are incredibly lightweight, which means they dry fast and keep you cool.  But the best part is the 4-way stretch!  It takes comfortable boardshorts to a whole new level, as demonstrated by my husband Dave wearing his O’Neill “Hyperfreaks” in the above photo.  Anyone who tries on our 4-way stretch boardshorts has the same reaction: “Wow, these are soooo comfy!”

Although women’s boardshort designers were slower to jump on the stretch innovation, they are now cluing in that us girls want ultra-comfy boardshorts too!  Amy, our ladies boardshort Buyer, recommends the “Gidget” style by Roxy.  The roll-down, “easy fit” waist is stretchy, so we can avoid the dreaded “muffin top” caused by shorts that don’t stretch and cut into our sides.  We’ll be carrying even more styles of stretchy boardshorts for women in the coming months…

In the meantime, remember to stretch every day!

While at the Miami Swim Show last month, we saw several exciting new swimwear trends emerging for 2011.  As promised, I’ve put together a sneak preview of what’s hot, for my blog readers:

Trend #1: Flirty Ruffles.

We’re seeing ruffles at the neckline, down the middle of a 1-piece (to disguise the tummy), and along the bottom of tankini tops. The ruffle trend was introduced this past year with a great reaction from our customers, so we’re happy to be able to offer even more ruffle styles for the coming year!

Trend #2: The Single-Shoulder 1-Piece.

There were a couple of false starts with this trend, because of design flaws that caused unexpected “flashing” when you raise your arm to wave. “Yoo-hoo! Oops!”. Without boning on the side of the suit or adequate length in the torso, single-shoulder suits can spell disaster for the unsuspecting fashionista! Thankfully, most designers are now providing the necessary construction in the suits to make them functional as well as stylish, so you can skip the surprise peep show!

On Its Way Out…

One style that’s cooling off is the cutout 1-piece. Designers are moving on to the single-shoulder style, with its 1980’s influence, instead. 1-piece cutouts are often labeled by magazine editors as “The Sexy Suit”.  However, cutouts are notoriously difficult to fit unless your torso length is perfect for the suit. Of course the style looks great on supermodels, but if you have any extra padding in the middle, it usually squeezes out the sides of the suit and becomes framed by the lines of the cutouts. Not good! Perhaps the single-shoulder 1-piece will be a more flattering way for our trend-setting customers to show off their fashion acumen.

I’ll have more of 2011’s hottest swimwear trends to report next week.  Stay tuned!

It’s another hot day at the lake, so rather than my usual walk or run, I decided to hit the water. It was calm and clear, albeit cold. So I pulled on my wetsuit (which was somewhat of a feat in itself!), my swim cap, and my beloved Aquasphere goggles before wading in. Even with the wetsuit on for extra warmth, I broke the silence of the morning with a few spontaneous gasps, as the “refreshing” water trickled in! Once I got used to it, the water was glorious. Back and forth between our dock and the end of the beach for 30 minutes had my swimming muscles wide awake.  Ah, the beautiful lakes of British Columbia!

Although I digress, the main point of this story is actually my Aquasphere goggles. If you’ve ever had ill-fitting goggles that leak, you understand how you can get very attached (pardon the pun) to the ones that fit.  Well, these Aquasphere goggles seem to fit everyone! They’re like a mini mask, and are very pliable so they easily conform to your face. I highly recommend them. We always keep a pair in the boat in case some poor soul has to swim under the boat to remove the ski rope from the prop….but that’s a story for another day!

I hope you’re enjoying all of your summertime activities, wherever you are.

I just got back from the Miami Swim Show held each year at this time in South Beach. There were five of us from Swimco in attendance – three Buyers, our Sales Manager, and me. This annual show is our only opportunity to see all of the major swim lines at once for the coming year. There are hundreds of product lines and thousands of swimwear Buyers from around the world!

For four days we walk the floor, see presentations, write copious notes, and take hundreds of photos so we can remember all of the product we’ve seen. It’s a lot to absorb in a short time! By the end of the four days we feel pretty much “done in”. The challenge is to stay sharp the entire time so nothing is missed. Our business for the upcoming year is greatly affected by the impressions and decisions made at this show.

