Hello everyone! Hope you’ re doing well, staying cool, and having some vacation for those of you who happen to live in the northern hemisphere. We are officially way into one of the hottest summers in human history at some regions, and Ecce Homo has already released their first brand-new super cool swimwear collection for all of our friends and customers who had been asking for a summer collection all these years! Well, we are renowned for our impeccable customer service as you already know, so…once again, your wish was granted! And the name of it is ‘RetroWaves’! In this Ecce Homo blog article, we are going to present our RetroWaves collection and give some tips for a healthy and safe summer! But first of all, allow us to offer you our most valuable advice on how to get a beach body. Pay extreme attention as things are gonna get really serious. This is a no-joke three-step process that must be followed religiously in order for you to get the desired results. Rule number one: have a body. Rule number two: check out our body-positive, non-binary, and slow-fashion swimwear collection and get yourself a top-quality care-fully crafted swimsuit. Rule number three: go to a beach!

With this little parody of the widely circulated fatphobic articles of these days, we would like to draw your attention once again to the issue of body positivity. If undergarments are meant to be worn beneath our everyday clothes, swimsuits inevitably make some of us nervous of the exposure on the beach or by the pool. After all, we live in a fatphobic society with very strict beauty standards that are also racialized, gendered and classist upon a closer look. We have learned so much during the last decades from the spokespersons of the fat movement around the world, even though the first protest against anti-fat bias goes all the way back to the 60s in New York City. As the movement has grown stronger, more vocal and intersectional, especially in the context of its second and third wave, all those efforts to eliminate social stigma on obesity and fat people have begun to flourish and a slow change of social attitudes on fatness is noticeable in some cases. 

Nowadays, in fashion we are talking about body positivity and plus-size models yet how far have we really gone? On the one hand, the representations of fat people have multiplied in recent years with fashion campaigns becoming more and more ‘diversified’ and ‘inclusive’. One the other hand, are ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusivity’ another two neoliberal buzzwords for major brands to capitalize on so-far-dismissed ‘differences’? Somehow all this talk about body positivity seems to vanish the moment we enter the ‘swimwear’ territory of fashion. People indiscreetly stare, advertisers have no idea how to render fat bodies ‘marketable’ for their campaigns, the queerness of especially gay male brands gives its place to stereotypical bodily images, articles are being written on how to get a beach body. This was exactly what we had in mind when we were designing our new collection, all this fatphobia, the discrimination and hate against fat people, the erasure of their bodily existence out of fashion’s shinny pages.

RetroWaves is an 80s-inspired swimwear collection in carmine red and signal blue with geometrical patterns made of supreme-quality elastane fabric. For our fashion designer, Chara Georgakis, the 80s was a hallmark of empowerment, dynamism, and liberation, and the athletic style of the collection only underlines this fact since every-body can be athletic no matter what! On top of that, the best-quality elastane fabric was carefully picked especially for the needs of this collection. As we already have elaborated elsewhere, elastane or spandex bears a series of amazing qualities that make it perfect for swimwear. Elastic as it is, it offers a great recovery back to its initial form without losing its original shape, while providing a good fit, great flexibility, and an excellent range of motion. As a fiber, elastane also has hydrophobic qualities which means that it repels water well. It is also lightweight, soft against the skin, highly breathable, and resistant to wrinkles, abrasion, and pilling. More importantly, it is a durable and resilient material as it is resistant to detergents, lotions, body oils, chlorine, saltwater, suncream, and heat, while it holds its dye well despite repeated use. Finally, it is the perfect material for swimwear or watersports as there is less muscle fatigue on the wearer thanks to its performance qualities and minimum drag, while it is shape-fitting yet shrink-free and colorfast, and it wicks moisture well! 

When it comes to the particular items of this collection, one can find on our e-shop a vast range of swimsuits in different styles, from bikers, boxers, thongs, and briefs to leggings, shorts and swimsuits. Regarding the tops, bralettes, crop tops and long-sleeves offer solutions for everyone’s needs. Among these options, one can find swimsuits that are perfect for watersports and swimsuits that offer the best possible cover from the sun for those with skin sensitivities. As always, the sizes we offer can fit every-body and cover from extra-small all the way to five extra-large. Do not also forget that all our products can be tailored custom-made upon request at no extra charge! We would love to see our swimsuits worn by every-body on the beach and we mean it!

• Stay hydrated: drink plenty of fluids, preferably cool water, and, if needed, an electrolyte drink. Avoid sugary and alcoholic beverages as they cause further dehydration. Reducing smoking also helps.

•  Reduce strenuous outdoor athletic activities but keep moving: exercise outside of peak sun hours and check the weather forecast before making any plans. Dress in breathable fabrics. A hat and a pair of sunglasses are a must-have!

•  Bring seasonal fruits and vegetables into your diet as a hydrating snack, such as watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, plums, nectarines, figs, etc. and prefer lighter meals.

•  Keep your skin protected all the time from both the sun and bugs: use an appropriate sun protection cream and a moisturizer, and an insect repellent spray or wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to avoid bites. 

• Take swimming safety precautions especially for the kids or persons with health conditions. Prefer places with lifeguards. 

• Never leave pets or people in the car and check on family and friends. Let’s take care of each other.

•  Seek medical attention if you have any symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as heavy sweating, dizziness, and lightheadedness, or heat stroke, such as high body temperature, confusion, and unconsciousness.