Love by Julien Macdonald at Matalan

Hi guys,
Could Julien Macdonald be the king of high street collaborations? Not content with having womenswear, kidswear, homeware and beauty collections at Debenhams, the dancing designer has now launched a swimwear collection with dear old Matalan. The new collection is inspired by Julien’s favourite holiday destinations with two beautiful trends ‘Tough Luxe’ and ‘Floral Fusion’, both designed with real women in mind. And the price points are incredible! Here is a behind the scenes video, and some of my favourite pieces:

The collection really does stick to Julien's signature style: lots of bold colours, leopard and zebra print, and glamorous dresses. The shoes are inspired by the ones from his mainline collection and, as standard, there is lots of shimmer, diamante, and assorted other bling! If you like the over the top Julien Macdonald style of dressing then you'll love this collection.

Prices range from £8 for a pair of bikini bottoms to £35 for a pair of embellished sandal boots. Shop the new collection here, it launched today. What do you think? Will you be getting bling-tastic in the new range for a little pool side glamour?

Love Tor x

More Summery Loveliness From Primark

Hi guys,
If you want to see some images that will immediately have you craving some summer sun then these newest press shots from Primark definitely won't disappoint. I can only buy cup sized swimwear (which pretty much limits me to shopping in Bravissimo) and this is something I curse every summer. But it is a new experience to be cursing my body because I'm craving after swimwear from Primark! There is some serious swimsuit hottness going on, and at prices so affordable that you could have a different one for every day of your holiday!

Picture 1: Swimsuit £10, Skirt £10, Bag £8, Earrings £1
Picture 2: Bikini top £8, Bikini Bottom £4, Earrings £1
Picture 3: Bikini top £6, Bikini bottom £5, Sunglasses £3
Picture 4: Shirt £10, Bikini Bottom £4, Sunglasses £3, Earrings £1, Rings from £1.50
Picture 5: Bikini top £6, Shorts £7, Sunglasses £2, Earrings £1
Picture 6: Swimsuit £10, Skirt £10, Earrings £1

I love the Prada-style pineapple print bikini with the high waisted bottoms: It's almost worth buying those bottoms to pair with a plainer top! I also love the casual styling of the short sleeved boyfriend-style shirt with the bikini bottoms. Maybe it's because I'm going on holiday in a fortnight and maybe it's because the sun has started shining, but I can't remember the last time I had such positive feelings about swimwear!

What do you think of the latest Primark swimwear picks? And have you picked up anything fantastic in store lately? It's been a while since I popped into my local Primark, so I have no idea what's in store!

Love Tor x

Exercise: Fixing my Post-baby body!

Hi guys,
This week I paid the balance of Wilbur's first birthday party venue, and made the scary realisation that time really does fly: In six short weeks, I will be mum to a one year old. That got me thinking about me, and about the battlefield that is my post-baby body. I have saggy stretched boobs from my extended period of breastfeeding (we're still going strong!) and my tummy looks like a wrinkly partially deflated balloon - complete with stretch marks. Yup, I'm a looker! Which means it's time to do something about it and attempt to get back to something vaguely resembling a passable form!
Since I was pregnant I have been swimming twice a week: it's the only time I leave Wilbur and it gives me a chance to clear my mind and relax as I swim. It's also had the added benefit of meaning my legs (previously the part of my body I would say were my worst) look better than they ever have: If you want to tone your legs then I would heartily recommend swimming!

If you do decide to swim I can also recommend the swimming supplies from Zoggs: that's what they stock in my local pool, so my goggles and swim cap are both by them. They also have a range of gorgeous swimming costumes for women. And once a week I take Wilbur swimming too: he's going to grow into a water baby! Wilbur is wearing one of the Zoggs bodywarmers in the picture above, and it's brilliant for keeping him warm and toasty when we're in the pool together.They have a great range of children's swimwear and you know what you're getting is good quality.

I love my swimming sessions and wouldn't give them up for the world. And my arms and legs are thankful for them too! But they aren't doing much for my middle section sadly. Which means it's time to try something else: I'll be documenting all my diet/exercise attempts to lose my 'mummy bits' here over the next couple of months and let you know what works and what doesn't - for me at least! I'm determined it's time to do something about it, although whether abstaining from food is a good idea over the Christmas period is yet to be seen.

Do you have any diet and exercise tips to share? Anything that might kick start my new regime - or even something new I can try in the pool that might work out that pesky tummy area? All tips and ideas will be gratefully received!

Love Tor x

*This is a sponsored post

Stunning swimwear from Rigby and Peller

Hi guys,
Think Rigby and Pellar and you immediately think 'Underwear provider to the Queen'. And given the Queen is in her 80s, that evokes images of matronly sensible underwear with limited fashion credentials. But actually, you'd be wrong!

