Ladies, swimsuit season is around the corner! And you know what that means -- countless hours spent squeezing into impossibly awkward spandex bits, hoping for the best, only to become hopelessly disillusioned. Setting out for the suit quest in Shanghai can be even more vicious, with the notoriously clingy sales people and unreal sizing (medium?! LIES!). Luckily for you, this brave little reporter spent Monday navigating the mean streets and dreaded terrain of swimwear markets to narrow it down to a few select places where (fingers crossed) the trials will be slightly less tortuous. Quiksilver / Roxy store (921 Huaihai Zhong Lu) This one stop shop caters to those seeking to communicate the surfer lifestyle, and it carries a sporty assortment of beachwear including bikinis, one-pieces, board shorts, and accessories -- flip flops and carryalls. Items run true-to-size with suits coming in S, M, L, while shorts are stocked in sizes from 1 to 12. Prices are a little high: 150-400rmb for sandals and 500-700 for swimsuits. The unintrusive staff is helpful, making searching as easy as possible. Roxy has many other locations in Shanghai, listed at page bottom. H&M (651 Huaihai Zhong Lu) Yayyy! Although I avoid H&M like the plague in the States, I'll admit it has been quite a lifesaver here. Cute swimsuits! Lighter on sporty but terrifically loaded with style, their sets and separates are priced super low, from around 100rmb/piece to 300rmb/set. For curvier ladies, H&M stocks larger sizes, up to US 14/ Euro 44. The clearance section is rife with separates, perfect for switching things up this summer. Keep in mind swimsuits aren't allowed in fitting rooms here, so make sure you know what size you need or bring along a current swimsuit to compare. Gujin Of the four stores featured, Gujin has the largest selection of one piece suits for more modest ladies. Don't be put off by displayed suits -- they carry many more, you just have to ask for a catalog ("Neng gei wo kan mu lu ma?") Their items run small compared to other places listed. I'm 5'6 and wear a 26 in jeans, and the medium cut into my hips/shoulders whereas the larger size fit fine. A potentially disastrous uni-size bikini also turned out surprisingly well. The Chinese may not have mastered a perfect low rise bottom, but they didn't fare too poorly on this one. Prices range from 300-900rmb/ suit. Zara(1201 Nanjing Xi Lu) Zara has a small yet delicious selection of bikinis on the floor and the sales staff tells me they'll be receiving more within two weeks. Prices range from 200-400rmb/set and come in small and medium sizes. As for me, I ended up choosing a sparkly pink bikini from H&M. Now excuse me while I finish my rounds on the Stair Master and slather on self-tanner. Just kidding. I'm going to fish for compliments from my boyfriend and drown my swimsuit search induced sorrows in ice cream (Kidding again- yesterday, if anything taught me I better stick to whole grain Cheerios.) Good luck! Also check out: Decathalon Isetan For more store locations: Roxy H&M Zara
