Commodity Trading

In the current climate of apparent worldwide economic crisis there has been a traumatic worldwide economic meltdown which has put the world economy as we know it at risk. There are many companies who will not survive but there are some who will not only survive but will benefit in these unfortunate times. For instance our business in web design has increased recently because in an effort to reduce costs companies are turning to the internet to improve sales without incurring huge overheads. So companies like ours suddenly are in greater demand. However for the majority of the population it is a question of surviving and getting through it. If your business is on a sound financial foundation and you have money behind you then this will be beneficial in the coming months. You may even be able to reduce employee salaries for a period of time, rather than have redundancies or even closing down, but whatever strategy you apply it will need to be with the agreement of the workforce because a company is dependent of the good will of its employees at such a time. During the early stages of the crisis the British company JCB, which makes big machinery like bull dozers and diggers, chose with the agreement of the workforce, to reduce everyone’s salary for 6 months rather than lay off people or go out of business.

Cash flow

Most businesses go to the wall because of problems with cash flow. If there is not enough revenue coming it to pay for goods and services then it will not be long before a company goes into bankruptcy. Constant monitoring of the financial position is crucial. It is so easy to spend and not realise how much is leaking out and where it is all going. Keeping a tight control on costs is always a vital activity because that is what makes or breaks a company. More profits always come from reducing outgoings whether it’s reducing waste or cheaper purchasing or decreasing the workforce. I once listened to an audio tape on how to become wealthy and the one item to impact me was the advice to plug the leaks. Most people when running short of money try to find a way of making more money, but without a balance of reducing outgoings they never seem to resolve their problem. The simple reason is that when people earn more they spend more. If you imaging a bath with the tap turned on to fill it up. If the plug is securely in place the bath will fill up fairly quickly. But if the bath was full of holes no matter how much water you pour into the bath it will never fill up. The analogy is that the bath is your bank account, the tap is your earnings and the holes are your spending. Since listening to that tape, I have made a point of keeping expenses to a minimum at home and at work and every little sum of money coming in I see as a positive step to achieving wealth.

Avoid buying anything unless you absolutely have to or adjourn some necessary purchase for a few more months if possible. It’s amazing how you can manage without something for a period of time by using up existing or old stocks and making sure that waste is reduced to an absolute minimum. One of the things we teach early on is that being good with finances is often just a case of regular monitoring and being aware of what is going on with your finances.

Look for Bargains when Purchasing.

When you do have to procure goods to run the business, make sure you look out for bargains or negotiate for a better deal than you may have achieved previously. When times are tough, sales with no profits are better than nothing and there are some good deals to be had. One company I recently heard about sold a house for half the price when a customer came along with a cash offer.

We were recently tasked with setting up website hosting on a very low budget for our client http://www.angermanagementcourses.net/ we actually found hosting companies who are now providing free website hosting if you buy your domain name through them. So just because you have a pre conceived idea that something has to be paid for, or costs a certain amount, it might not necessarily be the case and it is worth investigating all markets and reviewing all costs continuously.

Look for Bargains when purchasing.

By taking a good long hard look at all of the business overheads I am sure it will be easy to identify those areas similar to ours where you have large outgoings. If those costs are critical to the functioning of the business then looking for better deals with other providers or renegotiate with current provider to maybe save thousands of dollars. So in many ways the current economic climate could be seen as a good thing because it forces businesses to review their outgoings and get rid of the dead wood. In any business, the higher the outgoings, the smaller the profits. When there is an economic downturn or some loss of business unless you have unlimited capital set aside, it is vital to reduce spending otherwise the business will not survive. Most really successful businesses understand the value of controlling outgoings and constantly review costs, even when times are good.