Despite the fact that our schedule is hectic, I always enjoy the Miami Swim Show. It’s exciting to see new styles and brands, meet new people in the industry, and visit with our supplier friends. We even managed to fit in a visit to the world-renowned Mr. Chow restaurant in South Beach’s new W Hotel.  The green prawns were actually green and very delicious! We also stumbled upon a live performance by the band Neon Trees and later caught glimpses of ourselves in their YouTube video.

Pictured above is part of our Swimco team with our Australian and Canadian friends from Seafolly. In my next blog, I’ll give you a sneak peak of some of the hottest 2011 swimwear trends that made waves at the Miami Swim Show!

Hope you are enjoying your summer.

Before leaving for my holiday, our footwear Buyer, Stacy, insisted that I try on a new style of Roxy sandals that we just got in. They’re called the Chakara Sandal. When you slip them on, you instantly understand the name. I can only describe the feeling as having a thick yoga mat under your feet. Heavenly!

So yes, I got a pair (thank you Stacy), and my feet have been blissful ever since.  As for the little padded “Squeeze Me” disk that comes with every pair, well, I’m sure that will come in handy somehow!

Namaste,

Yup, I’m at the beach! Well at the dock, actually. But the important thing is that I’m beside the water with my swimsuit, sunscreen and hat on, refreshment in hand. It is officially summertime. Yay!

My tasks for the day were to go for a long walk with a girlfriend, followed by coffee on the patio, inspection of my flower pots, organizing drinks with neighbours at 5 pm, blogging and playing Scrabble on my new iPad, and finishing up with a long reading session.

What to read first? My Women’s Health magazine with an article titled “Beach Ready in Just 4 Weeks” (oops, too late for that!), a business book, or my new “thriller”, The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry. I think I’ll go for the thrill.

Wish you were here.

Enjoying the good life (in my favorite Seafolly swimsuit),

Every year at this time, fashion magazines publish articles promising to reveal “The perfect Swimsuit for your shape!” or “A swimsuit that takes off 10 lbs!” Invariably, I am disappointed with the article. The advice is often incorrect, and I find myself hoping that the readers are not taking these solutions as fact.

I realize that the editors are doing their best, but they don’t live and breathe swimwear 365 days of the year like we do at Swimco. They are on tight deadlines and have to rely on advice from multiple sources. They are often besieged by press-seeking swimwear manufacturers who in many cases suggest styles that are either not matched to the model’s body type or are frankly, just plain bad.

In the latest issue of O Magazine, their Creative Director (Adam Glassman) offers swimwear suggestions for different body shapes. Although the premise for the article was good, I questioned the suits that were presented as flattering to women’s figures. I can honestly say that four of the six suits shown as solutions would be difficult for us to sell (even on clearance)!

The capper for me was “Adam’s 10 Swimsuit Commandments” in which his # 1 commandment was “THOU SHALT NOT BUY A TANKINI”. Them’s fightin’ words to me, as I am Miss Tankini. Adam (a guy) tells me (a woman) that I “won’t get real belly coverage and the top hits at a bad spot”. Adam is obviously unaware that the old “meet ‘n’ greet” style of tankini was replaced three years ago! The new longer tankinis are often gathered on the side to offer adjustable length (hip length or longer) and to provide flattering shirring across the tummy. Believe you me, my tummy is covered!

So reader beware! Just because a “fashion expert” writes something doesn’t make it gospel. Better to go in and talk to a swimwear Fit Expert who fits women of all body types everyday.  Here are a few tried and true suggestions from our Fit Experts at Swimco: http://www.theprovince.com/life/Suit+yourself+summer/3163145/story.html

* My apologies to Adam for disagreeing with some of his advice. I did agree with two of his style choices and five of his swimsuit commandments. It goes to show that fashion is a matter of personal taste. Choose the swimsuit that makes you look and feel your best. In my experience, it probably won’t be the one the fashion editor suggests in that article you’re reading!

This week we launched our new “swimwear shopping made easy” ad campaign, including a new radio commercial. Writing radio ads for a product that is as visual and personal as swimwear can be challenging. Recently we have taken a more humorous approach (because if you can’t laugh you might cry!).

