For as long as I can remember, I can’t keep still when it comes to being near the water. Not in the sense that I have anxiety, but that I WANT TO PLAY! When I was younger and through high school, my daily pool uniform was a Speedo or a TYR one piece that I wouldn’t have to worry about when flipping, diving or racing friends across the pool all summer long.

Since those days, I went through a bit of a fashion-not-function phase with Victoria’s Secret swimwear for a while. Beach days were limited, so it didn’t really matter. But, as I got more into water sports again as I grew older, I found myself looking for swim pieces that both looked sharp and stayed put.

Review: Lululemon Wild Abandon One Piece ($128) in deep coal

I gave lululemon swimwear a shot in 2015, and since then I’ve been quite happy with lulu’s offerings since VS swim’s demise. When the Wild Abandon One Piece was released with the latest paddle collection, I had a little bit of love at first sight and ordered it immediately.

FRONT & BACK

Now that I’ve taken it out SUP & kayaking a few times, I can report back many pluses in this suit.

First up, the paneled design. Much like a belt can give a flowy dress a structured look, the panel around the waist draws attention to what’s often the narrowest part of a woman’s body.

I wasn’t too keen on taking full-on photos of my rear end and posting them all over the internet, so these next couple will have to do in demonstrating this suit’s slightly cheeky coverage in back.

The photo above is the only one that I was able to capture of the back of the suit without saying OMG DELETE, so the quality is a bit lacking. The line you see across the middle of the window in back is from the bikini top I was wearing underneath.

You may find yourself adjusting it on occasion, but that happens with most swimsuits, and it never rode up on me to the point of feeling like I looked inappropriate.

SIDE TO SIDE

The perforated detailing goes all the way down the sides. If you opt to layer bottoms underneath, the color will peek through.

LAYERING: DO I OR DON’T I?

So, lululemon’s website says that this paddle suit is meant to be layered on top of another swimsuit. I half agree. I opted to pair a bikini top underneath, but wear the paddle suit as my only bottoms.

If you choose to follow my lead, there is a liner inside the suit so that you can wear it on its own. Shoot, it makes for a nice substitute high-rise swim bottom, AND gives you that surfer girl look.

As you may have read in some of the reviews on lululemon’s website, getting into this thing requires a bit of a shoulder shimmy. In fact, the 20-second shimmy ended up being captured by the GoPro attached to my kayak. Ah, technology.

THE VERDICT

I’m in love with the Wild Abandon One-Piece. I don’t have any gripes about it.

I am 5’9″, a TTS 8 on top and TTS 10 on the bottom in lululemon, and I ordered this one in a 10. I was nervous about ordering a non-adjustable one piece, given that I’m built with a long torso. Thankfully, no wedgie effect for me!

The suit is not made from the traditional Aquelu swim fabric. It doesn’t have the same sheen, and it’s not quite as slippery. It feels a bit thicker.

Do I personally recommend layering a swimsuit underneath? On the top, ALWAYS.

On the bottom: If you order in black, I wouldn’t worry about anything showing through when you’re wet. If you’re ordering the white one… take my advice with a grain of salt and layer underneath, lest the headlights be on all day, and your lady bits end up on display.

Long story short, WA1P <3 U 😀

Buy Online: Lululemon Wild Abandon One Piece ($128) – available in black or white