Swimsuits special: tips for perfect shopping

July 27, 2011

Text by Alexia Jacquot.

Photos courtesy of Rigby & Peller London (www.rigbyandpeller.com).

Anxious about baring all at the beach or by the pool this summer? Panic not. No matter what part of your body you want to hide from the world, there is a swimsuit to bring out the beach babe in you.

Cross-over swimsuits create the illusion of a nipped-in waist. Perfect for straightboyish builds.

Say your hips are wider than your shoulders. I would suggest you play up your figure by wearing separates, with darker coloured bottoms for a slimming effect, paired with a brighter or bold printed top to draw attention upward. Avoid shorts and skirted bottoms, which would emphasize your hipsInstead, choose a suit that is cut high on the thigh, as it will lengthen your legs. This is actually a great tip if you want to flaunt your pins generally-speaking!

High-cut swimsuits work well on petite frames to elongate the legs. They are also very flattering on wider hips! The triangle top visually broadens narrower shoulders.

The same logic applies if you have a larger derrière: keep clear of bottom halves that sit low on your derrière and go for darker, single-block colours. Another trick to balance out your silhouette is to complete your look with a sarong, wrapped around your waist and paired with a wide-brimmed sunhat. This will also add instant glamour to your poolside poise.

Ruffles on the cup enhance a smaller bust and the ruffled skirt is most flattering on narrower hips.

If your shoulders are broader than your hips, however, wearing light colours and/or patterns on your bottom half – horizontal stripes especially  is the way to go, as it creates a well- proportioned silhouette. Choose styles with tie sides, ruffles or boy shorts to accentuate your hips, and go for a V-neck with wider straps on top to minimise your shoulders.

A cleverly placed print will flatter the curvature of your waist.

If you have a big bust, make sure to choose swimsuits that provide extra support This includes full cups, underwire or wide straps. One-piece suits will offer the structure your breasts need, but tankinis can work too. A piece with a banded halter top will look pretty fabulous. Avoid spaghetti straps, bandeau tops and horizontal stripes, as these will only accentuate your top-heaviness. Make sure to opt for darker colours or large prints on your top half. Should you like to trim down your midriff, ruching is what you need.

One word of caution if you are tempted to go for black because of its slimming qualities: if you are naturally fair-haired and don’t tan well, chances are black will be too overpowering. Try a dark chocolate brown or blue instead.

If you have a boyish shape, the way to create waist definition is by wearing darker colours around the waist or daring a side cut-out swimsuit.

The cute gathered and tied detail is a good choice for narrower hips and the underwire bra is ideal for a bigger bust.

A little padding will go a long way for smaller busts. Wearing horizontal stripes or tops with details, such as ruffles, can also give the illusion of a fuller bust, as will a clever use of colour. Opt for brighter tops and darker bottoms (both could be in the same hue). By all means avoid bandeau-style swimsuits, which will do nothing for you except emphasizing what’s not there, unless they come with a lot of ruffles.

Bandeau swimwear shows off the bust and decolletage on a balanced body type (note the ruffles will do the trick for small breasts).

Before you hit the shops in search of that perfect swimsuit, just remember one thing: always go for the right fit and accentuate your best features by wearing bold colours in that area. With this in mind you’re now ready to embrace your inner beach goddess!

To find out more about Alexia, go to www.alexiajacquot.com or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lexitalkshop

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2 Comments »

  • Womens Bathing Suits said:

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  • Bohemia Magazine said:

    Thanks a lot for your comment, Thomas.
    The reason the sidebar doesn’t always show is because not all our articles have one. We hope that helps and thanks for reading us!

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