We debated amongst ourselves, our families and our friends as to whether we could poke fun at ourselves as women and if so, do we dare use the term “muffin top”?

So I ask you….what do you think? Can we laugh together about our body issues and our phobias or would you prefer not to?  You can listen to our new radio ad by clicking this link: New Radio Ad

How are you feeling this week?

As I adjust my “muffin top” I look forward to hearing from you…

To me, a beach bag is like the LBD (Little Black Dress).  Once you find the perfect one, you feel great wearing it all the time and keep it in your wardrobe for years.  I have to admit that in terms of beach bags, I haven’t found “the one”. I have many in my collection, but something is invariably missing that would make it my perfect beach bag.

I find myself tossing towels, books, sunscreen, money, room keys, sunglasses, and whatever items my family wants me to carry for them, into one big heap in my beach bag.  As a result, retrieving my lip gloss becomes a “needle in the haystack” challenge, and my wet towel after a day at the beach puts a “damper” on everything else in the bag!

What I really want is a beach bag with different compartments to keep me organized, and a waterproof section for a wet swimsuit or towel. I want it to double as a carry-on bag, and look fashionable with my beachwear and summer outfits.  I want it to close up securely on top so my belongings stay put.

Too much to ask for? I don’t think so! I’m determined to find or design the perfect beach bag, and I would love your help. Are there any amateur designers out there who’d like to offer their creativity? Anyone like to add to the list of attributes of the perfect bag? Do you have a beach bag that you love? I want to hear from you!

Please send me your pictures and ideas, and let’s create the perfect beach bag together.  Maybe we’ll even name the bag after you!  “The Jessica Bag”, or “The Amy Bag”, or whatever the name of our yet-to-be-discovered bag designer might be.

Looking forward to hearing from all you beach bag aficionados!

35 years ago today, Swimco was officially incorporated as a company by my mother, Corinne Forseth (in the above photo with me). She started the business because of the lack of availability of little black and gold striped suits for me and my brothers when we joined the South Y Barracudas swim team. For years, she acted as our team’s Equipment Manager and then, with some prompting, began a mail-order business in our basement, catering to swim clubs across the country.

The business gradually grew through word of mouth and eventually the office was moved out of our home to Phillips Park in Calgary. I joined my Mom in the business upon graduating from University, and eventually so did my husband Dave and my brother Steve. Retail stores were opened in Calgary and Vancouver, and Victoria, Kelowna and Red Deer followed.

Mom was an entrepreneurial woman who built the business by befriending her customers. We still hear stories from customers about buying a swimsuit in our basement! I remember opening our first retail location on Kensington Road in Calgary. Our staff list was short, but most were friends and are still in contact with us. My best friend Patti still works with us after 27 years, and several of Mom’s first customers and staff recently attended my brother’s wedding.

Our business grew along with our families; staff and otherwise. We had children (who often came to work with us when they were little) and we now remember many Swimco events by how old the kids were at that time. I remember my whole family working through the night to set up our first Vancouver location when I was pregnant with my son Brett, who is now almost 22 years old! My office was a nursery for many months, complete with toys and a mat on the floor for him to sleep on.

And now on Thursday May 13, our 35^th Anniversary, we are opening our newest location in Coquitlam Centre, in Coquitlam B.C. The “family” is growing again!

Swimco has been an integral part of our family for most of our lives. We are so excited to share our celebration with you; our customers, our friends. Here are some fun things happening this week in celebration of our Anniversary:

• If you happen to be turning 35 on May 13, bring valid photo ID into any Swimco store and receive a free swimsuit of your choice, as our birthday gift to you!
• Enter to win a $350 Swimco shopping spree by filling out a ballot in-store. The contest runs from May 10-16^th, with one winner selected from each store.
• Do you have a Swimco story from the early years? We’d love to hear from you. Email your story to us at storycontest@swimco.com by May 16, as we will be awarding a $100 Swimco gift card for the best story. It’ll be fun to reminisce!

Please join us in celebrating Swimco’s 35^th Anniversary. I look forward to hearing from you!