Tighten your Belt - Eliminate Extravagent Spending

Although looking at reducing large overheads is one way to improve the viability of your company, another is to pay attention to the small amounts going out. It is so easy to think ‘Oh it’s only a few pounds’ but small amounts add up and can so easily get out of control. Remember that old saying ‘take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’ I think it is so true. So cut out unnecessary spending, no perks on the business such as lunches or dinners to woo customers. They rarely actually need it if your business is offering honest value for money and top class services, and in most cases customers and prospects will appreciate you being prudent if it means you stay in business and continue as their valued suppliers. Bosses can lead the way by paying themselves less or taking a pay cut showing that they are willing to tighten their own belts.

Recently it was announced that Bruce Forsythe was taking a cut in salary for his position as the host of Strictly Come Dancing, one of the most popular programmes on TV at the moment. He believed that they were being overpaid and put his money where his mouth was.

Another major area of expense is salaries and the costs that go with them. If you employ a large number of people the overhead expenses are huge. However there is always a natural wastage where people leave or retire so without actively having to make people redundant there may be opportunities to reduce the wages bill when times are hard. Efficiency and effectiveness of the people working in the company is critical and communicating with the workforce as to how they can reduce wastage and be more effective can be a rewarding policy.

One example from my previous work in organisations was when running a supervisors workshop. One of the delegates was complaining that when he needed to order supplies he had to sent the request up the line and wait until the senior manager had given the go ahead. As he was responsible for keeping supplies stocked and felt very frustrated at the time it took for him to get the approval he needed. I was appalled to hear that he was being so hampered in doing his job properly. So when I asked the question. ‘What’s to stop you ordering the goods yourself?’ after a long think, he said it had always been done that way. Nobody had questioned the procedure and whether it was still necessary to follow it. The outcome was that the he was given the go ahead to do the ordering himself and the senior manager was freed from one task he could happily do without.

Do Your Clients have Financial Stability?

If one of your customers is a very large company and they are source of the majority of your revenue then you are in a high risk position. It is a good idea to ensure that you have more than one high volume customer as well as lots of smaller ones so that you will be covered if one suddenly defaults on payment.

Find out the financial stability of your best customers. When the income of a customer falls then their ability to purchase goods and services is affected. If they are able to pay, then you will be able to pay your suppliers. There is nothing worse than doing a lot of work or selling a lot of stock to customer and then not getting paid. Situations like this can often cost you money, and that is the road to financial ruin, so be sure to be aware of your client’s economic situation as best as possible. We use the free Dunn and Bradstreet financial tracking service to identify any negative changes registered against any of our major clients

For a business to survive a client going out of business owing them a lot of money requires excellent cashflow and one such planning consultancy Nottingham business demonstrated this point when a client of theirs folded owing them many thousnads of pounds, the only reason they are still here today is because of their excellent cashflow.

Find out the financial viability of your best customers. When the income of a customer falls then their ability to buy goods and services is affected. If they are able to pay on time, then you will be able to pay your suppliers. There is nothing worse than doing a lot of work or selling a lot of stock to customer and then not getting paid. Situations like this can often make the difference between success or failure. The cost to you in money and wasted effort and resources could be the road to financial ruin, so make sure you are aware of your client’s economic situation as much as possible. When the financial crisis happened one of our best customers suddenly switched to a two month payment plan which meant that we did not get any money from them for a month. When we protested the chief executive told his manager to find another suppler. There were a number of outstanding invoices worth thousands of pounds and we were powerless to do anything. Our overheads were compromised for that month but we were fortunate enough to have access to a reserve fund to tide us over. And yes we did get paid the whole amount over time.

Avoid Borrowing Money

When the world is in a financial meltdown it is better not to borrow money if you can help it. If you have already borrowed significant sums of money then make sure you talk to your bank and get the best deal on repayments you can. If it’s possible to repay a chunk of money to reduce the interest you are paying out then do so. To me interest is money Down the drain and is not good money management.