Rigby and Pellar's SS13 swimwear collection has been inspired by Miami's South Beach. Split into two ranges, named Ocean Drive and South Beach, the collection references the bright azure of sea with shades of navy, turquoise and aqua contrasting with vibrant pops of pink and purple. It oozes glamour and sex appeal. And the best thing? The swimwear collection fits back sizes 30 – 36 and cup sizes C to H, so it's perfect for bigger busted gals like me! The collection features retro sculpted swimming costumes and bikinis with multi way straps in bright contrast colours. With glamorous mix and match options to choose from including a halter neck, bandeau or front cross over, combined with a selection of tie-side, roll-top and adjustable hipster shorts there will be a style to suit you whatever you're body shape, or you could buy one perfect top then mix and match your bikini bottoms to keep things interesting.

It's definitely not Primark cheap (The swimsuit above comes in at £150) but as I've said before, when it comes to swimwear for fuller busted gals you get what you pay for! This underwired suit will give you the lift and support you need for your boobs, and the construction of the swimsuit cleverly draws the eye to the narrowest part of the waist. For the beach confidence that comes with having high boobs and a narrow waist, I think £150 is probably a small price to pay!

Have you chosen your new summer swimsuit yet? And what do you think of the Rigby and Peller ones: worth the money, or just too expensive?

Love Tor x

Swimwear shopping picks and tips for the big busted gal!

Hi guys,
Shopping for swimwear when you're fuller busted is a mini nightmare. I would go as far as to say it is my least favourite thing about going on holiday: and I love shopping!  It's also more expensive than shopping for a 'normal' bikini: there's no popping to Primark or George at Asda and picking up a couple of swimsuits for less than a tenner when your boobs need proper support.

Luckily, Bravissimo is my swimwear saviour. Not only do they stock their own brand of cupped and sized bikinis, they also stock all of the other huge fuller busted brands such as Triumph, Freya, and Panache. If you're rocking boobies bigger than a D cup then I think swimwear that is cupped for proper support is essential, and worth the extra money you have to pay. Here are some of my picks from Bravissimo's current range: Haiti tankini top £45, bottoms £23.
Stella bikini top by Panache, £31. Bottoms, £15.50
Belize tankini top £36, bottoms £18.
Madame butterfly bikini top by Freya £34, bottoms £23.

The tankini style is perfect if you have a slightly jiggly tummy - or new mummy stretch marks like me! I think you look slimmer the less flesh you show, so I'm a big fan of the tankini. I love the first Haiti tankini here: the blue band at the top of the bikini bottoms breaks the smooth line of the pattern of the tankini. This isn't great if you have hips, curves, or an hourglass figure. But it's perfect if you are slim with fuller boobs as it will create curves at your hips and draw attention away from the boobs.

The only problem with this tankini? It has halter straps! If you have very heavy boobs then you will find that when a halter bikini gets wet the weight of your boobs will cause friction and pain on the strap around the back of your neck -  I'm talking from experience here!! Wide flat shoulder straps are much more comfortable, and that's what I would recommend you look for.

I've included the blue Belize tankini here because that's the tankini I'm wearing right now: mine is in coral though, which was the colour Bravissimo made this in last summer.

I only have one swimsuit in my armoury (these are so expensive!) but I think its better to have one that fits properly than ten cheaper ones that don't. I've you're going on holiday and want lots of different swimwear looks but don't have a lot of money then my advice would be to buy one well fitting bikini top in a classic colour or pattern (I would opt for plain black but the nautical stripes shown above would also work). Then head somewhere much cheaper -  I'm thinking Primark - and pick up some contrasting mix and match bottoms and sarongs so you have lots of options and never get bored of your swimwear looks. This is what I did for my honeymoon and it worked really well!

Have you picked out your new season swimwear yet? And fuller busted girls, do you have any more bikini finding tips to share?

Love Tor xx

SS13 In Primark this Week: Hit the beach in New Season Swimwear

Hi guys,
Have you booked your summer holiday yet? Are you going anywhere nice? Well, if you've got plans to spend any time on a beach with sand between your toes this summer then you have got to get down to Primark this week: all of their high summer swimwear and beachwear landed in store on 25th March (yesterday) and there are some pieces that I just can't wait to get my hands on.

I know March seems a bit early to be buying that new bikini (you probably haven't even started your bikini diet yet) but, much like buying the best winter coat, you have to plan early to get a good bikini, before all the best ones are sold out. And some of these bits just aren't worth missing out on:
Tassle cut out swimsuit, £13. Pink stripe bikini: top £4, bottom £3. Crochet pompom Kaftan, £8.
Lilac frilly bikini: top £6, bottom, £4. Block print hi-low swim skirt, £5. Aztec cut out swimsuit, £8.

