“She wore and itsy bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka-dot bikini…”
While a dedicated Pilates ritual and seemingly torturous abdominal workout may give many women that “bikini body” that they have always wanted, the truth is that (almost) all of us have trouble spots or problem areas we aren’t happy with or wish to disguise.
My own problem area is my “love handle” region, or what I affectionately refer to as my “muffin tops”. Other women are disappointed with the appearance of saddlebags, the infamous tummy pooch, cottage cheese thighs, sagging breasts, or upper arm flab that is in war with gravity.
Despite the differing shapes that women have (Imperfections is a negative word that isn’t in my vocabulary), it doesn’t mean that we can’t still look smokin’ hot in a swimsuit. Regardless of whether or not you put on 5 pounds over the holidays, or 25 pounds over the last year, there is a swimsuit for you that will maximize your best assets and minimize the ones you wish to make disappear.
To Minimize the Appearance of a Tummy or Love Handles
Despite how inherently sexy a woman may be, nothing makes a women feel less sexy than when her not so-rock hard abs are forming a mini pile of dough at the top of her bikini bottoms. Or, when her bikini side-strings are hiding beneath what looks like an upward extension of her derriere. What do you do when this happens? Should you give up on wearing a bikini altogether?
If you don’t feel that the tummy-area issue isn’t severe and you still want still want to show more skin than a one-piece offers, go for the bikini, but go for the right cut bottoms–and the right size, too. Super-tight bikini bottoms that are squeezing your hips are only going to push those muffin tops up, where they’ll have no choice but to flop over, and flatten your self-esteem. Choose bottoms that fit to the point where they aren’t baggy, but aren’t ridiculously tight, either.
Lower-cut bottoms and bottoms cut straight across the hip line do the same thing as ultra-tight bottoms, leaving your love handles exposed.
Your best bet is to go with fuller-coverage bottoms, but without looking like you’re wearing your grandmother’s undergarments. V-shaped bikini bottoms that are angled up towards your hips go a long way toward slimming your midsection. Look for V-shaped bottoms with sides angled up towards your hips (the most important part!) that are approximately ½ to 1 inch in width.
If you are opting for a one-piece suit, you should select a higher-cut leg. One-pieces that go down and over the lower hip area only magnify those side bulges, and give you the appearance of a rounder midsection. One-piece suits with built-in tummy control panels are great, too. Designers have come a long way in creating panels that are invisible to others, comfortable to wear, and do an excellent job of hour-glassing your figure. Some of the one-piece swimsuits that Victoria’s Secret is offering this year are stylish, youthful, and sexy, without showing the skin that you don’t want to show.
In-between the bikini and the one-piece is the tankini, which is still very much in fashion.
To Minimize the Appearance of Thick Thighs, Saddlebags, and Cellulite
Thick thighs are often one of the most difficult body parts for women to slim down, but having a curvaceous lower body does not mean that one must stick to wearing pants or long shorts. In choosing a bikini, the type of bottoms you choose is again one of the most important aspects of buying a bikini. If you are trying to create the image of having slimmer and more svelte stems, your main focus should be on lengthening the appearance of the leg, especially if you are a shorter woman. Longer legs always look slimmer.
As is the rule with reducing the appearance of a tummy, you again do not want to purchase bottoms that are too tight, as they create the look of a rubber band around the thighs, magnifying any flabbiness and creating bulge. Always choose the right size.
Next, to create the look of lengthier legs, choose a high-cut leg, unless of course you are trying to conceal cellulite, which loves to form in this region of the leg. The high-cut will make your legs look miles long (especially paired with some heeled sandals…).
Many women automatically go for boy-cut shorts to cover up thick thighs. While they can be wonderful concealers, the straight cut of the leg seems to add stubbiness and stockiness. However, if you are uncomfortable with a high-cut leg or want to mask that area of your body, boy-short bikini bottoms, which come in many styles these days, are a viable option.
Last but not least…there are always skirted bottoms to fall back on. Don’t worry! Many of the latest skirted bottoms do not look like the bathing suit of an elderly woman, and resemble chic tennis skirts, instead. Many skirts are also removable for ease and comfort of swimming.
To Make Breasts Appear Perkier, Fuller, and Adequately Supported
Many women are concerned with the way their breasts look in a swimsuit, which is understandable since many suits lack support or lining, leaving women feeling exposed.
Even though wearing a swimsuit is comparable to walking around in your undergarments, you don’t have to feel so open to the elements.
The latest style of bikini top that is out this season is the bandeau style top, which is either a triangle-shaped piece of material or tubular material that covers the breasts much like a tube top would. The bandeau top is often strapless and very lightly lined, although certain styles do have straps. Women with larger breasts that require ample support may want to steer clear of this type of top, since it works much like a strapless bra does (and we all know how hard it is to find a strapless bra that actually stays up…).
Bandeau bikini tops also tend to make the breasts appear smaller than they actually are, so women that want to maximize the size appearance of their breasts may want to opt for a different style top, as well. Halter-style bikini tops that either tie or slip around the neck are the ultimate in making the breasts appear larger than they are. Not only do they pull breasts together to create cleavage, but also the wide triangle shape of the cups themselves give the illusion of a much larger cup size.
Triangle and classic string-tie bikini tops can also enhance the way the bust area looks, as the strings can easily be adjusted. Generally, for perkier-looking, full, and supported breasts, do buy tops with adequate lining and support, and possibly even under-wire, for the greatest level of support.
While one-piece swimsuits often have built in shelf-bras, they are often so tight and controlled that they flatten breasts right down. To avoid pancake-breasts, stay away from the classic one-pieces that have a circular neckline, and choose the ones with more modern necklines, instead. Some great options are plunge necklines, halter one-piece suits, and V-cut necklines.
To Work With the Natural Shape of Your Booty
A woman’s backside comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and is often her biggest complaint. How often have you said, or heard another woman say, “Does this make my butt look big?” Different style bottoms make a dramatic difference in the way a woman’s rear looks, especially with all of the different cuts that are currently offered.
The first type of bottom we will discuss is what is known as “Brazilian” cut that is now gaining popularity in the United States. Other than the thong (which is pretty self-explanatory) it is the most revealing type of bottom, only half-covering each cheek, and leaving the outer portion of the cheeks exposed. If you are unhappy or uncomfortable with the way the sides or the bottom portion of your butt looks, avoid this type of bottom at all costs.
String bottoms, which tie at the sides, truly offer a wide variety of coverage. Some bottoms with ultra-thin strings offer only the minimal amount of coverage, while other tie-side bottoms actually do cover an adequate amount of cheek. As discussed above, if the strings tie straight across the hips and the bottom is low-cut, the more your abdomen will be exposed, so keep that in mind. It is suggested that you use your own discretion in purchasing this type of bottom, since it is hard to say what this cut will look like on a woman since it really tends to vary depending on the amount of coverage it offers.
Lastly, there is the scoop bottom, which the largest majority of women are comfortable in on the beach, since it offers full coverage of the rear and front. With this style, the middle of the booty and the sides of the booty will be covered with fabric. My only suggestion is to always buy the correct size that is not overly tight, as this is the biggest mistake women make in shopping for swimsuits. To avoid amplifying the size of your backside, avoid horizontal stripes or a vivid backside pattern, and stick with darker, solid colors instead.
Women, remember that the perfect swimsuit that will flawlessly compliment your uniquely beautiful features is out there…it just requires a little bit of knowledge and a bit of experimentation with the most current styles. Enjoy shopping, and happy beach lounging!
