Swimwear 101: What suits you and how can you pull it off?

There is so much fear and anxiety built around the prospect of having to wear a swimsuit come summer that many women choose to skip the vacation altogether.

 

But don’t let the suits stop you—even Lady Gaga is known to have tweeted “i have a fear of swimwear” while on a beach trip last November 2012, but that didn’t stop her from snapping a few pictures.

 

Admittedly, Lady Gaga doesn’t have much to worry about in terms of body image but, then again, neither do you! There is always a way to style yourself sexy—no matter your figure. It’s just a matter of knowing what suits you.

 

Figuring you out

 

First, set your limits. What are your personal swimsuit dos and don’ts? Will you only ever wear one-piece? Never going to wear a bikini? Are you an all-black or all-neutral sort of girl? Listing it all down will make the hunt much easier.

 

Next, identify your assets and your drawbacks. Most of us can easily say which parts we want to hide, but the parts that you can highlight are just as important. The number one rule in choosing appropriate swimwear is accent and downplay. It’s a balance between downplaying the parts you don’t like and accentuating those assets!

 

If you don’t already know your body type, take a good, long look in the mirror and find out with the help of the guide below.  

The figure for top-heavy women (with a large bust or broad shoulders) is inverted triangle. While those who are bottom-heavy, with wide hips or thighs, are pear-shaped. Hour-glass figures are curvaceous with small waists and wider hips and busts, while ladies with wider waists or bigger tummies are diamond-shaped.

 

Apart from these, other common figures include lean or skinny, stumpy (with short legs or a short torso), boyish (with a straight, flat silhouette) and wide or large.

 

Matching the suit

 

Let’s list those figures down from top to bottom and identify how to accent or downplay each part:

 

Top-heavy

 

Top-heavy women who are looking to minimize the appearance of their breasts can go for dark, solid-colored bandeaus which make the chest appear flatter. A contrastingly brighter or louder bottom will also draw attention away from the top.

 

For those who want to accentuate their busty upper parts, underwiring or thick-strapped halter tops give the right kind of support while creating a flattering cleavage. Always go for thick straps and avoid triangle cups which, apart from encouraging unwanted slips, don’t provide enough support.

 

Flat-chested or small-breasted

 

For the flat-chested or small-breasted, there are many cloth treatments like ruffles, ruching, and horizontal pleats that give the illusion of fullness. In your case, triangle cups are your friend, as with sweetheart necklines and other curves around that area. Tie-front tops and bright prints (especially bold horizontal stripes, which just happen to be very in with the mod trend this season) can also work to your advantage.

 

Middle-heavy or diamond-shaped

 

Middle-heavy or diamond-shaped ladies will most likely want a tummy-tucking solution. One fail-safe suit is the long tankini (make sure it settles just at the hips), which lengthens the torso and bypasses the large mid-section. Also look for ruching, gathers or pleats around the waist area, which provide a slimming effect. Belts too are a good way to go, because they cinch the waist, turning you from a diamond into an hour-glass.

 

Boyish

 

Boyish figures that lack curves can instead create this illusion through many flattering cuts. Lucky straight-figured girls will look great in a fashion-forward monokini, but if you’d like to be more reserved, a standard one piece suit with a plunging halter top or strapless sweetheart neckline will also look give you the right curves. High-cut legs, low-cut, v-shaped necklines, and large, bright prints will all bring shape to the parts that don’t have enough.

 

Bottom-heavy

 

Bottom-heavy women, like the top-heavy, can either accentuate or downplay their bodacious parts. To draw attention away from the bottom, look for catchy details in the top like bright prints and embellishments and wear with a contrastingly simple bottom. A skirted bottom will give just the right accent while hiding what you want it to. Low-rise will also do the trick in creating the illusion of leaner hips and thighs, but avoid anything too skimpy.

 

Stumpy  

Stumpy figures with a short torso or short legs can create the illusion of length with vertical prints (especially the bold, geometric kind—again, very trendy this season), v-shaped necklines, vertical cutouts and vertical anything! Long tankinis or low-rise bottoms lengthen the torso while high-cut thighs make your legs look longer.  

Lean or skinny

 

Lean or skinny women can wear a full-on string bikini, which will bare a lot, but in a very flattering way. A more modest option is the monokini, which adds curves and fullness, while if you’d like to be even more modest still, a one-piece suit with a horizontal pattern (especially wide, bold stripes) will add fullness and a nautical twist to your beach outfit. Boyleg bottoms paired with bandeaus also create the illusion of a fuller-figure, adding that extra bit to the hips and thighs. Your lean figure can also easily get away with those very trendy retro high-waisted suits, so take advantage of that!

 

Plus-sized

 

For plus-sized women, dark, solid colors create the ultimate slimming effect. Avoid large bright colors and prints. If you would like to wear a print, go for vertical designs or small patterns, which compress the area. In terms of cut, long tankinis and other tube or tank-style suits will trim down the excess weight or curves to make a slimmer, straighter figure. If you’d like to hide your thighs with a skirted bottom, look for one that settles just below the hips, nothing longer or shorter. The length is crucial if you want to achieve a flattering effect. Lastly, be particular about the material used for your swimsuit. A higher percentage of spandex in the fabric can work wonders in terms of tucking away all the unwanted flab.

 

Getting your body beach-ready

 

Lastly—rather, before suiting up—make sure you’re ready to rock that swimwear by prepping your body. Some women like to wax before going to the beach, but what is really necessary is to hydrate and have proper UV protection. Once you’ve got that settled, you’ll be ready to flaunt that swimsuit and flaunt it well. No fear, ladies! —KG, GMA News