For this year’s “Busty and the Beach” series, Darlene and I really wanted to test drive all the suits in water before summer was in full swing, to give readers time to shop before the season started. So we booked a room at a local hotel that had a nice indoor pool, and spent an afternoon swimming and doing a photoshoot. We got really lucky that we were the only people there! (Pro tip: If you want a hotel pool all to yourself, go on a Sunday afternoon well after that day’s check-out time.)
I’ve got three bikini sets to share, and I’m starting off with my favorite—the Panache “Ceylon” high-neck bikini and classic bikini bottoms, in size 30G and medium. My usual bra size is 28GG, but I always size up in the band for bikinis since they tend to run smaller than bras. For the bottoms, my natural waist measures 29” and my hips 41” at the widest point.
Disclosure: This set was received as a review sample. All opinions are my own and based entirely on my experience.
In my opinion, the Ceylon bikini was the highlight of Panache’s swim offerings for Spring/Summer 2018 (as mentioned in my Curve Expo coverage last October). I also really wanted to try some totally new (or at least new to me) swimwear styles for reviewing here, so this was the perfect choice.
Ceylon is essentially a molded strapless bra. It has a high gore with wires that kiss in the center. Then it has an outer layer of swim fabric with a single center seam, and a mesh high neck with embroidery and strings that tie behind the neck. Since the bra portion has such good engineering, the halter ties really only serve to hold up the decorative element and don’t provide any actual support. I consider this a blessing because it means there’s no strain on my neck and no need to adjust the ties once they get wet.
This set is easily the most sophisticated bikini I’ve ever owned! The black is sleek and classic, while the embroidery is pretty and unique. More importantly, the fit is amazing!
The cups of Ceylon are a stiff molded foam. Sometimes that can be a difficult fit, but it’s really working for me here. There’s very little cup crushing at the base of the cup, so it’s not too shallow. Yet it’s also not digging in at the top edge of the cup, so there’s no quad-boob or pillowing. While there is a little cup-crush, the outer layer of fabric hides it completely. Additionally, the mesh halter tucks in any loose side-boob or armpit fat.
With the bottoms, there’s enough butt coverage that I don’t feel exposed and there’s no wedgie happening. It’s a little snug at the waistband, but I’ve learned not to size up in swim bottoms to avoid pudge pinch because a big wave could pull them off! The bottoms have matching black embroidery on the right hip, but it’s basically invisible since it’s black on black. It would have been cool if there was a patch of tan fabric or mesh lining the embroidery to make it stand out more.
Since this set was my favorite, I swam in this one for the longest period after trying out all three bikinis, and I’m pleased to say that it held up in the water perfectly despite its fashion-forward look.
The halter was actually extremely comfortable for swimming proper laps. Since the straps come inward, there’s no chance of rubbing against my armpits the way so many wide-strapped bras do. I felt complete freedom of movement! The wires, cups, and neck-ties all remained totally comfortable too. I basically wasn’t thinking about it at all while I swam.
My only complaint is that the band is TIGHT. Like, it runs a size small tight. I literally can’t close it myself. It stretches from 23”-29”, so it’s stretching to the entire possible length on my ~29” ribcage. If I had tried this on in a store, I’m sure I would have sister-sized into a 32FF instead.
The Panache Ceylon bandeau comes in sizes 30 – 38 D – G. The bottoms come in UK 8 – 20 (US XS – XXXL).
