It's officially too hot for clothes. All I want to do is either stay inside with the air conditioning blasting or lay in a pool. Either way, I don't want to wear clothes. I love clothes, but I don't want them anywhere near me right now. Does anyone else feel like they gain 20 pounds all of the sudden when it gets hot? Clothes suddenly feel tighter and stickier and like they are your own personal little torture chamber. Have I mentioned that heat makes me grumpy and dramatic?
Anyway, since clothes make me sweat I've decided to write about bathing suits. I know, for a lot of us thinking about bathing suits makes us sweat, but I'm going to write about them anyway. Believe it or not, there are right and wrong bathing suits for your body type. If you are bigger chested you NEED to wear a suit with more coverage and support or you will feel like you are about to give the world a show at any given moment. Oh, and you will look and feel saggy. If you are relatively flat chested, don't wear a straight bandeau. As cute as they are, they make you look even flatter. You can however wear one that has a sweet heart neck or a twist or something. Lets look at some visual aides.
The yellow suit is perfect if you are a little more full figured and want to create shape at your waist and give yourself that awesome hourglass Marilyn Monroe figure. Because it's strapless make sure you are not overly endowed in the chest area or bad things will happen. Your boobs need to fit INSIDE the cups of the suit with minimal spillage or it's too small. This suit is great especially if you want to show some leg but aren't comfortable with a typical bathing suit bottom. Also, the ruching does wonderful things to all people.
The blue two piece (without the flowers) is great if you are a little smaller on top but fuller on the bottom. It gives you extra coverage in your rear and on your hips but still has that super cute retro bikini look. This is another look that isn't wise if you have large boobs. It's perfect however for the larger hips/smaller boobs club. Once again, ruching is good. It gives cute detail and allows for more coverage.
The red striped bikini in the middle is the perfect full figure bikini. If you feel like you can't wear a bikini because string tied tops and bottoms just don't provide enough coverage and support, Modcloth is your new best friend (
www.modcloth.com) . This suit is $90 but it gives you great coverage and adorable style. It's going to go right over the largest part of your hips and hit on your natural waist which will naturally give you a smoother look. The top is under wire and a thicker strapped halter so it provides enough coverage for larger boobs while still looking cute. This suit is also available in plus sizes so if it will fit anyone. The halter also can make your shoulders look more stately and narrow since it draws the eye up toward your neck which is (most likely) more narrow and slender than your shoulders.
The hounds tooth print suit (also from Modcloth) is super cute and also great for a more full figure if you don't want to show your stomach.The thicker strap once again allows for more support up top while still looking adorable and stylish and not like your grandma's bathing suit. It also has that retro cut which gives you more butt and thigh coverage also. Be careful to make sure it's not super tight or else you'll get a sort of cut off sausage look.
The last suit is great if you are more of a straight body type and don't need as much coverage anywhere but want to create the illusion of having more of a chest. Under wire bathing suits with padding are your new best friend. They give the same oomph that a good bra does, which is usually seriously lacking in a triangle top suit. I would steer clear of the under wire tops with the normal straps (not halter) because they tend to look like a bra.
The key to being comfortable in your bathing suit no matter what you're doing in it is coverage and fit.
Make sure your bathing suit covers what you want covered even when you jump around. If you are just tanning than this is a little different, but if you are planning on being active in a suit make sure it fits well. Bandeau tops are not the best for being active. However, they usually come with a detachable halter strap which helps and than you can still get that strap free tan. If you aren't comfortable with your butt showing a bit than make sure your suit covers it all the way. If you feel like you will constantly be trying to make your top cover your boobs more than either buy a size up or a different style top. It's not worth being cute if you are uncomfortable and self conscious all day. There are so many options now, so take advantage of it! It might mean that you are spending a bit more money on one suit but it will be worth it. Also,
make sure it's not too tight or too loose. It needs to fit snug but not squeeze. If you have to squeeze into your suit when it's dry (obviously there is always a little tug but it shouldn't get you out of breath) than it's too small. If you're constantly pulling it up, either your elastic is dead or it's too big so spring for a new one.
Now, go jump in the nearest body of water you can find.
