Fashion Friday: Just Keep Swimming

If you even glance at the cover of pretty much any fashion or fitness mag, there’s probably something on there about swimsuit season–getting the ‘perfect’ bikini body, finding a swimsuit for your budget, etc. I’m not here to talk about those things, though. I want to talk about how to find the perfect suit for the body YOU have, right now, that’ll make you feel your very best.

First things first: the hard truth. Not every swimsuit’s gonna look good on you. You may fall in love with a cute halter bikini that looks amazing on your friend, but when you try it on, it just doesn’t look right. Remember that it isn’t your body that’s to blame, it’s just that not every style looks great on every body, and that’s ok. There’s definitely at least one style out there that’ll make you love what you see, so don’t get discouraged when a certain style doesn’t look so great.

For example, I was shopping at Hollister the other day when they were having a sale on swimsuit separates for $10 each. What a steal, right? I found plenty of cute options, and tried a few of them on. I have a smaller chest, so the halter bandeaus and triangle bikinis made me look even smaller, but a ruffly halter push-up bikini made me look a little fuller up there and enhanced what I have. With bottoms, I liked the look of the high rise boyshorts but since I am pretty straight up-and-down with no curves, it looked awful on me. Sticking with bikini style bottoms with side ties gives me some shape.

Look for detailing that looks good on your body, like side ties or ruffles.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match. A lot of stores sell two pieces in separates, partly so you can buy them in different sizes if you need to, but also so you can mix and match patterns and colors. I personally like to go for neutral, solid colored bottoms with a patterned top featuring the same color as the bottoms. I have a pair of white side-tie bikini bottoms that I wear with three separate patterned tops. It was cheaper than buying 3 full swim sets, but it’s like I have 3 different swimsuits.

Mixing and matching can save you money and give you a unique look.

This might be obvious, but make sure the swimsuit fits. Don’t worry if you have to buy separate sizes in the top and bottom to fit right. I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t freak out about the size on the tag, either. I know I still tend to stress if I have to wear a size other than my usual one, but different suits fit differently based on style and store, so you may be one size in one store and another one in another. It’s good to find a store, or style, that fits you well, so you have a better idea that another suit from that same store will fit similarly.

You can have fun this summer, soaking up the sun and enjoying the water, without worrying about how you look in your swimsuit…because you’ll know you look good!

Do you have any swimsuit shopping tips?