You may have heard the recent (shocking) news that Victoria’s Secret is planning on discontinuing their bathing suit collections. Although I personally don’t shop for my swimwear at VS, many collegiettes do and they are freaking because they won’t be able to buy suits there for much longer.
Although Victoria’s Secret has a super cute swimsuit line, there are tons of other places for collegiettes to get cute swimwear that you may not have heard of! Check out some our favourite stores below.
1. BRACHIC: Bra Fitting Boutique (433 Richmond Road, Westboro, Ottawa)
Not only does BRACHIC carry bras in a wide variety of styles and sizes (bands range from 28-46 and cups range from A-N), but they have a killer swimwear collection! Their fitting-consultants will help you find the perfect pieces and properly measure you to ensure that you’re wearing the best possible fit for your body. They carry lines from Prima Donna Swim, Charmline, Fantasie, Karla Colleto, and more.
2. la Vie en Rose / Aqua (multiple locations in Ottawa)
With locations all across the city (Tanger Outlets, Bayshore Mall, Rideau Centre, Trainyards, Les Galeries de Hull, St-Laurent Centre, Place d’Orleans, Promenades des l’Outaouais, Carlingwood Mall, and Hull Smartcentre), la Vie en Rose and Aqua (two separate stores owned by the same company) are two of the most accessible swimwear shops in Ottawa. la Vie en Rose is highly comparable to Victoria’s Secret in the sense that they sell such a variety of swimwear styles – you can get push up, convertable, halter, high neck, bustier, high waist, boy short, one piece, etc. They are also, for the most part, collegiette-budget friendly (they frequently have awesome sales as well, including right now!) and sell a variety of colours and patterns. Aqua tends to run a bit more expensive, but offers a much bigger selection in terms of styles and they sell swimwear all year round (perfect for those beach getaways in the winter!) Check out some of our favourite pieces:
Halter Bikini Top & Matching Bottoms (sold separately). Available in all Aqua stores and select la Vie en Rose locations
Retro One Piece Swimsuit – available in all la Vie en Rose locations and online
3. Forever 21 (online or in store)
Ottawa is lucky enough to have three Forever 21 stores (plus one across the river in Gatineau) but you’ll probably find the best deals and selection online. Forever 21 is definitely one of the most affordable places for collegiettes to shop. In addition to F21 having crazy good deals all the time, they also carry a lot of trendy and daring pieces (like the ones pictured below), so if you’re looking to stand out this summer, definitely check out their site!
Mesh-Side Colourblock One-Piece
Strappy High-Neck Top and Cheeky Bikini Bottoms (sold separately)
4. Simon’s (1100 Boul. Maloney Ouest, Gatineau, QC)
Simon’s recently opened in Gatineau and if you haven’t made the trip across the river to check it out, here’s the perfect reason: they have an incredibly cute swimwear collection! Simon’s is comparable to The Bay and Nordstrom but brings a fresh, crisp new look to the scene that collegiette’s will find more affordable than Nordstrom and hipper than The Bay. Check out some of the cutest looks:
La Mer Noire One-Piece Swimsuit
5. Boathouse (Tanger Outlet, Bayshore Mall, Rideau Centre, St-Laurent Centre and Place d’Orleans)
The sportiest store on our list, Boathouse, carries a lot of popular brands such as O’Neill, Volcom, Billabong, and Fox. If you’re looking for brand name pieces at affordable prices, Boathouse is right for you! Check out our favourite piece:
Festival One-Piece String Back
Where do you buy your swimsuits? Let us know on Twitter!
Sources: all images taken from respective websites (all images linked throughout article). Image photo, here.