Portland Fashion Show for two designers and two Portland Boutique collections will be held this Friday May 29 at Cha Taqueria at 305 NW 21st at 7:00pm.

Designers include Lucia Apparel, Retro Swimwear by Popina and the Boutiques include Mabel and Zora and Haberdashers.  Reserve your table early we are expecting a packed house!

Wholesale Swimwear, Wholesale Swimsuits!  Yes it is Swimwear season again!  Yeah!  Popina Swimwear is a great option for any boutique but particularly for smaller boutiques and spas who do not have a large merchandising space for selling bathing suits.  At Popina we do not have a minimum order requirement.  So if you have never carried swimwear before at your boutique or spa and want to experiment to see if you have a customer base to support it, why not start with a small order from Popina and see how your customers are reacting to it.

Popina is owned by Swimwear DesignerPamela Levenson and her husband Will Levenson who is the Sales Manager.  Popina wants to make sure you get full margin on your swimwear, if for any reason you are having trouble selling your bathing suits we are happy to take them back for an exchange to find the right suit for your customer (as long as the suits are in re-saleable condition).

Popina is based in Portland, Oregon.  We have a Portland SwimwearBoutique where we get first hand feedback on our sizing and the fit of our swimwear line.  If you have any questions about carrying Popina’s Made in the USA Swimwear contact Popina’s Sales Representative will@popinaswim.com.

A lot has been said about Storm Large in Portland, she is the gal who was on the reality talk show who was in the raunchy band.  Without knowing too much about Storm I had to admit that when she was chosen to have a role in Portland Center Stages production of Cabaret that my reaction was that it was PCS capitalizing on the heat of the Storm Large brand of the moment to but butts in seats (and maybe to introduce her local audience who might not typically go to PCS to check it out).  Obviously this move to bring Storm in was a bit controversial locally in Portland, Oregon.

This past season after having an amazing experience at the play Sometimes a Great Notion we got a season membership to Portland Center Stage.  Funny thing for me about having a season pass, after having one I realized I do like theater a lot but a full season of plays might be too much for me right now - I may not be sophisticated enough yet - hopefully some day.  There were a few shows in the season that I did not relate to, it is tough when you spend a good chunk of change on a show that you don’t get (and to be completely fair some nights I was feeling a bit tired and I don’t do very well in theater seating when it is dark. 

Or I should say that was my experience before seeing Crazy Enough.  Because of my preconceived ideas of Storm Large as unfair as they were (just getting in with PCS because of her notoriety), I probably would not have seen her production if I did not get a season pass, and I was really blown away with Storm as a performer.  So I still don’t think I will get a season pass next year, but I will go back and be sure to take a risk or two and see a play I might not have seen otherwise.

Storm did talk about her very interesting life in Crazy Enough, and she does have an amazing voice. However, in my mind she really could have talked about virtually anything such as changing the water in her fish tank and she would be interesting to watch.  I now understand the overused cliche “This person was born to be an entertainer”, because I really feel like she was.  Storm has such amazing charisma and is a great story teller. 

So as far as PCS in Cabaret decision, PCS are obviously not pure opportunists, in fact I really respect the risk that PCS took bringing Storm in to share her with Portland.

So let me just say I am now a huge fan of Storm Large (I really can not believe that is her real name but apparently it is - wow).  But that really sums my eye opening experience with Storm Large up.  It is hard in life to have have preconceived ideas about one thing or another, you have your life experiences you store them away and try to protect yourself against things you have done in the past.  But often situations smell similar but are actually different.  From Storm’s name to her out of the box persona, Storm has reminded me to keep an open mind about things and not to judge a book by its sexy cover.

Storm if you read this please contact me at info@popinaswim.com I would love to hook you up as a token of appreciation for the great job you did with your amazing production in our Portland Swimwear shop.  The sound track was also great, congrats.  I hope you keep a home in Portland your potential is unlimited.

P.S. Great news I see that Storm’s show has been extended through June 28!  People of Portland, treat yourself to see this great show to meet one of Portland’s coolest residents!

Jantzen Vamp Maillot Swimsuit is now available on line at the Popina Retro Swimsuit Boutique.  All 2011 Jantzen Vamp Maillot Bathing Suit styles are now only $60!

Jantzen was the pioneer of fashionable woman’s swimwear.  The Jantzen Vintage Bathing Suit styling in the sexy Vamp Maillot Swimsuit is now only $60.  We are so excited to have their Swimwear in our shop!  Jantzen’s base used to be here in Portland, Oregon but now sadly most of their operations are in Florida.

Come visit our Portland Swimwear Boutique and check out our great selection of Jantzen Swimwear!

Boy Short Swimwear by Popina Swim is a great way to go for a fun no mess Bathing Suit Bottom.  Popina offers four Boy Short Swimsuit options.

