Ocean Blues Underwire Swimwear

A wire in a swimsuit does what it does in a bra: it holds the cup up from below so that the strap or the tie does not have to. Three Ocean Blues pieces carry one, all of them bikini tops, and they are the pieces for a full bust that wants lift rather than cover. The push-up halter ties at the neck over an angled molded cup; the front-tie top ties at the centre over a molded cup and again at the neck; the crisscross top carries removable pads under straps that cross at the back. Everything else on the site, every tankini, one-piece and bandeau, holds by a cup and a band without a wire, and its own page is next door.

What a wire costs is forgiveness. A wired cup that is a letter small digs in at the side by lunchtime and a letter large gapes at the top, so these are the pieces where the bust and the under-bust are measured rather than guessed, and the chart on the buying page gives both. Wet, a wired top holds its shape better than a soft one, and all three here have straps to share the load with the wire. Rinse a wired piece in cool water and dry it flat rather than wringing it, as the label will say, so the wire keeps its curve.