Testing the water in the swimwear department

Well, that's the theory anyway. Meanwhile, 99.9 per cent of women know that the reality is far more harsh.

It begins about January, when you realise you can't get into your favourite trousers because of the excesses of Christmas. You don't worry about it because there are plenty more clothes in the wardrobe and, besides, a few extra pounds keep you warm.

Then along comes spring, and you start to panic. Should I join a gym? Start running? Inevitably, you do neither. The squidgy bits around your hips remain and, worringly, they start to look at home there.

Before you know it, summer has arrived and that familiar feeling of dread starts to well up.

At first it is a whisper and you ignore it, but as the days become hotter, the whisper becomes a shout, until you can ignore it no longer and the day of truth arrives........it's time to shop for a swimsuit!

Thankfully, there are some great little numbers out there for all tastes, sizes, shapes and occasions!

If you're pushing the boat out, what about going la Jasper Conran? That hugely successful designer is now offering swimwear through Debenhams stores.

Jasper's gone black and white this season, with all-black and all-white bikinis, including the traditional 'string' with a classy gold clip at the hips and cleavage, which looks great on the white version, plus the cheeky shorts-and-crop-top look that's so in at the moment, in sporty black.

There are some nice one-pieces with cut-away backs, which look great, in black, and black-and-white stripes - surprisingly un-zebra-ish and very flattering as the stripes meet in the middle in a downwards point which makes your tummy look flatter! They are priced from £35.

While we are on the subject of glamour, Caprice - model-of-the-moment and tabloid favourite - has launched her own range of swimwear.

This range is an altogether different proposition, with sexy gold chains, double-tie sides and plunging necklines.

Made in a shimmery laminate fabric, the bikinis and one-pieces come in dazzling shades of lilac and turquoise with a very slight gold sheen.

The Caprice range, starting at £35 and available from Debenhams, is definitely not for those who want to blend in!

If you're not worried about labels and just want a simple bikini to take with you on your two-week holiday, Matalan, in Malvern and Kidderminster, have a range of "holiday essentials".

Their mix-and-match range of swimwear separates come in an array of 'hot' summer colours such as tangy orange and fuchsia, as well as the indispensable black and white. There is also a snake print swimsuit and a yellow Hawaiian-print bikini.

There is a range of styles, including the classic string and the new hot pants and bandeau top, starting at just £5.

BHS also has a great range of ''premium value'' swimwear, available in sizes 10 to 22 and priced from £8 to £25.

One design features a bold turquoise flower pattern on a lime green background, which is very fresh and is available in high-cut bikini bottoms with either a classic bikini top or a vest top.

If you like to shop by mail order, River Island has some nice swimsuits in its summer 2001 range.

Mix-and-match swimwear includes bandeaus, triangle bikinis, hot pants, high-cut briefs and ''tankinis'' (bikini bottoms with a tank top).

Fabric-wise, River Island has gone back to the Sixties, with tie-dye bikinis in hotter-than-hot pink, psychedelic swirl patterns and ''optical'' prints.

Hot metallic shades, stripes and sexy mesh also feature.

If floral is your thing, you will be pleased to know that the reigning queen of flower-power, Laura Ashley, has launched a swimwear range this year for the very first time.

The wait, of more than 50 years, would appear to have been worth it.

Key looks include Madras, a retro check in vibrant citrus colours, as well as dramatic large-scale "photographic flower prints".

The Laura Ashley range, which starts at £25, seems to be influenced by the 1950s, with polka dots and French Riviera-inspired stripes present.

Classic black, navy and white swimwear mingles with this season's sherbert shades of mandarin and lime, as well as the strong jewel colours of turquoise and fuschia.

And last but not least, if you are pregnant don't let that put you off as there is now a great choice in maternity swimsuits out there.

Blooming Marvellous, for example, which can be reached at www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk has a range of swimsuits, including the very pretty Mini Floral swimsuit, with a pattern of tiny white and maroon flowers, for £21.99.

Happy shopping!