The most basic Boy Short is simply called the Boy Short.  Popina currently offers the Boy Short in three colors Black, Espresso and Plum.

As you can see these Boy Shorts provide a generous amount of coverage while still being flattering.

If you want a little more excitement in your Boy Shorts maybe you would like the Popina Draw Cord Boy Short.  The Draw Cord Boy Short has strings on the side that allow you to bring the leg up or down depending on your mood.  When down the length of the Popina Boy Short, or cinch the suit up to show a little more leg.

Boy Short option number three is the Skirted Boy Short.  The  Skirted Boy Short combines the coverage of the Basic Boy Short with the fun girly flow of a tennis skirt.  The Skirted Boy Short is fun, flirty and flowing and has a girly-chic style that will subtract years from your attitude.

The final Boy Short Swimwear option is latest addition to the Popina line; the High Waisted Boy Short.  This style is so new Popina is only offering the style in Black. The High Waisted Boy Short comes up higher on the waist, this versatile Fold Over Swimwear Bottomcan be folded over the waist which is a great camouflager for the waist, Fold Over Swimwear Bottoms do not pinch at the waist!

Pamela Levenson designer of the Popina Swimwear brand offers five tips for Swimsuit shopping.  Pamela is based in Portland, Oregon, she sells her bathing suits on line, Wholesale at approximately 50 retailers in twelve states and from her brick and mortar Portland Swimwear boutique.

Tip #1 - Pick colors and prints that suit your skin and hair colors and then - “Just Try it On”!

Said so well by the housekeeper in the Movie Spanglish, it is surprising how many women come into my Swimwear Boutique with pre-conceived ideas of what is the best Bathing Suit for them.  There is no substitute for your own opinion and comfort level, try on a few things you think would never suit you, break all the conventional rules, you might just be surprised.  I always encourage the customers in my store to try on as much Swimwear as they have time for if they are not sure.  It is not uncommon that my customers will spend 1-2 hours trying on Swimwear, but why not, it should be fun!

#2 Go Retro

Personally I love Retro Swimwear styles, before the march to make Swimsuits smaller and smaller, there was a time that mystery and modesty had value.  1940’s-1950’s Bathing Suits are my favorite era, these Vintage Swimsuits did a great job of covering up the right stuff and still having a great sense of style.  Interestingly Retro Swimsuitsare now fashion forward, if you want to have a fun, unique look from the crowd, retro is a great way to set yourself apart and have a great fun look!

# 3 Care for your Suit

Chlorine and Spandex have a very tenuous relationship.  It makes me very optimistic that there has been a trend toward converting skin drying, swimsuit destroying chlorine pools into saline which is way less harmful to swimwear.  If you are using your suit in a pool, be sure to wash it out with a mild detergent and hang it to d.  I have heard stories that if the chlorine is strong enough (like you can smell it - yuck!) and a suit has been left in a ball un-rinsed, a suit will literally disintegrate in days.

#4 Try a Tankini rather than a One Piece

Our most popular Swimwear style is the Tankini.  My Tankini styles are designed with “Meet and Greet” Sizing which means for an averaged woman’s body, the bottom of the Tankini meets the top of the Swimwear Bottoms so that it has the look of a One Piece Bathing Suit.  There are many advantages to a Tankini from a One Piece Bathing Suit first off the convenience of…….well let’s just say it, going to the bathroom.  With a One Piece Swimsuit you basically need to undress, a Tankini is much more bathroom friendly.  Second, with Tankinis you can mix and match tops and Swimwear Bottoms.  A great way to stretch a budget is to buy one top and two bottoms or two bottoms and one top that coordinate.  One extra piece gives you a whole new outfit!  Finally, for those with longer torsos who have difficulty finding a One Piece Swimsuit that fits right, a Tankini will provide most of the coverage of a One Piece Swimsuit.

#5 Try to have fun

Swimwear buying for many women is an experience of dread.  My Portland Swimwear Store is located next door to a Dentist, if I polled some of my shoppers I think some would rather have their teeth drilled than to try on Swimwear; in fact my very first store customer cried when she tried on a swimsuit.  Many women are way too hard on themselves.  I am sensitive to these feelings and that is a big part of why I created my line and when designing my Portland Swimwear Store I took great lengths to try to make it a fun and comfortable place to try on Swimsuits.  I strive to create swimwear that allows women to feel good about themselves and create an environment that makes the process fun.  But lets face it some of us do not have perfect bodies, in fact probably 5% of women have the to die for bod, and believe it or not, the women with the perfect bodies can often be the hardest on themselves!  So remember, you are buying Swimwear because you love to have fun and when you put on your suit you will be in the water.  Life is too short lets swim!