Having said all that, the interest rate in America is just over 1% and recently rates have been radically reduced in the UK. But that in itself is what caused this whole financial mess in the first place. People borrow money cheaply then re-lend it at a higher rate of interest and take the difference in profit. Once the interest rate rises to a more normal level they will bail out and take their billions off to buy an island somewhere while everyone else pays the price. I know that is an over simplification of the problem, but it serves to demonstrate that the greed of a few has caused the distress of millions of the majority.

In my property rental business, a few years ago I had to let a house at a reduced rent but found a good long term tenant. This meant that the income was only just covering my costs but subsequently, because of the drop in interest rates, the mortgage repayments on the property have been reduced by £150 a month. This means I have been able to realise a small profit and with that money I am reinvesting it in improvements to the house. Long term I see it as a good investment to maintain the standard and value of the property. So for some companies who have had to borrow money to stay afloat there is the benefit of lower interest rates to reduce the burden of repayments.

You Only Have to Survive

The world economic situation is currently, I realise, much more complicated than we are suggesting above. Although it is true that the simple way of managing crisis is often the best solution. If you cut everything back to the bone and try to emulate the times when people did not have such complicated lives, it can allow you to get on top of a situation. Years ago people used to manage their company without armies of specialists to provide tax advice, these people coped with no water coolers and other such luxuries like cleaning services and people who come round every few weeks to sanitize the telephones! they managed by performing extra tasks on their own when they needed to or they just went without. As your company regains its footing, or recovers, it probably won’t make economic sense to sit and trawl through your business accounts doing book keeping yourself or to have to do a lot of extra research and administration, so you can restore those facilities that help to make you more money once the business has recovered.

Now I am not suggesting that we should go back to the good old days. What I am saying is that we might think we can’t manage without all our latest gadgets such as mobile phones that take photos, but the reality is that we can do more with a great deal less, as long as we put ourselves into the right frame of mind and think positively about what we can achieve rather than what we haven’t got. Obviously as your business grows, or recovers, it doesn’t become economically viable to sit and trawl through tax return forms or to have to do a lot of extra research and administration yourself, so you can reintroduce those facilities as and when you have recovered your financial equilibrium.

Think what the Victorians did with the limited resources they had at their disposal. The horse was the main mode of transport and they used the manure to heat cold- frames and managed to grow pineapples without any other form of heating. They did not have cars, computers, mobile phones or even phones. The railway was only just coming into being, and they did not even have electricity. But with their energy and ingenuity they conquered the world. The industrial revolution with their steam driven engines changed our economy for ever. In the past there was no such thing as designer and yet businesses survived|thrived.

Stay in a Positive Mode

By this I do not mean be in denial and pretend the world is not going through a tough time. But if you are continually thinking and worrying about the negative aspects of the financial situation, then you are likely to make it come true. Don’t forget you get what you wish for and by concentrating on something then it will work like a wish, so why not concentrate on ways of getting new customers, giving better value to your existing customers and how your company could offer new products or services to your existing customer base?

The challenge of any financial crisis is to find ways of increasing your customer base by offering inducements for purchasers to use your company rather than the competition’s services.

Conclusion

Although during this recession there is no doubt times are hard for people who have lost their jobs. No work, equals no money coming in, so how do people pay their bills and their mortgages? If consumers have been prudent during times of prosperity and they have a nest egg for a rainy day, then they can probably get by for a few months until they get another job. But if they are already up to their eyes in debt then they will face personal bankruptcy and could lose everything.

One economist had identified that in the past the higher the level of personal debt in an economy, the deeper the depression that followed. Prior to the current financial meltdown the level of personal debt was extremely high and the recession is a worldwide event.

In spite of all that, some people are managing quite well if they have jobs or some other type of income. One article I read recently said that the death rate reduced noticeably during recession and put that down to eating more economically at home and not eating so much junk food. So OK we can’t afford to go out for meals as much, and things are more expensive, but home prepared food is often better for you and sharing meals with the family is a way of coming together and communicating. So it’s not all bad. Good luck for a prosperous future.

