Spring Break Swimsuits For Your Body Shape

By Olivia Kaiser on March 12, 2014

If you are one of the lucky ones who is about to head to a warm sunny beach for a week, chances are you want to find a fun swimsuit that will cater to your body and give you confidence. You want people to honestly tell you that you look fabulous in that yellow polka dot bikini, or the more modest, sleek one-piece, because that is one of the best feelings: knowing and feeling great and having people compliment you.

However, finding the swimsuit that best fits your body shape can be a challenge. And trying them on in dressing rooms is the absolute worst–that harsh lighting does not flatter anyone, and that all around mirror that shows you angles of your body you didn’t even know existed? Terrifying.

The biggest problem with seeking out a new swimsuit is that many women have no idea what suit is meant for their body. We’ve all done it; we see that adorable pink patterned suit that looked great on the girl in the dressing room area you caught a glimpse of, so surely it will look good on you, right? Wrong! Would you walk across glass barefooted if the person in front of you was fine? I would certainly hope not. So here is a quick guide to the types of swimsuits you should look for based on your body shape.

The Athletic Body:

Photo Courtesy of Victoria’s Secret

Women who have athletic bodies typically have an upside down triangle figure where their shoulders are broader and their hips narrower, and they have powerful thighs. Women who rock this body type should look for suits that are going to show off their more feminine side and qualities. Look for suits that have a tapered-bottom and hip embellishments to flaunt your toned lower half, and find suits with cups, padding, or pretty prints to soften your chest area. Athletic bodies should stay away from bandeaus, boy-short briefs and shapeless tanks.

The Curvy Body:

Photo Courtesy of H&M

Women who have a curvy, or hour-glass body shape, meaning you have a full chest and hips and a narrower waist, should look for suits that will compliment their assets but keep everything in place. One way to do this is to look for underwire, balconette, or halter styles to support your chest. You should also choose a solid or small print to not make your proportions look distorted. Look for accents that will accentuate your smaller waistline such as belts. Finally, curvy women should stay away from string tops and bottoms.

The Pear Shape:

Photo Courtesy Everything But Water

If your lower half is a bit larger, you can camouflage your trouble spots with strategically cut bottoms. You can conceal your hips and thighs in full coverage briefs, hipsters and boy-shorts. You can also find fun tops to draw the attention upward with molded cups, fun back detail and halter straps. Finally, pear-shaped women should stay away from extravagant prints on their lower half.

The Straight Body:

Photo Courtesy of Forever21

For women who have a straight bean-like body shape, where you have an undefined waistline, small chest and behind, you can either fake the curves or take pride in your skinny self.

To enhance (or fake) your curves, opt for tops and bottoms with busy prints, ruffles, gathering, padding, or string-tie details. Or flaunt your straight silhouette with a string bikini. Women who have a straight body shape should avoid sex-appeal squashing bandeaus and sporty bottoms.

Finding suits for your body type is only half the battle. You also have to find ones that fit to your style and your price range. Here are some great places for you to look:

Forever 21

Not only will the swimsuits you find at Forever 21 be well within your price range, you will also find a variety of cute styles! If your body shape is straight or athletic, I suggest checking out this store.

H&M

Like Forever 21, H&M gives you a variety of styles that will fit within your price range. H&M is a great place to look for any body shape, with the multitude of suit structures catering to all of the body types.

Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret always has great swimsuits that will cater to small to full chests as well as narrow to wide hips. The prices can get a little high for some people, but it is always a great place to check out!

Target

Target is awesome! Honestly, who ever doesn’t end up walking around in there for longer than expected and spending more money than expected? Besides, Target offers a great selection of swim suits for really low prices; however, sizing can really vary here so I would recommend heading to the store to try the suit on first.

Especially during this time of the year, almost any clothing store you walk into will have swimsuits beckoning to you to try them on. Just keep in mind your body shape and what would look best on you.

 

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