Styles 2 Love

I will admit, I have a love/hate relationship with my swimsuits. I love swimwear. I love finding intriguing styles and when I am on vacation, I like to put a new swimsuit on every day.  BUT I don’t love that I am not like the model on the tag and consequently my self image battle hangs over me when going out to the pool or beach. So my plan is to go over some basic rules to follow from one of my favorite books, Good Girls don’t have to Dress Bad, and learn to make the best and accept the way God made me and you!

First, we’ll start off with the “10 ground rules” from the author, Shari Braendel (plus a few of my own):

1. Plan ahead what stores you are going to visit on your shopping outing. Pick one or two you know have a good selection and stick to these for the day. Too many store choices may cause confusion, frustration and even exhaustion (miracle suits don’t exactly slip on and off…but then I guess that is the point).
2. You will most likely go up one size for a swimsuit. This is normal. Don’t freak out. Cut the tag out if it bothers you that much. The most important thing is to look GOOD in your swimsuit, not squeeze into it like a stuffed sausage.
3. Take last year’s suit, or your favorites, with you so you can compare.
4. Wear teeny weeny underwear for this shopping experience, as you will need  to keep your panties on when trying on suits (I recommend Hanky Panky’s).
5. If you have kids, leave them at home. You don’t need the added stress of tired and hungry little ones or unnecessary comments from the teenagers.
6. Do NOT try on the suits with socks and shoes. Get a pedicure and show off your cute feet in your pool worthy sandals so you can take in the whole look.
7. Give yourself plenty of time to shop. Don’t rush this process. Never shop on impulse.
8. Don’t be afraid to put your favorite suits on hold and then head to the next store. It’s nice to be able to compare prices and styles without the hassle of returning. I like to put all my favorites on hold overnight and take time to dwell on them, then go back the next day and purchase the one I couldn’t stop thinking about.
9. If you are in your 30′s or above, you no longer have permission to buy your swimwear at Target, WalMart or discount stores. The fabrics, cuts and design are not going to be flattering enough. Gone are the days of unlined, un-padded, skimpy suits.
10. Take these notes with you, especially the recommendations for body types, so you can be a shopper with a purpose. The is serious business!

Okay so we’ll go over the four body types now and the swimsuit styles that are recommended with a few pics to go along. All of these suits are going to be from www.nordstrom.com just to keep things simple. But that doesn’t mean they won’t have similar suits at Macy’s and other department stores.

#1  We’ll start with the straight/athletic figure. Shoulders, waist and hip are all about the same width and if you gain weight it is usually in the middle. You will want to find suits that camouflage the tummy and create an illusion of a waist. Shirring around the middle is great, along with tankinis and suits with halter tops. And patterns will also make your tummy look flatter. I love this blue suit from Miracle Suit. It has beautiful shirring around the tummy with a perfect seam just under under the bust (the smallest part of our torso) that goes into very strong, smooth lines for the chest and shoulders. The green suit also has waist creating shirring and thick, broadening shoulder straps.

#2  Next is the body that is larger in the shoulder and bust area and narrow in the hip and leg. It is vital that you have a suit with strong bra support and tummy control. Again Miracle Suit or Longitude are going to be the best brands. I like the following two suits because of the higher neckline that covers up the girls and keeps them in proportion. They both have great shirring and tummy control and the print does a wonderful job of camouflage.

#3  The third body type is the one that has a larger bottom and hips with smaller chest and waist. This body type needs to add bulk to the top area with good padding, horizontal stripes and cuts that broaden the shoulder width to keep the hips in proportion. Also, adornments and ruffles on the top half of the suit are great for drawing the eye upward. Rather then trying to cover up your hips with skirt suits, I prefer a perfectly placed swim wrap that can come off just before getting in the pool. Skirt suits make legs look short so be careful. These following suits do a beautiful job of drawing the eye upward either with a bold single shoulder strap or ruffling and shirring at the bust line.

#4  And we’ll finish up with the coveted hour glass shape. This shape has shoulders and hips approximately the same width with a small waist. Basically, you have no worries and can wear just about anything you desire, but you definitely don’t want to be covering up or adding bulk to your waist with a tankini top that hangs away from the body. And if you have trouble areas when you gain weight, keep that in mind and go to recommendations for that type of body.

I love this tan suit by Tory Burch, especially the back!

To finish up, I’ll put a couple of quick examples up of coverups that might work for each body type.
Athletic, straight figure. This cover up has a princess seam in just the right place to create a perfect waist:

Larger bust and waist with small hips. This cover up minimizes the bust and shoulder area and draws attention to the hip where you are nice and narrow:

Weight in the bottom half with small chest and waist. This is a barely see through wrap that covers only the lower half, so you can show off your trim upper body:

And lastly, the hourglass shape. You don’t need a wrap…but if you must this is a cute one. It shows off your waist and is slightly shear to show off your cute curves:

Okay, so I hope I haven’t overwhelmed anyone. If you have a swimsuit you are thinking about and want my opinion, just send a pic of it to my email. Remember, the goal is to take the attention away from your challenge areas, to keep in balance and to look proportionate. Whether we like it or not, bathing suits are a part of life. The key is to find one that’s both stylish and modest and most important, that you feel good in. Shop on my friend! See you in May!