Commodities

All work and no vacation is not good, even in a recession. I have wondered if you can stay on a tight budget and still get away on a short trip. There are a bunch of major travel websites offering nice travel deals to a lot of destinations.

When you select from among the various online travel companies, you are looking for the best price for car rental, hotel rooms and airline tickets, and also a trip without logistical problems.  It also occurred to me that I should find a place where I can find good prices on travel costs, and maybe where I could drive my own car to save even more. I should point out that Southern California might be a great choice.

You’ll find a bunch of information and advice related to Southern California at the SoCal Vacation Guru website.  At the present time, the site places particular emphasis on Orange County and Los Angeles County, with the stated goal of expanding its attention to San Diego County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County. In addition to information and insight related to the beaches, Disneyland, shopping, dining, hotel options and other attractions, there is good coverage on Universal Studios at the SoCal Vacation Guru site.

The SoCal theme parks include Disneyland (with Disney’s California Adventure), Knott’s, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood, SeaWorld and Legoland. Of course visiting all of those would not be particularly cheap, but you could fit a lot of vacation fun into a short period of time. You will likely find it possible to obtain some advantageous hotel deals in the slow economy with so many motivated hotel companies, assuming your budget will let you take a vacation.

You might also get better deals now for tickets to theme parks, museums and other activities. The price of gasoline has increased and fluctuated a lot, but for many people in the U.S. a driving trip to Southern California could save money compared with flying to other vacation destinations.

Commodities

The garage will always be one of the most cluttered sites in a home. This is where individuals do all their dirty work and store their tools. Despite knowing that this is a very disorganized place, people never have the initiative to organize the garage. People just keep their equipment in the garage leaving them to accumulate and add to the mess.

People who are drained of seeing this circumstance need a realistic answer. Spring cleaning the garage is not the only solution there is. A garage storage organization is what people need for this. It is very vital to have an organized cabinet where you can store your tools. This can be an well-organized way to save a lot of space in the garage. It would be more convenient to actually have a lot of ground for walking and working. People usually trip and slip on a lot of things spread all over the garage. This can lead to accidents which are very dangerous to one’s health.

There are a lot of garage storage options out there. There are wall-mounted shelves as well as detached shelves that can be utilized in garages. It is best to deliberately design the garage, making sure that the space has been capitalized on. A plastic or wood garage storage system is preferred since these supplies do not corrode in a garage environment. It is very vital that the garage system is sturdy and will last longer. This can guarantee that the garage will seem cleaner for a lengthy time. For some great information check out garage storage solutions today.

Commodities

The best way for adolescents to get all of the nutrients they need, is through

eating a good diet, balanced with all the great tasting foods. They should be offered foods from a variety of. food groups, anddinner should be prepared that work in

tandem to provide your kids all the right nutrients. They need fresh fruits, vegetables, lean

meats, fish, whole grains, milk, cheese, and other nutrients to stay healthy.

Somechildrencan’t wait to get at the chance to eat all of the food groups in the necessary quantity, but certainly not all

of them. A good number children are rather pickey, and will not eat healthy at all. It is for kids like this that

childrens vitamins were created. A lot of boys and girls eat many

foods that are processed, and do not contain any healthy nutrients.

Just like adults,children should have a diet that is good for them  as well.

Unhealthy eating could on occasion cause kids to have difficulties learning as they should. It is

very hard to get the proper training when your body and brain aren’t getting the nutrients they need.

For younger ones that don’t always eat as they encouraged, they can get childrens vitamins to help fill in the

nutritional gaps. This to take the place for poor eating, as the best sources for nutrients

are from vegetables. Alwaysgive good vegetables to your children, and try other ways to get them

to try it. For times when nothing works, chewable vitamins can be

given.

