Scampi swimwear, a brand from the 80s that is quite frankly not spoken about enough !
Rio de Janeiro, or Brazil in general is known for their tiny tiny bikinis. Once when I came here I was told by my mums friend that my bikini bottoms looked like diapers. Exactly what you want to hear when already feeling very exposed, pale and maybe a bit out of shape in comparison with the gorgeous women on Ipanema Posto 9. But I quickly threw them away and purchased a tiny tiny ( for my measures) bikini that was probably way too big for Ipanema – standards.
Brazil is truly a mecca when it comes to buying swimwear and you can certainly find beautiful and unique pieces that are not available outside the country. Normally the quality is also adapted to the seawater, proper sun exposure and well , wear and tear so if cared for properly it should last years on end. I still have one bathing suit from Lenny Nyemeyer that I bought years ago and is still in perfect condition. Whenever I come here I always think to myself that I would like to start re-selling a bunch of Brazilian swimwear in Europe because frankly, I do not think there are creative brands out there that keep the high quality as the ones I have tried from here… and if they are , they will cost you the same amount as a flight ticket to and back from Rio de Janeiro.
Until I found Scampi Swimwear, that is shockingly enough a Swedish brand that has been around since the late 80s . I fell in love with the block colors and the style of the bathing suit Rio Mondrian, ordering it in a size XL. In hindsight I should have ordered it in a size smaller, but I really did not want to have to send it back for being too small as I wanted to use it for my trip, so better safe than sorry.
Honestly , it is the most comfortable yet elegant and sexy bathing suit I have ever come across and especially for me who has a rather large bust, it gives beautiful support without feeling like I am wearing a parachute in any way. One downside of the color blocks being different depending on the product is that the lightest color happens to be just on my nether regions , and in contact with water it goes sliiiightly transparent which I would be fine with if it were any other area. But after speaking to the lovely customer service at Scampi Swimwear they have sent me a new one with different color disposition.
You can find Scampi swimwear and the Rio bathing-suit here !