SUMMER'S here and it's time to strip off those clothes, wiggle into your bikini and bare that flesh!

Well, that's the theory anyway. Meanwhile, 99.9 per cent of women know that the reality is far more harsh.

It begins about January, when you realise you can't get into your favourite trousers because of the excesses of Christmas. You don't worry about it because there are plenty more clothes in the wardrobe and, besides, a few extra pounds keep you warm.

Then along comes spring, and you start to panic. Should I join a gym? Start running? Inevitably, you do neither. The squidgy bits around your hips remain and, worringly, they start to look at home there.

Before you know it, summer has arrived and that familiar feeling of dread starts to well up.

At first it is a whisper and you ignore it, but as the days become hotter, the whisper becomes a shout, until you can ignore it no longer and the day of truth arrives........it's time to shop for a swimsuit!

Thankfully, there are some great little numbers out there for all tastes, sizes, shapes and occasions!

If you're pushing the boat out, what about going la Jasper Conran? That hugely successful designer is now offering swimwear through Debenhams stores.

Jasper's gone black and white this season, with all-black and all-white bikinis, including the traditional 'string' with a classy gold clip at the hips and cleavage, which looks great on the white version, plus the cheeky shorts-and-crop-top look that's so in at the moment, in sporty black.

There are some nice one-pieces with cut-away backs, which look great, in black, and black-and-white stripes - surprisingly un-zebra-ish and very flattering as the stripes meet in the middle in a downwards point which makes your tummy look flatter! They are priced from £35.

While we are on the subject of glamour, Caprice - model-of-the-moment and tabloid favourite - has launched her own range of swimwear.

This range is an altogether different proposition, with sexy gold chains, double-tie sides and plunging necklines.

Made in a shimmery laminate fabric, the bikinis and one-pieces come in dazzling shades of lilac and turquoise with a very slight gold sheen.

The Caprice range, starting at £35 and available from Debenhams, is definitely not for those who want to blend in!

If you're not worried about labels and just want a simple bikini to take with you on your two-week holiday, Matalan, in Malvern and Kidderminster, have a range of "holiday essentials".

Their mix-and-match range of swimwear separates come in an array of 'hot' summer colours such as tangy orange and fuchsia, as well as the indispensable black and white. There is also a snake print swimsuit and a yellow Hawaiian-print bikini.

There is a range of styles, including the classic string and the new hot pants and bandeau top, starting at just £5.

BHS also has a great range of ''premium value'' swimwear, available in sizes 10 to 22 and priced from £8 to £25.

One design features a bold turquoise flower pattern on a lime green background, which is very fresh and is available in high-cut bikini bottoms with either a classic bikini top or a vest top.

If you like to shop by mail order, River Island has some nice swimsuits in its summer 2001 range.

Mix-and-match swimwear includes bandeaus, triangle bikinis, hot pants, high-cut briefs and ''tankinis'' (bikini bottoms with a tank top).

Fabric-wise, River Island has gone back to the Sixties, with tie-dye bikinis in hotter-than-hot pink, psychedelic swirl patterns and ''optical'' prints.

Hot metallic shades, stripes and sexy mesh also feature.

If floral is your thing, you will be pleased to know that the reigning queen of flower-power, Laura Ashley, has launched a swimwear range this year for the very first time.

The wait, of more than 50 years, would appear to have been worth it.

Key looks include Madras, a retro check in vibrant citrus colours, as well as dramatic large-scale "photographic flower prints".

The Laura Ashley range, which starts at £25, seems to be influenced by the 1950s, with polka dots and French Riviera-inspired stripes present.

Classic black, navy and white swimwear mingles with this season's sherbert shades of mandarin and lime, as well as the strong jewel colours of turquoise and fuschia.

And last but not least, if you are pregnant don't let that put you off as there is now a great choice in maternity swimsuits out there.

Blooming Marvellous, for example, which can be reached at www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk has a range of swimsuits, including the very pretty Mini Floral swimsuit, with a pattern of tiny white and maroon flowers, for £21.99.

Happy shopping!

