Bare Necessities is an online store that offers lingerie, swimwear, hosiery, socks, shapewear and layering tees for both women and men across a range of quality international brands. I never tried items from Bare Necessities until the opportunity recently arose to review their swimwear. And this process ladies, has been a humbling experience.

When I review an item for YLF, I put it through it’s paces and then share my thoughts along with photos of me modeling the item. Clothing, accessories and footwear are easy to review and my confidence levels are high throughout the process. But throw in swimwear and I’m a little more shy. Despite my slight apprehension, I agreed to do the review. After all, I bat for Team One Piece and I thought I’d be comfortable seeing myself in a flattering one piece swimsuit on the pages of YLF. Furthermore, hubby Greg would be taking the photos and for that reason alone, I would feel perfectly safe in front of the camera.

So I hopped onto the bare necessities site to choose a few one piece swimsuits. I saw lots of styles that tickled my fancy by great quality brands like La Blanca, Miraclesuit, Panache and Magicsuit. I also saw my favourite swimwear brand Gottex, but was not as excited by any of the styles currently available. That’s okay. I was excited to try a new one piece swimwear brand.

Unfortunately, Bare Necessities does not stock my size in one piece swimwear. The smallest size was 6, and I need a 4 (one piece swimwear is sized differently to clothing). I gave it a bash anyway, hoping that the size 6’s would run small. But they didn’t work.

Now what? Bare Necessities suggested trying tankinis and bikinis because they were sized differently. I was reluctant at first because I don’t fill out a tankini and bikini’s are completely outside my comfort zone. Finally I agreed to browse the bikinis and see how I felt. No harm in looking.

I headed straight to a brand called Freya because I am familiar with their fit, styling and quality. I was able to order my bra size in the top (30D) and an XS bikini bottom. It was a positive start. Before I could change my mind I asked Bare Necessities to send over three cheerful bikinis for review. I chose the Circus swimwear top with classic briefs, the Venetian plunge swimwear top with Latino bottoms, and the Mystere plunge swimwear top with boyshorts. BN also said that they would send me a great tankini of their choosing.

I tried on the swimsuits the minute they arrived. I thought I might lose my nerve if I left them boxed for too long. As I expected, the tankini looked awful because I couldn’t fill it out. That left the bikinis as my last and only option.

Gulp.

Oh. My. Goodness. I HAVEN’T TRIED ON A BIKINI IN 20 YEARS. With a one piece I feel elegant and covered-up in all the right places. What on earth was I thinking? Silly, silly Angie.

Pulling myself together, I thought about how I encourage people almost daily to step out of their style comfort zones. If we don’t do this, how will we ever improve, update and evolve our styles? I must walk my talk. Fit on the bikinis, look in the mirror, and get on with it.

Well, here I stand, a modest dresser, pale as a lilly, covered in varicose veins, and 10 days shy of 41. I would have bet my Valentino handbag that I would never wear a bikini again. After all, they look juvenile and don’t make me feel fab.

But I feel great!

The fact that these photos made it onto our website is a strong testament to the quality, style and fit of these Freya bikinis. My actions speak louder than words. If I felt in any way uncomfortable about my body and the way these bikinis looked, I would have backed out of this review. If the quality did not meet my fussy standard, I’d have spoken up.

The Circus bikini (blue) was the simplest design. I chose it because Greg likes this blue against my skin tone and the micro polka dot pulled at my heart strings. I thought that the white in the pattern would complement my RayBans and its pattern was perfectly denim friendly. The top is soft and really supportive. I didn’t fidget with it at all during the shoot. The briefs, although a little skimpy, were more flattering than I expected.

The Venetian bikini (black) was the most girly of the styles. I am no longer into ruffles, but was somehow drawn to the playfulness of this style and how it matched my wrap. Of all the styles, this one probably fit the best. I enjoyed the fuller Latino bottoms and how the skirt flounced as I moved.

The Mystere bikini (pink) is more retro and pushed up my bustline. I have cleavage! I loved the fit of the boyshorts and the cut of the top is more alluring. I felt a little like Esther Williams in this suit which made me think of my precious late Mum. A comforting thought.

It helped that I chose supportive bra top styles, in my bra size and with adjustable straps. These tops fit better than the bikinis I wore two decades ago. The bottoms, apart from the blue polka dot brief, are fairly covered too. No panty plucking. Plus, I am the queen of cover ups! These are my own swimwear cover-ups and clothes, which worked well with the bikini styles. If I felt like I needed to cover up, I could do so, and do so in a way that was fun and stylish.

I still can’t believe that the review worked out the way it did. My swimwear search with Bare Necessities was a little rocky to start off with, but it ended in a very meaningful way. I’m grateful to Bare Necessities for nudging me to try a two piece. I am still a loyal one piece swimsuit wearer because they make me feel poised and elegant, but I enjoyed the fit, cut, colour and workmanship of these bikinis so much that I’d wear them in a heartbeat on a beach holiday.

I did not feel juvenile and immodest like I had expected to. Instead, I felt pretty fab. BN, your Freya bikinis reacquainted me with a playful style I no longer gave the time of day. Thank you for this lightbulb bikini moment.

