If there’s one person who knows a great swimsuit when she sees one, it’s 36 year old ex-supermodel and former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition glamour girl Monika Schnarre. Coming out of her 15 year retirement from modeling, she is now the new spokesperson for Sea Queen. Never heard of the brand? Neither had I. That’s because the swimwear maker has just returned from a 10 year hiatus from the market. And why should we care? Because this is a brand specifically designed to fit and flatter women 35 and up and has figured out what makes the perfect swimsuit. Check out the video or click on to find out what the secret is!

“Let’s face it – gravity kicks in after you turn 30 – no matter who you are or how fit you are,” says Monika. “Until now, the choice has been limited to padded cups that soak up water; unflattering and uncomfortable underwires or shelf-bras that are added to the swimsuit as an afterthought; or just letting everything sag.”

Understanding that the key to a beautiful beach body is a gorgeous bustline, Sea Queen has reinvented bathing suit construction with its proprietary new SwimTech ContourLift Bra – and designed the latest swimwear trends around it.

Created by an actual bra designer, SwimTech ContourLift Bra features malleable moulded cups that maintain a perfectly natural shape both in and out of the water. Flexible underwires are fused within the cups’ high-tech, ultra-thin foam fabric so they never poke or prod. A comfort band wraps around the rib cage for enhanced support. And because the bra doesn’t retain water like the padded cups found in so many swimsuits, it delivers consistent, curve-enhancing lift for A, B, and C cup sizes.

Made of high-denier Italian microfibre with Lycra / Spandex, some suits offer cuts featuring supportive cup lining, while others also feature a light net lining for a touch of tummy support.

But “of course, all the clever technology wouldn’t mean a thing if the styling weren’t there,” asserts the statuesque Torontonian. “The new collection features the hottest trends in swimwear with hidden support that provides a welcome boost!”

Sea Queen has interpreted the key runway trends in its all new collection of 50 sophisticated one-piece, two-piece and tankini bathing suits – all named after the world’s most fabulous seaside destinations.

Looking for glam? There’s the retro-goddess appeal of Odessa (1), a draped empire maillot. Belts are big now, and Sea Queen’s got them – at the empire waist of the sculpted Monte Carlo one-piece with SwimTech ContourLift Bra (2); and in the obi-like midriff wrap on the two-tone Montecristo maillot (3). Metallics are a must so the Monte Carlo halter bikini (4) and the Monte Carlo maillot (5) make waves in molten gold. Today’s penchant for animal prints is satisfied in the grrreat tiger pattern of the Santorini halter bikini (6), while fashion’s appetite for brights is fulfilled with the exotic jungle print of the Bora Bora halter bikini (7). The current feeling for 40s femmes fatales shows up in the pin-up girl styling of the Odessa bikini (8).

Sea Queen swimwear ranges in price from $80 to $120 CDN and is available across Canada through The Bay, and also here in Vancouver at Swimco, Swimwear Etc, and The Just Cruisin’ Shoppe (also in White Rock at Wishes & Co Fashions). Click here for more information.

Photography Courtesy of: Paco Garcia for Sea Queen