Suiting Up
If you’d rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than make your pilgrimage to the mall to buy a swimsuit, take heart. You’re not alone. This age-old source of agony, low self-esteem, and frustration was the inspiration behind the iVillage Trauma-Free Swimsuit Buying guide. I’ve added a few of my own pointers below, in the spirit of commiseration and empathy. After all, we’ve all been there.
First off, it’s cut, not color that makes the difference in a flattering suit. (Are you a summer or a winter? The answer is: Who cares?) Although it’s true that black is slimming, what’s most important is that the suit fits properly, and makes the most of the attributes you want to accentuate, and minimizes the areas in which you aren’t as fortunate. (Heidi Klum, you can skip this post altogether.)
It bears repeating: Accentuate the positive. It seems like everything’s “out there” when we wear a suit, but there are some cuts, styles, and fabrics that can work miracles by making your torso look longer or shorter, your bustline bigger or smaller, your tummy flatter, or your legs longer, for example.
Don’t shop for a suit in a hurry. Take your time–alone–and visit lots of stores, even if that means shopping months before your plan to wear your find.
Some of my friends swear by suits made with Miratex fabric because it prevents the bulging effect found with other girdle-like suits that attempt to shore up our, uhem, loose ends. You can find suides with Miratex in them at Cyberswim.com and Land’s End. 
At the end of the day, don’t sweat it too much. Most beach-goers are more concerned with their own appearance than anyone else’s. Do you care about the opinions of other people at the beach anyway? Are you hoping to be discovered by a talent scout for America’s Next Top Model? I didn’t think so. But if you’re super self-conscious anyway, you can always go to the beach at night. During a new moon. Or, as this store subliminally suggests, put a coat over your swimsuit.
Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by iowa spirit walker
Comments Off