A Suit to Fit Every Body

Im going to start of with the most basic post about swimwear; what types of suits are best for each body type.  While working in swimwear retail I was constantly confronted with customers who thought they knew what kind of swimsuit worked best for them (even though they hated the way it looked) and they were always very pleasantly surprised  to learn they had many options and could actually look good in their swimsuit no matter what type of body they had.

My first piece of advice is; don't be afraid of the bikini!  Often women gravitate to the full piece swimsuit when they are uncomfortable with their appearance when if fact you could be making yourself feel worse by putting on a swimsuit that does not flatter your body!

Also please be sure to stay tuned for my next post on swimwear care.  I poorly cared for swimsuit is just as bad as one that doesn't fit you well!

 For the Curvy Girl:
If you have a bit of a tummy or any bulgy areas you want to look for swimsuits that have tummy control panels, they can be built in or hiding under a skirt.  Asymmetrical designs on the body can also trick the eye and make your body look slimmer.  Gathers that go around the body can also help to hide a tummy and disguise any bulges you don't want seen.  Finally the most important area for the all over curvy girl is support in the chest.  Don't be afraid of a little cleavage! Cleavage draws the eye up and distracts from the rest of the body, also having the girls up and perky makes your entire figure look tighter and leaner.  When looking for control in the chest look for a suit that has built in underwire or a great heavy duty elastic under the bust to give lots of support, thick straps are also important.  For colours, solids and black are always a safe choice, you can always add punches of colour and design with accessories!  Finally don't get stuck on the idea that skirts and swim-dresses are only for modest older ladies...they can be fun, flirty and even a little sexy, while falling strategically over all the bumps and hiding the ever dreaded top of your thighs.   The picture below features one of these such dresses that is available from www.alwaysforme.com   With a full figure you want to avoid bold large prints, low cut legs and boy shorts.

Large Chested Ladies:

If you are well endowed there is one word that you should live by: support.  First you want to look for a bikini top that has underwire.  However, with this said if you are larger then a C cup you want to avoid the bra style underwire tops that are padded as these can just push everything up and out.  What you want to look for with underwire is a top that has a separate bra with underwire built in.  The underwire is hidden so the suit can still look fun and sexy and young.  The picture below is a sunset bikini available at  www.sunsetsinc.com  and features a full built in supportive bra hidden inside the top for ultimate support up to an E cup.  You also want to look for wider straps and surprisingly halter tops.  Many large chested women shy away from halters because they feel they put to much pressure on the shoulders, but if you have a full support top you wont have this problem.  In fact the line that the halter straps create is a very slimming and flattering one.  If you are absolutely against underwire go for a halter top with wide straps and a wide band under the bust that is constructed with a heavy duty elastic.  You want to make sure to avoid strapless designs as they often offer no support, you also want to avoid the basic triangle tops because they also offer no support.  My final tip in this area is to find a shop that offers bikini tops in actual bra sizes!

                                                               

Short Torso Sisters:

If you have a short wide toro without a lot of curves the first area you should emphasize is your chest! Adding cleavage gives the allusion of a curvy figure and can make your waist look smaller.  When you pair this with a higher cut leg hole on your bottoms your torso with look much longer.  Bikini's with smaller bottoms are also your best friend.  If you are completely against going for a two piece then go for a one piece with a deep plunge V neckline. With a short torso you want to avoid high waisted bottoms, fuller bottoms, skirts and boy-shorts. 

The picture below is of a classic string bikini, this is a good option for the short torso as showing more skin gives the allusion of a longer body.  Again this swimsuit is available from Sunsets at www.sunsetsinc.com 

Long Torso Ladies:

Tankinis (a two piece made up of a tank top paired with a bottom) in mix and match colours can really break up the torso, if you want to show a little more skin and have a sexy look go for a one piece with cut outs (sometimes called a monokini).  If you do insist on going for a bikini then mix and match the top and bottom with prints and solids.

You definitely want to avoid solid one piece suits and high cut necklines.  If you do really want a once piece suit I have provided a good example of one that works below.  This is a great conservative suit for the long torso body and that is because of the squared off neckline!  The suit below is from Calvin Klein available at www.calvinklein.com 

Small on Top:

For girls like me who have a small cup size there are a few styles that can enhance the chest area.  Wearing a bra style underwire top that has a bit of padding added.  These tops are designed specifically to add fullness and create cleavage!  If you are uncomfortable with underwire then go for a top that has some gathering or ruffles and has lining that has removable bust padding.  If you don't mind the way your small chest looks you can wear just about any triangle style you want! To make your chest look a bit fuller in these triangle styles look for one that has the option of adding padding in the lining.  With a small chest you want to avoid bandeaus, tankinis and tight one piece styles.

The picture below features another Sunsets swimsuit that is a cute and sexy underwire bra top.  Available at www.sunsetsinc.com 

Wide Hipped Women:
If you have that pear shape dark solid bottoms with a colourful top are your best friend!  The key here is to draw the eye up your body and away from your hips.  Enhance your chest and neckline with prints accessories and cleavage!  On the bottom go for a fuller bottom.  Many women often feel that with large hips you want to cover less so you don't just see a ton of fabric, this is in fact wrong.  If you wear tiny little bottoms you will bring attention to all the skin that you have exposed!  Always avoid low slung or string bottoms.  The suit featured below in fact has a skirt bottom.  This skirt falls from just below the waist and skims over the hips not accentuating their shape.  Once again from Sunsets available at www.sunsetsinc.com

So I hope all of that has been helpful!  Please post any specific questions you have and I can address those. I realize I do show a lot of suits from the Sunsets collection and this is because they offer so many different styles for just about every body type you can imagine!

My final thoughts:
The key to looking good in your swimsuit is feeling good in it! Make sure you have help choosing your right size because swimwear sizing is different then clothing sizes.  If your swimsuit is to loose it will get even looser in the water and sag and be unflattering, if your swimsuit is to tight you will make your problem areas even worse.

Love your body and stay healthy!

xo. Diva