One of the necessary things missing in childrens diets, are the omega three essential fatty acids. They are

needed for the nervous system and brain function, and this is something that is certainly  vital all through the school year. You can find

this fatty acid in pumpkin seeds, tuna, flax oil, and canola oil. For children that cant’ stand fish, it

can also be taken as a childrens vitamin.

If young onesdo not like fruits and vegetables, then they probably aren’t

getting the right amount of Vitamin C in their daily diets. It is also important for the immune system

to function as properly to keep kids healthy, and for building connective tissue. It also blocks free radicals, and is

vital for the brain to think as well.

B complex vitamins have a lot of functions, and some are involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates. If a child eats a diet high in sugar and starch, they may lack B vitamins.

Many experts believe that lots of nutrients have been removed from the

soil, so they are also missing in fruits and vegetables as well. Calcium and magnesium are needed  to build strong bones, zinc is vital for the immune system, and chromium helps in carbohydrate metabolism.

For most kids, high quality childrens vitamins, along with omega three  vital fatty

acids, is a good idea to take daily. If a kid has health issue, they may need a different

type of vitamin, so check with your doctor first.

When you purchase chewable vitamins for children, be sure that they are purchased from a nutrition or health store. They come in the

form of liquid, capsules, and tablets as well. If children and adults takes the proper vitamins for women, men and children, then everyone will live a healthier life.

Commodities

 

When you’re searching for a play set for your play area, there are a number of factors to keep in mind. Sturdiness, fee, and safety are the most focal. Shoppers can typically choose between wood, metal, and plastic swing equipment. Plastic is the safest, but it is only suitable for very young infants, and doesn’t weather well. Wood is occasionally thought to be more alluring, but has a high expense. The well known metal swing set, though, performs sound on all three aspects, so long as you are careful.

Metal swing sets are considered by most to be the toughest option in the marketplace. Though, it’s vital to buy a quality set, finished from galvanized steel that won’t tarnish. Everyday steel that has just been painted to delay corrosion will worsen if the paint layer is damaged. Sets that do not advertise galvanized steel are also often of lower build. There are a variety of different styles and sizes of metal swing set. A number of them include slides, monkey bars, and other fun toys, whilst others have only basic swings.

Recently, wooden swing sets have gotten far more accepted. These playground structures offer the option for children to have fun close to their own homes, safely, and for mum and dad to maintain an eye on them. They are in addition visually beautiful, durable, and fun. At the same time as older sets were to some extent hazardous, new changes to wooden swing sets and play add ons, like plastic slides, coated chains, and well finished wood that helps children keep away from splinters makes a wooden swing set a possible choice. Though, there are plenty of styles on the market, and deciding may be complicated. There is more to picking a wooden swing set than just buying the first model that looks good.

 

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Commodities

The Hotpoint RFA52S fridge freezer is dependable, tough, and spacious. This upright fridge freezer is highly reliable when it comes to keeping foods fresh, flavorful, and frosty. This appliance is also equipped with numerous functions to keep foods hygienic. It is also spacious enough to provide room for a lot of food items. This fridge freezer is also efficient in the use of energy so there should be no concerns on the electricity consumption of this appliance. This fridge freezer is definitely a great addition to any household.

This Hotpoint fridge freezer comes in a stylish silver colour. It stands about 174.5 cm, with a slim width of 54 cm. This should have no problem in being fitted into your kitchen space. The fridge has a net capacity of 5.4 cu. ft, while the freezer has a net capacity of 3.5 cu. ft. This fridge freezer has an energy efficiency rating of A as it only consumes 292 KWH in a year. This model has a power failure safe storage of 17 hours..

This fridge freezer is of the auto defrost type, which should appeal to users who are tired of regularly defrosting the freezer. This feature also prevents the unwanted build up of ice inside the freezer. The freezer is highly dependable in chilling perishables, even as it can freeze up to 6 kgs of food items in 24 hours. The freezer has a a super freeze function that can quickly freeze foods to ensure that they stay fresh and flavorful. Inside the fridge are 3 shelves that are easy to clean. The shelves are also clear to provide users with maximum visibility, so they can easily spot the foods they are looking.

