In search of the perfect bathing suit

One of the great ironies in fashion is that when you need a bathing suit during the summer, you can almost never find one.

I experienced this firsthand several years ago when I was invited to spend a long weekend at the beach and realized my favorite bikini was worn out. For two days, I frantically searched for a cute suit.

The prices were right since everything was already on clearance, but the selection was pretty dismal.

These days, January is usually when I start scouting for bathing suits, but that brings its own kind of angst. Trying on bikinis when a) you're winter pale and b) needing to shed those extra holiday pounds should be classified as cruel and unusual punishment.

My go-to brand for bikinis is J. Crew. Every year, they offer a wealth of choices in solid colors, and my favorite is the low-rider bottoms paired with a narrow-banded triangle top (sadly this style is not currently available).

Other brands I like include H&M (inexpensive), Roxy (sporty), Malia Mills (high-end separates), Vix, Vitamin A and local standout Marysia, whose designs have been featured everywhere from the 2011 swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated to the current issue of Cosmopolitan.

Charleston is in 'Vogue'

Local readers of "Vogue" magazine will be delighted to see Charleston featured in this month's issue.

The fashion spread is entitled "America the Beautiful" and showcases five regional destinations, including the Pacific Northwest, Maine, Florida and Texas. Each feature comes with recommendations on things to see, places to stay and eat and, this being "Vogue," devotes a couple of pages to regional-themed fashion.

Referencing the end of "Gone With the Wind" when Rhett tells Scarlett he's going back to Charleston to find "something left in life of charm and grace," the article is more spot-on with its recommendations than the fashion.

Blue Bicycle Books gets a shout out as does Charleston Museum for its ongoing jewelry exhibit, "Preciousness Preserved." Other mentions include the Gibbes Museum of Art, Magnolia Plantation, the Mills House Hotel, the restaurant SNOB and, of course, Spoleto which starts this weekend.

The June issue of "Vogue" is on newsstands now.