Panache Veronica Suit, Paisley Print
I was quite disappointed with this piece. The cups make a smaller bust look even smaller, and the rusching at the waist made me look like I had a round little baby-bump.The cups run true to size, and the band is quite supportive.
The print is very pretty though, quite sophisticated and flattering. It also comes in red and teal. Do try it if you have a bigger bust and a flat midsection, otherwise keep away.
The veronica Balconnet Bikini has exactly the same cut as the top part of the suit, so I didn't even consider it. Instead I went for the bandeau style:
Veronica Bandeau Bikini Top
This is the one I ultimately went with! This comes in several colours: teal, red, purple paisley and navy. I wanted the teal but couldn't find any store that had both the top and bottom in my size. So I ended up ordering the teal top and the Paisley bottom (along with all the swimwear you saw in the previous post), and planned to return the mismatched bottom and but it somewhere else if I liked the set.I had to size up in the band because it doesn't come in 28, so it's not terribly supportive. I recommend staying true to size (or even sizing down if you wear bigger bands). I am toying with the idea of tightening the band a bit, since I like my strapless stuff to be snug, but I don't have any experience sewing swimwear and am afraid I'll mess it up.
I ordered a cup smaller than I'd usually wear, because that was the only one available. Surprisingly, it fits really well, which makes me think that the cups run a bit big.
The bikini top is very flattering for smaller busts, and has a nice retro look to it. The closure is a plastic clicky thingy. There is a bit of boning on the sides of the cups, so that the band doesn't wrinkle. The bow is a bit awkward, and I want to re-tie it so that the ends hang downwards or sideways, and not top and bottom. The cups are medium coverage, and it's fun to have the option to wear it strapless or halter-neck. You could easily convert it to be worn with regular straps, by sewing in little loops onto the back of the band. Teal is supposed to be a universally flattering colour that looks good on both warm and cool skin tones.The fabric has a sheen to it, and is quite pretty. I don't think the camera caught it: the fabric is definitely not matte!
Update: the fabric turns a much darker colour when wet!
Panache Veronica Folded Brief
The bottoms are exactly the same as those of the Savannah, except that they have a bit of rusching on the fold-over waist. The rusching is quite flattering, even though it's not as visible on the paisley version as on the plain teal one. I ended up sending this one back and getting the teal version in a smaller size (they run a bit generous). You can control how high or how low you want to wear the top part of these bottoms. I also love how they don't dig in, so no muffin top!Update: The foldover band doesn't stay in place when swimming, so I ended up folding it over at the perfect height and sewing it so that it cannot be unfolded.
I realised I didn't take photos of the teal set, so I'll update this post when there is enough light to take a decent picture.
The Veronica bottoms are also available as a skirted pant style and a classic pant.
I am happy to announce that the Panache Veronica is the winner of my swimwear search. What will you be wearing this summer? Any swimsuit caught your eye?