There is also a salad crisper that is perfect for storing fruits and vegetables. The ice tray also facilitates the convenient dispensing of ice cubes. These are just some of the advantages that the Hotpoint RFA52S provides to its users. There is no denying that this appliance is one of the most practical models in the market today.

Commodities

The next business cards design guidelines could help you workmanship an effective business cards pattern. Go to www.aluminumfencing.org

1.Array plan - it’ll be a absolute great thought if you own a layout project for your business cards pattern. Discover the aluminum fencing This is because you’re around to convey into report the ideathought|estimation} that you’ve in mind. As you’re competing in the external population you demand a specific blueprint. With your layout you are able decide what characteristics to add and what not to include.

2.Effects - This feature is very competent as you can easily trigger your customer’s attention. It doesn’t entirely build your cards seem appealing and captivating but it also gives an elegant look for your business cards. Utilizing darkness effect will create them easier to understand.

3.Punching design- Before the printing jobs be sure that your design will be a strike. Trying your business online will be a good scheme. Examining your cards online will be a beneficial maneuver if you are not up to know convinced with your blueprint. Through the cyberspace helps accessible you are able to early discover what demands to be finished with your business cards.

4.Colors and inks - Picking the proper colorations for your cards will be a great agent of building a glorious and striking impress. The more attractiveit’s the more options you let in appealing your client’s attention.

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Commodities

If someone were to give you a suggestion and recommend that you save, what would you think? Forget it! I doubt it. Conserving at this moment couldn’t have come at a perfect time. One could always look for coupons online. Presently Personal Creations and Magazines have some fantastic opportunities to save. Below are a variety of ways you can really save.

• Using Online Savings to save
• Percent off of desirable items
• Timing when you are going to shop.
• Don’t forget Regular Coupons
• Recycle whatever you can.
• Use Less electricity
• Shop at thrit stores
• PUrchase things in bulk when on sale
• Cutback on premium channels they show the same movies
• Reduce cell phone extras such as internet and text.
• Pay as you go plans can help you regulate your talking time, hence saving you money.
• Negotiate with your credit card company to lower interest rates or to make a payoff.
• Transfer credit to lower interest rate credit cards
• When buying clothes, choose items that go with your current closet
• Use Efficient Appliances

I bet you didn’t think saving would be such a cinch. Often the smallest thing will make a huge difference. If anything else, one validated that you are currently doing alot to keep money where it belongs, in your control.

Commodities

Belly dancing lessons can be a terrific technique to move and build muscles that you may not until that time realize you had before. Belly dance is a stylish dance form full of great beauty and precision that a lot of women have participated and embraced for scores of centuries. Today you also can take part in this unique mode of self expression with the help of belly dancing training.

A lot of these lessons will certainly get your heart beat elevated and add unique pleasure to your current exercise regimen. If it seems like something that may appeal to you, it follows that belly dancing training like Atlanta Belly Dancing Classes would likely be something you may want to consider!

Belly dance is becoming progressively more popular with a wide range of performers and health gurus in the mainstream nowadays. It is a beautiful mode of self expression which dates back thousands of years ago, but it also can make an excellent comprehensive body workout. People seeking to burn up calories, shed weight, tone up, increase their heart rate, and discover something fresh and fun will enjoy the inclusion of belly dancing lessons to their lifestyle. Everyone will be able to benefit from middle eastern dance classes.

Middle eastern dance instructional classes can give you new stretches to try out and also show you a wide array of different ways to move your body, which you may well not have knew you had the ability to perform before. You will develop an amazing amount of muscle control from your belly dance lessons. This unique muscle control is the reason why a great deal of belly dancers are able to dance with such precision and move with such flexibility when they are on stage.

To find out further tips on belly dance classes, visit www.BellyDancingClassesAtlanta.com to gain knowledge of about Chandani and her unique training classes.