If you're fuller busted like myself, then I wouldn't recommend buying a Primark bikini. Whilst they look amazing on the hanger, they just don't provide adequate support for the bigger busted gal. (I'll be sharing some of my favourite proper cupped bikinis next week!) For everyone else though, I really like Primark's swimwear; it's well cut and the designs are very fashion-forward. I will be shopping at Primark for my beach cover ups though: and that pompom detail Kaftan is at the very top of the list!

Have you tried swimwear from Primark, and what did you think? If you don't wear Primark swimwear, where do you get your bikinis from? Do you have any recommendations to share?

Love Tor x

Primark swimwear - What do you think?

Hi guys,
Yes I know this is my second swimwear feature this month, but it's that time of the year and, as I've already confessed, when it comes to finding the perfect bikini I'm obsessed!

This time I'm thinking about whether, when it comes to swimwear, you get what you pay for. More specifically, if your a normal sized soul and you buy a bikini from Primark which costs just £5 for the top and £3 for the bottoms will it give you the support you need? Or are this bikinis designed simply for the slender limbed teenagers who model them?

I've never bought a bikini from Primark so I can't comment on the fit, but when I was last in store I copped a feel and the fabric seemed to be of good quality. And there were some patterns and designed I really coveted too:

Bikini top £5, bikini bottoms £3, hat £4. 

Swimsuit £8, Bangle £3, Backpack £8. 

Bikini top £6, bikini bottoms £6, Visor £2.50. 

Based simply on these images, I would say this isn't swimwear for gals with boobs. But until you've tried these things out for yourself really, it's impossible to tell. So I'm throwing this over to you! Have you had a bikini from Primark? How did it fit and what did you think? Did you get value for your money, or did you wish you'd spent a little more for a bikini of better quality?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Love Tor xx

Packing for my honeymoon

Hi guys,
As you can see by our his and hers sunhats sat side by side (can I get an awww!) Mike and I have finished our shopping for our post-wedding honeymoon - there's just 7 weeks to go! With all the final payments on the wedding to make in the next 6 weeks, I wanted to get the expense of clothes shopping out of the way - but didn't want to go on holiday in an ill fitting bikini! So over the past couple of months (using sales, deals, and discounts) I have been hitting the shops....

As well as three bikinis for sunbathing and tanning, I also have a more sensible swimming costume for snorkelling in: it's leopard print, and it fits like a dream! Almost all of my swimwear is pink and gold (or colours that will compliment them) I have 2 pink bikinis, the pink and gold sarong, 2 pairs of gold sandals and this big brown and gold beach bag: I got it from the Monsoon outlet at Bicester village for a bargain price!

When i'm not on the beach my outfits will be pretty conservative: outside of our resort I have to keep my arms and legs covered. I've been buying up maxi dresses, pretty hareem trousers, and pashminas for easy (and cheap) arm covers. I'm also obsessed with the £2 stretch vests from Primark: i'm taking £10 worth! We have to 'dress for dinner' in our resort though, so my beloved gold D&G wedges will be coming with us, to team with simple floaty frocks.

As well as all the sensible clothes, i've also got a beautiful armoury full of new Soap and Glory toiletries (a Christmas gift from lil sis) which I have been patiently saving for our trip. I've added the Trevor Sorbie miniatures for my hair (from the Boots January sale - 70% off!) and aside from a little make up, that's everything I need!

As well as both of our digital cameras, we're also taking 2 disposables, and 2 waterproof disposables (for snorkelling/boat trips) with us: this will be one well documented trip!

The weekend after next has been set aside for ironing, folding, and packing both of our suitcases: our last weekend that won't be spent in Norwich making the final wedding preps! I don't think I could be more excited: both for the honeymoon and the wedding!

Love, Tor xx

*This is a sponsored post

Etsy obsession of the week: Fables by Barrie

I missed last weeks etsy obsession, because my etsy trawls lately have mostly lead me on wedding hunts: it's amazing what you can find on that site, and even more amazing how much of it I will be attempting to make at home!

Today though I gave the wedding hunt a miss and began my hunt looking for the perfect bikini: I always generally opt for a one piece to hide my wobbly tummy, and have already written a couple of posts this year about the perfect onesy, but now i'm looking for a bikini. I want to get brown, and sadly that means revealing a little bit of flesh!

