The Guava set from Les Waves.

Make waves in a new swimsuit

As someone who enjoys sea swimming and I love to head to the beach whenever I can, I’m always trying to find great swimwear that’s practical for swimming, beach activities but is also practical and comfortable.

A piece of swimwear I would wear laying by the pool in Portugal is not necessarily the same sort of thing I would wear when swimming in Garretstown and so I was very excited to discover the Les Waves swimwear house which is perfect for sea and surf.

Now I’ve never surfed a day in my life but I have often thought about getting lessons so maybe this swimwear will inspire me to finally bite the bullet and surf the waves.

The pieces are designed by women and that’s clear to see in the perfect fit of each piece and how flattering they are on the body. The collection is made up of one pieces, bikinis with both triangle and crop top pieces and low rise as well as high waist bikini bottoms which I find so comfortable and flattering to wear.

The pieces are effortless staples for your swimwear collection and the quality and timeless design means you’ll be wearing this swimwear for years to come. The Dear Ocean swimsuit is incredible and would be a stunning piece for someone who is into surfing. Practical but beautifully cut with a sexy back cut out and an ombre effect from blue to white, it’s so super flattering looking.

My absolute favourite has to be the Guava bikini featuring a crop top rash guard and high waist bikini bottoms both of which have a lace up tie detail at the side. The rib knit fabric in an almost deep, dusty rose colour is super soft and gives a luxury feel to the product.

You can also match the bottoms with a triangle top bikini if that style is more to your preference. 80% of the collection is also made using regenerated nylon fiber. Econyl gives a second life to discarded waste such as fishing nets, fabric scraps and industrial fabrics rescued from landfills and oceans and Les Waves are aiming for 2024 to have the full collection based on recycled materials.

Now good quality swimwear doesn’t come cheap and to prevent your swimsuit from fading and stretching, its important that you care for them as you would with your own clothing. One thing that is very important is not leaving your swimwear balled up in a plastic bag or thrown into the washbasket at the bottom of the pile.

I’ve been guilty of this myself when coming home after a swim but try and wash as per the label instructions promptly after every wear. If you’re placing in the washing machine, I would recommend putting them in a mesh bag or even into a pillow case to avoid them getting damaged. Avoid putting them in a dryer and instead try to dry flat where possible so that the fabric keeps its shape and isn’t getting stretched.

Of course it’s vitally important to use sunscreen when out and about and unfortunately that means that our swimwear can get stained with sun factor. Simply pre-treat these areas with a liquid detergent and wash as normal and avoid the dryer once more as it makes stains harder to remove.