SUMMER'S here and it's time to strip off those clothes, wiggle into your bikini and bare that flesh!

Well, that's the theory anyway. Meanwhile, 99.9 per cent of women know that the reality is far more harsh.

It begins about January, when you realise you can't get into your favourite trousers because of the excesses of Christmas. You don't worry about it because there are plenty more clothes in the wardrobe and, besides, a few extra pounds keep you warm.

Then along comes spring, and you start to panic. Should I join a gym? Start running? Inevitably, you do neither. The squidgy bits around your hips remain and, worringly, they start to look at home there.

Before you know it, summer has arrived and that familiar feeling of dread starts to well up.

At first it is a whisper and you ignore it, but as the days become hotter, the whisper becomes a shout, until you can ignore it no longer and the day of truth arrives........it's time to shop for a swimsuit!

Thankfully, there are some great little numbers out there for all tastes, sizes, shapes and occasions!

If you're pushing the boat out, what about going la Jasper Conran? That hugely successful designer is now offering swimwear through Debenhams stores.

Jasper's gone black and white this season, with all-black and all-white bikinis, including the traditional 'string' with a classy gold clip at the hips and cleavage, which looks great on the white version, plus the cheeky shorts-and-crop-top look that's so in at the moment, in sporty black.

There are some nice one-pieces with cut-away backs, which look great, in black, and black-and-white stripes - surprisingly un-zebra-ish and very flattering as the stripes meet in the middle in a downwards point which makes your tummy look flatter! They are priced from £35.

While we are on the subject of glamour, Caprice - model-of-the-moment and tabloid favourite - has launched her own range of swimwear.

This range is an altogether different proposition, with sexy gold chains, double-tie sides and plunging necklines.

Made in a shimmery laminate fabric, the bikinis and one-pieces come in dazzling shades of lilac and turquoise with a very slight gold sheen.

The Caprice range, starting at £35 and available from Debenhams, is definitely not for those who want to blend in!

If you're not worried about labels and just want a simple bikini to take with you on your two-week holiday, Matalan, in Malvern and Kidderminster, have a range of "holiday essentials".

Their mix-and-match range of swimwear separates come in an array of 'hot' summer colours such as tangy orange and fuchsia, as well as the indispensable black and white. There is also a snake print swimsuit and a yellow Hawaiian-print bikini.

There is a range of styles, including the classic string and the new hot pants and bandeau top, starting at just £5.

BHS also has a great range of ''premium value'' swimwear, available in sizes 10 to 22 and priced from £8 to £25.

One design features a bold turquoise flower pattern on a lime green background, which is very fresh and is available in high-cut bikini bottoms with either a classic bikini top or a vest top.

If you like to shop by mail order, River Island has some nice swimsuits in its summer 2001 range.

Mix-and-match swimwear includes bandeaus, triangle bikinis, hot pants, high-cut briefs and ''tankinis'' (bikini bottoms with a tank top).

Fabric-wise, River Island has gone back to the Sixties, with tie-dye bikinis in hotter-than-hot pink, psychedelic swirl patterns and ''optical'' prints.

Hot metallic shades, stripes and sexy mesh also feature.

If floral is your thing, you will be pleased to know that the reigning queen of flower-power, Laura Ashley, has launched a swimwear range this year for the very first time.

The wait, of more than 50 years, would appear to have been worth it.

Key looks include Madras, a retro check in vibrant citrus colours, as well as dramatic large-scale "photographic flower prints".

The Laura Ashley range, which starts at £25, seems to be influenced by the 1950s, with polka dots and French Riviera-inspired stripes present.

Classic black, navy and white swimwear mingles with this season's sherbert shades of mandarin and lime, as well as the strong jewel colours of turquoise and fuschia.

And last but not least, if you are pregnant don't let that put you off as there is now a great choice in maternity swimsuits out there.

Blooming Marvellous, for example, which can be reached at www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk has a range of swimsuits, including the very pretty Mini Floral swimsuit, with a pattern of tiny white and maroon flowers, for £21.99.

Happy shopping!