Winona of Daddy Likey has written a series of great posts about finding the perfect swim suit for bigger girls: turn to her for the funny!! For the best place on etsy to find an affordable vintage inspired bikini (vintage swimwear is most flattering on curves) stay on the page:

I love these bikinis from Fables by Barrie especially the sailor pattern and the high-waisted shorts (to keep wobble under control) It is the perfect compromise between getting bronzed and staying covered up, and I think it looks more sexy than those tiny little string things which only really suit swimwear models!

Top and bottoms from Fables by Barrie will set you back around £100, which is more than your average swimsuit, but they have a timeless classic appeal and they look like quality garments too.

I hope you all have great bank holiday Monday fun: i'm going to the Hatfield Galleria for their discount craft shop, to get the rest of the things I need to make my wedding invitations. Have a good one guys!

Love, Tor xx

Fabfrocks reviews: J by Jasper Conran Swimsuit

I always struggle to find swimwear to fit, but I love to swim both in my local pool and especially when i'm away on holiday. So as you can imagine, I was delighted when Debenhams asked me if i'd like to review one of their Designers at Debenhams pieces. There was so much to choose from, but sadly their two pieces in the ranges don't include my cup size, so I opted for a simple black one piece from J by Jasper Conran instead.

I loved the simple black colour (I mostly opt for black swimwear, working under the illusion that it's slimming) but with the added details of the one shoulder and the bow. The fit is really good and the tummy control works, but doesn't feel uncomfortable. I liked the bow in the flesh, though it looked a little small against my chest.

My one issue with the suit was that I just couldn't keep it up! I was hoping the suit would come with a small detachable strap so that I wouldn't be worrying about it all the time (especially when i'm swimming) but it didn't and I really struggled to stop the top sliding down on one side: even a particularly bouncy walk could lead to boobie exposure! The fit on the hips and bum was really good though, and I think that the top would have been fine on boobs that needed less support: this was probably more an error with my choosing process than anything else!

This certainly isn't a swimsuit i'll ever be able to swim in, but for posing around the pool on days when i'm feeling too self conscious for my usual two piece, it will be perfect.

Love, Tor x

PS - You can read a nice little interview with me, in which I don't make myself look too stupid, over on the Qype website, as part of their series of blogger interviews.

We are handsome (or we will be in these!)

I know its the middle of winter, we're all fat from Christmas, and it's no time to think about swimwear, but my heart skipped when I saw the designs from handmade swimwear range "We are Handsome". And that's no mean feat given that I usually despise swimwear in all of its many evil forms. But these swimsuits are good looking (you could say handsome) not too exposing, and the prints are to die for!

They're versitile too: I can imagine each one of them looking as good in the city with shorts as they will on the beach.

Above: The Africa, The Arabia, and The Hollywood. These are my favourite 3 of 7 equally interesting designs.

Each piece is made by hand, with the highest quality polyester lycra, printed with high density inks using a placement sublimation process. Each of the designs is limited edition and handmade to order, and although they aren't particularly cheap (coming in at £99) it seems worth it to avoid the risk of wearing the same boring itsy bikini as everyone else on the beach!

I think this could well possibly be the coolest swimwear i've ever seen, and wearing something this awesome will definitely stop you worrying about your body on the beach: you'll be too busy thinking about how amazing your swimwear is. And I can almost guarentee someone will say you look handsome!

Sadly they are only available up to a UK size 12 but have no fear: The diet starts in January so that I can definitely squeeze myself into one of these next summer!

Love, Tor xx

PS - Don't forget to enter my super awesome Christmas giveaway!!

It wasn't so itsy bitsy teeny weeny a bikini!!

As I wrote the other day, most of the time i'm pretty comfortable, even proud of my curvy body. But if there's one time of year where thoughts of my curves turn me into a quivering wreck and drive me to starvation diets and exercising myself to exhaustion then its this one: Mike and I have just booked our summer holiday.

We're spending a week on the Venetian riviera. And i'm really looking forward to it, i've even started planning what I want to pack: Floaty sun dresses for wandering around Venice? Check! Perfect day to night wear for lazy days around leather markets followed by dusky evenings eating pasta? Check! A bikini for lazing on the beach and visiting Europes largest water park? Nope! Na ha! No way!!

Whilst i'm perfectly happy with my body behind closed doors and dont mind showing it off when it's covered in fabric, the thought of donning a bikini turns me into a nervous wreck! There's no where to hide! I don't have a "bikini body" and I don't think 3 months is enough time to change the habits of a lifetime and go out and get one! Besides, I actually like not feeling hungry!

But I do want to sun myself on the beach and splash in the sea; its a quandry! Maybe one of these Herve Leger by Max Azria swimsuits would help ease the pain:

It doesn't matter if you don't look thin if you ooze high end crazy fashion, right??!! Right.

Love, Tor x