Giveaway

UPDATE: Bare Necessities competition now open.

Bare Necessities is very generously giving away a $200 gift card in a competition that we will be launching later today. Be sure to check YLF’s competition section for details.

In the meantime, which bikini do you like best and why? I’ll reveal my preference later on today.

Seattle is full of people wearing TOMS classic canvas slip-on shoes. Men and women of all ages, teens and kids wear this ped with pride in all sorts of casual settings. So I started to wonder why.

First, I needed to fit them on my feet. I find them quite comfortable, although they run half a size small and are very flat. They offer zero foot support, but you could definitely insert an orthotic to solve that problem. They look a lot like an espadrille and are as light as a feather. To me, they are the Summer version of Converse sneakers, which makes them a very easy and relaxed footwear option.

The classic slip-on seems quite pricey for $44 to $54. But I read about their “One for One Movement”, which has made a lasting impression. TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need with every pair that you purchase. So think of your money going to a very worthwhile cause.

I’m not particularly enamored by TOMS styles, but I am taken with their commitment to put shoes on the feet of needy kids. I’d purchase a pair of classic slip-ons for a beach holiday just so that I could support their movement.

Over to you. Do you see people wearing TOMS in your neck of the woods? How does their classic slip-on grab you? Would you wear any of their other styles?

After walking through the Karen Kane design room, sample room, production line and dispatch department, it’s very clear that the company is a large, complex and impressive operation. And it all began with Karen and husband Lonnie sewing together garments in their garage more than 30 years ago. In fact, the two pictures on the right below show young Karen and Lonnie doing their own production in the late 70’s. They worked extremely hard and didn’t take a vacation until their company was six years old. THAT is perseverance and dedication. How proud they must be of what they have accomplished.

Along with being an American-made clothing brand, Karen Kane is a strong family run business. You already know about eldest son Michael the Marketing Director, but there’s more. Karen’s Dad helped to design and build the cutting tables in the factory. And Lonnie’s 83 year old Mama still comes in four days a week to do the the accounts! Unfortunately we visited on her day off, but we saw Granny Kane’s office. Totally brilliant.

In the early 90’s Karen did a personal family photo shoot on the beach. The killer photos of Karen with young Michael ended up being so, so inspirational that Karen Kane used them in one of their seasonal campaigns. Just look at these absolutely beautiful shots of Karen and her son. WOW.

I mentioned to Karen that she should once more model for the Karen Kane brand. Wouldn’t that be brilliant? If I had a modeling agency, she should consider herself booked. Karen laughed her shy and endearing laugh and politely said that she would think about it. I am holding out hope!

Above is a photo of the other side of the the Karen Kane powerhouse. This is delightful  husband Lonnie in his office getting on with his usual Tuesday and Friday afternoon tasks of signing piles and piles of cheques. Lonnie runs part of the finances in-between running production, selling collections at market, and sorting out all sorts of other problems that come up in a day. Just look at him get on with it with a huge big grin on his face. Love that.

I adore this photo of Karen, Lonnie and Michael. Two generations of an all American fashion brand and growing from strength to strength. That’s as powerful as the merchandise itself.

Last, but certainly not least, the adorable canine members of the Kane family come to work several days a week. Lucy and Jack have their own office complete with libations and snacks. They go for walks and rest in peaceful air-conditioning, doing their bit by being awfully cute and loyal company.

As I write this wearing one of my Karen Kane dresses, I see the passion, thought, hard work and family affection that went into each stitch. Family businesses are close to our hearts, so Greg and I are very inspired by Karen Kane.  I am also excited about the newer and more contemporary labels Fifteen-Twenty and Red 23. I can’t wait to add these labels to my wardrobe.

I hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes peek at garment manufacture as much as we enjoyed experiencing and documenting it. I had great things to say about Karen Kane clothing before knowing anything about the company and it’s philosophy. After spending the day with incomparable Karen, knowledgeable Lonnie, talented Michael, and their awfully nice staff, I’m even more enamoured. If I had to sum up the brand in two words they would be Class Act.

Remember that Karen Kane is launching their online store on Friday, July 1. Stay tuned, because we’ll have a little surprise for you on the day of the launch.

This is the fifth in a series of posts sponsored by Karen Kane:

1. Design at Karen Kane
2. Karen Kane’s Sample Room
3. Clothing Production at Karen Kane
4. Karen Kane’s Trim and Dispatch Departments
5. Karen Kane the Family Business (this post)

For more information you can follow @Karen_Kane on Twitter or like their page on Facebook.

For years I wore either blue or green toenail polish. Very occasionally, I’d sport a pearly white. I have only ever painted my toes bright red once, which is surprising because bright tomato red is one of my favourite colours. I have never painted my toes any shade of orange, coral, pink, purple or brown.

This year I’ve ditched the blue and green and switched to pearly white because of my new peep toe booties. It’s not at all a must, but I like the effect of low contrast toenail polish with these shoes. And because I do not enjoy pedicures, I must make my toe nail polish a versatile colour that lasts a little longer. Pearly white nail polish is very “chip-friendly”.

Over to you. Do you paint your toenails? If so, what colour toenail polish do you use? Do you like to match your toe nail polish to a particular shoe or clothing item?