Commodities

Introduction

Swimwear is the term used for garments designated for swimming and beach wear. It has gradually evolved over the years from the bulky garments used to completely cover the body into the selection of brief pieces of fabric arranged to expose as much as possible of the body.

Finding the right sort of swimwear is not always that easy particularly if you do not have a large budget. There is an enormous variety of body sizes and shapes for both men and women and correspondingly there are an enormous variety of outfits ranging from the very cheap to the very expensive.

Fashion Dictates

If it was just a case of having a bathing costume to wear when going swimming and replacing it when it had worn out, life would be relatively easy. But there is the matter of fashion. Every year the makers come up with a different style so that the previous year’s model suddenly looks old fashioned and we feel compelled to buy a new one. As purchasers we are confronted with one piece swimsuits, two piece swimwear, some with long tops, some with skimpy tops, high leg cut, high waist cut, different cup sizes, in a variety of fabrics, colours, patterns, two tone and so on. The choice is endless.

History of Swimwear

The earliest recorded bathing costume was in 350 BC in Greece which was a toga-like garment for bathing. During the 18th century people visited spa resorts for their health where they spent time in the spa waters. Naturally they needed something suitable to wear, other than their day clothes, when they were engaged in public bathing. Later the recreation of beach bathing demanded a specially made outfit to maintain decorum and decency, so the bathing suit was developed.

Initially the swimwear was rather like ordinary daywear, and the dresses worn by the women sometimes had lead weights sewn into the hems to prevent the skirts from floating up. As the expansion of the railways enabled the masses to spend time at the seaside a more practical type of outfit was required. By the early 1900’s the swimsuit consisted of bloomers with black stocking and shoes, and the top was like a jacket belted at the waist. Swimming was considered suitable for men, while women were assisted into the water for a short dip.

Over the century attitudes changed and swimming became an Olympic sport for both men and women. Gradually the swimming costume changed to adopt short capped sleeves and more ankle was exposed beneath the bloomers. As women became more active in the water the swimming costume needed to be less cumbersome so the neckline was lowered and the tops became sleeveless. Eventually the Princess cut was introduced which consisted of the trousers attached to a blouse in one piece.

In 1909 Annette Kellerman, the Australian swimmer, film star and author, went down in history as being the first woman to ever wear a one piece swimsuit, the only person to get arrested for indecency wearing ladies swimwear! However, by 1910 “Annette Kellermans” became the new accepted ladies swimwear.

From then on the swimsuits became lighter and briefer. By the 1920’s the women wore figure hugging tank suits made from wool Jersey and by 1928 they had evolved into the swimsuit we would recognise today. In the 1930’s cotton was introduced for bathing suits sometimes with little overskirts to disguise bulky thighs, but film stars wore fashionable figure hugging costumes with higher cut legs sealing the fate of the fashionable swimwear.

The corset manufacturers in the 1940’s saw that women with less than perfect figures needed swimsuits to hide or control the bulges, so seeing a gap in the market they produced costumes which had control panels for the tummy and bra cups and bones to give support to the bust. Using the practice applied in corset making they introduced the stretch factor to bathing costumes so that they were more flattering than ever before.

With the development of modern fabrics, Nylon and Lycra became the fabric of choice for swimwear because of their stretch properties. This meant that the costume could be pulled on without openings or fastenings and gave a firmer cleaner line to the figure. Women continued to wear all in one swimsuits until the 1950’s when the bikini became popular.

Leisure Swimming or Sunbathing

Although certain items are called swimwear, in fact some never get near the water. They are solely for sunbathing which usually means they are as small as possible, just barely covering the essential bits so that the skin gets maximum exposure to the sun and such a design would be classed as a bikini.

