The lesser known brand that Lion’s Lair sent me to review is the Sunset Tankini.
I’d been in Lion’s Lair several months back, having learned of them from Darlene’s post a few years ago. We take a cruise out of the Fort Lauderdale area each year to escape the Northeast winters, and a pre-cruise road trip to their store in Islamorada is now on the agenda. I’ve had great fittings at two (no longer in existence) brick and mortar stores in New Jersey, and a few in New York, but this little gem in the Florida Keys outdoes them all. And from a part of the world where outdoor swimming is a year round activity, they are the swimwear experts. So I was in good hands sending my measurements to Lizzie to select a suit for me. She chose the size and style, I selected this color pattern:
And shortly, this lovely little bundle arrived:
Sunsets is an American company, and their sizes follow US cup sizes. This is a 38G US sizing. My UK size of 36H has a US equivalent of 36K – so the closest Sunset size is still a bit of a way off as a sister-size, but this isn’t awful. I was actually surprised at how close it came.
It is an underwire, but the wires aren’t extremely long. They don’t fit snug against my rib cage (no surprise, given the size difference) but the band under the underwire does and the wires do provide support.
Inside view:
One Piece Cup Construction. These cups dont fully contain me, but the outer layer of the tankini does.
Picture of the Clasp:
Bottoms
This is a gorgeous swimsuit. Distinguishing this from all the other suits I’m reviewing this month is the fabric. It’s extremely silky and soft. As soon as I touched it, I could feel the difference between this and probably every other suit I’ve ever owned. I’m tempted to dig out a thesaurus and look up a half dozen ways to convey how luxurious this feels.
I like the pattern, too. As Lizzie explained–and I could immediately relate–often a customer needing a plus-size suit comes in expecting black to be the most slimming and flattering, but finds a pattern is ultimately better. I like this print, as it’s much like a dress I picked up at the Houglassy Clothing Swap a few years ago. It keeps the eye moving. I also love the blue. It’s like the blue of rooftops in Santorini and has me thinking of vacations.
The length is a win, too. I’ve had tankinis that rode up or were just too short. No trouble here. With the height of the briefs (belly button – yay!) this is exactly the right spot. A few words on the bottoms. Full coverage for my bum – and full coverage for my tummy, too. I’ve often spent all my efforts seeking the right fit in the top and just taking what I can get in bottoms, but these have everything. The leg openings are high enough without being too high. Another thing – they are fully lined. Fully lined! Why can’t they all be like this?
In terms of support, there is some but less than what I’ve become accustomed to. I called Lizzie to discuss, and as she explained, many US companies make their swimwear a bit looser than the UK companies in response to how their American customers want their suits to fit. I’m wearing it on the tightest hook and have the least amount of back-fat on this one as compared to any of the others I own.
If I only needed a suit for swimming and lounging, this one could be ideal. In fact, the level of support would be perfect for a night-gown or piece of lounge-wear for me. I want a top that will support me standing and walking around for hours. Given the weight of my breasts, I really need more than this suit can provide. However, if your breasts are lighter weight than mine, or minimizing the appearance of back-fat matters to you, this could be your suit. So, with regrets, I’m sending this one back. It’s going to make a beautiful suit for someone whose breasts are a little bit smaller & lighter than mine.
What is a full-bust and plus-size customer like me to do? For customers who require the support that I’m looking for, Lizzie suggested trying their other lesser known suit (T.H.E) in conjunction with the Elomi Swim Bra. Have any of you tried this? I love Elomi, and will review an option from this line next week when we cover Eveden. In the meantime, if you need a full-bust & plus-sized swimsuit — give Lion’s Lair a call. Better yet, crank up the Jimmy Buffet, head for the Florida Keys and pull over at Lion’s Lair in Islamorada on your way down.
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Note from Darlene: Need help choosing your own Sunsets swimsuit? Answer the questions at the end of last Tuesday’s post and give Lion’s Lair a call. Give them the code “Hourglassy”, and you’ll get $10 off your purchase.
I felt the same way about the sunset suit I tried. The 34G fit beautifully but the cups were not well supported. They have a couple other tankini styles with a different cup structure and I wonder if one of those would fit me better but I couldn’t find them anywhere online in a flattering pattern or at a shop that allowed returns. I think I’ve finally found my suit for the season (20th try is the charm–I wish I were kidding) but I’ll keep them in mind for next time.
I’m loving all the swimsuit reviews. As a 36JJ (UK sizing) it’s next to impossible to find anything that looks nice and is supportive enough. It is too bad about this Sunset suit. It looks great on you but I too would need solid support. I do live in Florida though so perhaps on my next trip to the Keys I’ll stop by Lion’s Lair.
Thanks!
I absolutely encourage a visit. This one didn’t work for me, but when I was at their store in person…. a while back when i needed an even larger size..I found 4 that fit and bought them all!
I was excited because this looked close to my size – but I’m a 32J. I havent seen any bathing suit reviews yet that seem in my range