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A Bathing Suit You’ll Love
This season’s guide to a perfect fit and fabric for every body
Cringing because bathing suit season is around the corner? Well, you can stop. Recent innovations in swimsuit design — more flattering fits, improved fabrics — mean there really is a suit for every kind of body, one that will minimize your flaws, maximize your attributes and “make you feel gorgeous,” says Malia Mills, a leading swimsuit designer and one of the first to offer women the genius option of different-size bottoms and tops.
Mills suggest approaching swimsuit shopping as you would the hunt for jeans or a new dress. “Look for details in swimwear — ruching, draping, open necklines, V-necks, wide straps, retro briefs — that you already adore in some of your favorite clothes and lingerie.”
Finally, and this can be a tough: Don’t focus on numbers. “Experiment with sizes — fit is more important than the size on the tag,” Mills says. “Sometimes one size up or down can make all the difference in the way the suit fits.”
Here are Mills’s best suggestions for choosing the bathing suit that’s right for your body and activity, whether you’re a champion swimmer angling for Beijing this summer or more likely to spend the dog days lazing by the pool with a tall glass of iced tea.
If you’re top-heavy: “Busty gals should look for suits with slightly wider straps for more support and comfort,” Mills explains. “The higher the armhole, the lower cut the front can be without you feeling like you’re going to fall out.”
If you’re small-busted: Avoid the natural tendency to choose a suit with padding, Mills warns. “Don’t try to change what you’ve got. Look for suits that have necklines cut like your favorite top or dress. Fear not the plunge, the strapless or wide-set straps!”
If you’re pear-shaped: “Hips are hot!” Mills enthuses. “Whether you’ve got more curves or less, try ring sides and skimpy sides — on the bottom — to celebrate your shape. Low-cut bottoms that sit straight across your hips are a retro-hot way to say hips are sexy.” Mills loves a well-cut side-tie bikini. “It can be just the thing for a woman with curvy hips,” she says. “The ties will accentuate — yes, accentuate! — your hips in a way that’s flattering and fun.”
If you have short legs: Check out the advice for small-busted women, but also remember not to pull the leg line of your swimsuit higher in an attempt to lengthen your legs, Mills cautions. “It is the single biggest mistake you can make,” she says. “Bottoms that sit lower on your hips are extremely flattering.”
If you have a belly: “Flat stomachs are absolutely not required to wear a bikini — or any swimsuit, for that matter,” Mills says. “Look for a top and bottom that create a pleasing proportion and don’t cut your body in half, which high-waisted, high-legged briefs will do. If you’re comfortable with more coverage, look for a tankini that’s cut a bit longer. You get the coverage of a one-piece with the flexibility of a two-piece.”
If you want to spend the summer by the pool, not in it: Since you aren’t expecting your suit to get much of a workout, “this is the time to try extreme cuts or high-fashion styles that are more about form than function,” Mills suggests. Sensuous, light fabrics are best for poolside or beach lounging.
If you’re a casual swimmer: Choose a suit with a less extreme cut, like a tank or even a halter if the straps pull from the fullest part of the bustline and feel like they’re going to stay put.
If you’re a serious swimmer/windsurfer/water-skier/surfer: Head to the sporting-goods stores, where “suits are made with fabrics that withstand extended periods of time in salt water and chlorine,” Mills explains. “Look for wider straps that are adjustable and waists and leg lines that are not too high or low. Be sure to raise your arms, bend your knees and twist in the dressing room; it’s a good test of whether the suit will stay with you.”
Whatever suit you choose, be sure to rinse it out after every dip and dry it in the shade. That way, Mills says, “it will fit and function well and last a good long time.”
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Come on!!! a bikini for someone that has a flabby unattractive stomach???? How about some real advice for real body problems
I hate bathing suit shopping, but last summer I ACTUALLY found one! At Wal-mart no less! While I think it's good to go for a shape and style of bathing suit that suits your body style, you shouldn't go outside of you comfort zone either.
My teenage daughter found hers at Walmart last year, too. She found a tankini with a retro-40's sort of look on top and paired it with a skirt that looked 40's also. I was shocked, because we often are at odds about necklines too low and skirts too high. But she thought it looked like a movie star -- think of the old "Road to" pictures with Bing Crosby & Bob Hope - shapely but moderate coverage.