Two Piece or Bikinis

Over two thousand years ago early mosaics and pottery from Greece depict what in fact looks like an early version of a bikini. These garments were used by women performers and acrobats and were in two pieces to cover the breasts and the lower part of the body, much like the current style of Bandeau tops. Modern day runners and athletes wear something very similar when competing. Paula Radcliffe when running the Marathon last year, wore a garment almost identical to those worn thousands of years ago!!

The bikini resembles women’s underwear and has been described as a scanty two piece bathing suit. The lower part may be two small triangles attached together with a string tie at either side, or even a thong. The upper part may also be two small triangles attached together with a string tie but arranged in a slightly different order. Louis Reard patented the modern version of the bikini in 1946; his design was similar to the skimpy string 1970’s bikini and it shocked the world when it appeared on French beaches in 1947.

The very first bikini shown in the cinema was in the Bond film Dr No when Ursula Andress rises out of the sea in a white bikini. This created the iconic Bond girl and made her world famous. When being interviewed on television recently she revealed that the bikini had been constructed out of a bra covered with the fabric to give her the required lift of the bosom. This actual bikini sold at auction for £35,000 in 2001.

Ultimately the top part of the bikini was abandoned altogether when topless sunbathing became the norm in some countries and the bottom was just a G-string or thong also called a Tanga. Oliver Saillard the fashion journalist states that the bikini is the most popular female beachwear in the world, and that the emancipation of swimwear is linked to the emancipation of women.

In the 1950’s there was a popular song entitled ‘In My little Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’ that indicated the acceptance of the new style of swimwear. I remember my cousin persuading me to try on a bikini and I felt very exposed but she said how incredible I looked in it because I was so slim.

Although the bikini is now an acceptable garment whatever the size, the one piece swimsuit is still the best for serious swimmers. Some companies are well known for their skill at making swimwear and make all the garments for the Olympic team and other swimming competitions. Now swimwear is available in a wide range of bust sizes and the more expensive makes have control panels for the stomach combined with clever styling to create a good silhouette. Combined with a matching sarong, older ladies may feel more comfortable when walking around the beach area.

Helen Mirren was photographed on holiday in her substantial bikini last summer with the caption commenting on how good she looked for her age and that particular bikini was snapped up from the stores within days. Perhaps the purchasers believed that they could look as good as Helen Mirren in a bikini if they had the same one.

Leg Line

Some two piece bathing suits are cut so that the waist is high and the related leg line is also cut high. I believe the aim is to make the wearer look as though her legs are much longer than they are. However if you have less than the perfect shape for this style it can emphasise large hips so it’s not for all women.

Another fashion mode is the tankini where the bottoms look like little shorts and shows the lower curve of the bottom, which is fine if you are young with a nice pert bottom.

To go with swimwear tankinis is a longer top which just meets the waistline of the shorts, but has a line of flesh showing during movement.

The classic bikini style is still as popular as ever though, with the cut of the leg line following the natural crease between the leg and the hip.

The most recent development in fabric is the ‘tan through’ swimwear. This allows the body to tan without exposing the body to the world. Some commentators on this style point to the effects of too much sun on the body and the occurrences of skin cancer of which the evidence indicates an alarming increase. However, the counter argument to that is if you are wearing a bikini anyway then the extra exposure to the sun through the top and bottom garments is hardly going to make much difference.

Conclusion

Swimwear is a term used these days to cover all types of beach wear and swimming gear. It is a bit of a misnomer in that many outfits never see the water and are not used for swimming. However there is a huge range of garments available for the customer of different styles, sizes and fabrics. The one commonality of course is that everyone wants to look good once they don these garments. The main key to that is to make sure your new swimwear is the right fit and cut, for your body size and shape.

The importance of being properly measured for your swimwear is often overlooked but it is as important as being properly measured for your bra or other underwear, particularly if you do indeed intend to actually swim in your new swimwear! By wearing the right size and style swimwear for your body, will ensure you are really comfortable in it on the beach, in the pool or wherever else you choose to wear it.

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