How to Find the Best Swimsuit for Your Body

Posted by The Curvy Queen V April 07, 2017

How to Find the Best Swimsuit for Your Body

Plus Swimsuit Guide:

This Guide will give the tips you need to help you look your best in a swimsuit! The easiest way to accomplish that is to choose a swimsuit that YOU love the way YOU look in! In my own swimsuit search, I came across countless guides, tips, and suggestions. Mostly, telling me which swimsuits I should wear for my "body type" or saying what not to wear. Mind you, I took all of this very personally. Body type is a small proportion of the equation. What about style? Personal preference in regards to coverage? Conservative versus showy? Or the freedom to wear a suit for more than one body type? This all leads me to the guide that I have developed below. Instead of simplifying the process to "body types" alone, I have arranged the following into sections of the body that you may wish to Accentuate or Diminish, thus accounting for design preference and a flattering fit! Check out my last post, "Plus Swim" where I rock a GabiFresh Fatkini!

Each Section will have tips to help bring out the inner diva in you, accompanied with picture examples of swimsuits from this session (Spring 2017).

Swimsuits that Accentuate the Waist:

Want to show off your waist, go for the super sexy "Fatkini" with GabiFresh at Swimsuitsforall.

Choose bottoms that hit lower on the waistline, instead of high waisted ones.

Want a little more coverage while still drawing the eye to your waistline? Try pairing a suit with stylish sleeves with a smaller coverage bottom, see the Monif C. example above in Snakeskin Purple!

Try wearing a one-piece search for one that holds details at the waist. The Kaleidoscope Suit, below displays an optical allusion, along with cut-outs to draw the eye up- and around the tummy.

Opt for shorter cut tankinies or a full suit with cut-outs, creating a visual break at the waist.

Swimsuits that Diminish the Waist:

Many of us feel that the waist is our problem area. I myself often shop for clothing that downplays my tummy. Here a few tried and true ways to either draw the eye away or confuse attention around the tummy. Try out suits with long fringes, shirring, or ruching along the waist, this effect works to confuse the eye as to the depth of the area. For example the Monif C. Purple Fringe Swimsuit.
Embrace surplice, draped fabric, as it can create a corset-like an effect. High waist bottoms are great they afford more coverage and in dark colors lengthen legs while shrinking the waist/stomach area.

Blue Ruching Swim Top Striped Ruching

Accentuate the Chest:

Try a suit with support, like an underwire bikini top help lift the ladies to say "hello"! Try a top with interesting accents, like extra ties, bows, or straps, like the Knotted Swim Top to the right or like the Strappy Hot Pink Top to the left. Mix a brightly colored top with a darker bottom for more emphasis. If you're looking to draw the eye to the chest, but with a little more coverage overall, try a one-piece with a plunging neckline to draw focus to the chest, while diminishing all other areas. See examples below: Paisley Plunge left, Pink Plunge right.

Diminish the Chest:
Try ruffles to distract and confuse with movement, but make sure it is long enough, this effect only works if the ruffles cover your whole chest and hang lower than your bust. If ruffles are to short they tend to act as an embellishment, drawing the eye to chest instead of away. Try full coverage if you want to diminish attention drawn to the chest.

For example, the Polka Dot Bikini on the left has a short ruffle that draws the eye to the chest area, while the Torrid Blue Tie-die Bikini on the right has a ruffle that hangs lower than the chest, granting more coverage and diminishing the chest impact.
For another example of diminishing ruffles see the GabiFresh Fatkini below with a large white ruffle.

Swimsuits that Accentuate the Shoulders:

Try a bandeau or strapless suit to accentuate shoulders, the Pink Bikini below.

Swimsuits that Diminish the Shoulders:

Halter tops can help diminish as they elongate the figure, so if you wish to remove focus from wider shoulders, steer clear of strapless. Try Suits with triangle style tops. For example, halter tops or tops where the straps clench closer to the neck.
See Pink Floral Wrap Swimsuit and See Black Bikini

For ultimate coverage try out suits with sleeve, a new trend that's been big this year! See the two Monif C. Swimsuits below: Snakeskin Purple on the left and Aztec Swimsuit on the right.

Swimsuits that Accentuate your Height to look Taller:

The elongate your figure, try high cut bottoms, they give the illusion that your legs are longer. Choose a suit with cuts outs or mesh inserts to draw the eye to details instead of height. Like the two Forever21 Swimsuits: Black Mesh Cut-Out Suit and the Orange Fringe Suit.
Plus Size One-Piece Swimsuit

Diminish your Height to look Short:

Note that horizontal stripes draw the eye left to right (instead of upward r downward) and make the torso appear shorter. If you are petite and choose a striped suit, be careful of which direction your stripes run as well as the size of the stripes.
See the examples below: Top two from Old Navy, while the bottom two are from Swimsuitsforall.

Swimsuits that Accentuate the Hips/Bottom:

Try out bright colors for bottoms to stand out. Try embellished bottoms to draw the eye there. Choose darker colored tops with plain looks, to let the bright or patterned bottoms be the eye catcher. Check out the above section on "Accentuating the Waist," many bottoms that make the tummy area look great, also make the hip area and butt look good as well.