This segment airs on Great Day Houston on June 17, 2014. Thank you Dillard’s and A Pea In A Pod/Destination Maternity for providing the bathing suits for the story. View a video link of the story below, or click here to watch it on Great Day Houston’s website. After the story airs, a link will be added here to view a video of the story.
For information about the modeling workshop Runway For The Rest Of Us™ mentioned on the show, click here.
Bathing suits are a hot topic since Miss Indiana appeared in the Miss America Pageant last week.
Choosing the right swim suit for your figure can be a trying experience. The ideal figure for a woman is an hourglass. That’s what we want to see when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Very few women actually have that body type. That’s why we are usually disappointed with our figures.
When you don’t have an hourglass figure, the trick is to choose a bathing suit that creates the illusion of a perfect figure. When you do have an hourglass figure, the trick is to choose a suit that doesn’t distort those proportions. Here are some models with different body types to show you how to find the most flattering swimsuit style.
Model 1: Sarah – Hourglass Figure (size 10)
Sarah has an hourglass figure, which means that her bustline and hips are about the same width and her waist is about ¾ of her hips. The key for this figure is to:
- Make sure the bathing suit is the same color/pattern on the top and bottom.
- Make sure the waist is visible.
- The worst suit for this body style is one that obscures the waist – like a tankini with ruffles all down the front.
- You also want to avoid suits with different colors on the bottom or top.
- Sarah is wearing a Lauren by Ralph Lauren Batik Floral Twist Halter Top & Sash Hipster Bottom bikini and Chelsea & Violet Hipster Woven Shirt as a cover up from Dillard’s.
General Tip – Choose The Straps Wisely
Watch straps, waist bands, and leg openings to make sure they lie flat and smooth on your body. If they are too tight, they can dig in and cause your body to look lumpy and bulgy, no matter what your size. Look for wide waistbands and straps (like this suit has) for a flatter, smoother fit that will make you look leaner and fitter in your suit.
Model 2: Ida – Broad Shoulders (size 8)
Ida has broad shoulders, which means that her hips are more narrow than her shoulders and bustline. The key for this figure is to show off the waist AND make the hips look wider. This sounds crazy, but the hips have to be wider to fill out the bottom part of the hourglass.
- An A-line swim dress or skirt is great for this body type because it creates curves in the hip area. (This suit is also great for concealing a tummy)
- For broad shoulders, you could also choose a suit with a darker top and lighter bottom. Or a suit with boy shorts.
- This figure type should avoid suits with a lighter top and darker bottom.
- Ida is wearing a Beach House St. Augustine Twist-Front Swimdress and TWO by Vince Camuto Star Dot Shirt from Dillard’s.
General Tip – Choose The Right Print
Geometric prints will magnify flaws because the regular print will be stretched disproportionately and look distorted in the “flawed” area, while the print will be regular and symmetrical in the other areas. Asymmetrical prints (like this suit), on the other hand, are more forgiving because when these prints stretch they won’t appear to be distorted so they will camouflage your trouble spots.
Model 3: Eleanor – Full Hips (size 6)
Eleanor has full hips, which means that her hips are wider than her bustline. The key for this figure is to
- Make sure the bathing has eyecatching details on the top (like the jeweled clasp on the cleavage) to distract you from the hip area and high-cut leg openings.
- You could also choose a suit that is lighter on top and darker on the bottom.
- The worst suit for this body type is boy shorts or the retro pin-up girl bathing suits with the granny panties. These styles wrap your upper thighs like sausages and make your hips look larger.
- Eleanor is wearing a Trina Turk Santa Cruz Buckle Bandeau Top & Hipster Bottom and Cremieux Wanderlust Shirt Dress ($89) from Dillard’s.
General Tip – Your Bathing Suit Coverup can be anything
You don’t have to wear a traditional bathing suit coverup. Look to your closet for a button-down dress, blouse or scarf from few seasons ago and wear it over your suit. It will bring a little more glamour to your look and give new life to a garment that may be a little too worn or stained for regular wear.
Model 4: Cassie – Maternity (Size 12)
Our next model is Cassie. She has is 8 months pregnant, so she’s showing her baby bump. They key for this figure is to find a suit that has great support for the girls, makes you feel pretty and makes your baby bump look smooth.
- Buy a maternity suit instead of a regular suit. They are made with extra chest support, with material that stretches to accommodate a changing body, and the tankini tops are longer so they will fully cover your belly.
- A v-neckline is always more slimming over all. The ruffled neckline on this suit makes the busltine fuller, balancing out the baby bump.
- When buying a maternity suit, go by your pre-pregnancy size. These suits are sized accordingly and accommodate your changing size.
- Cassie is wearing a Ruffled Maternity One Piece Swimsuit from A Pea In A Pod (also Destination Maternity) and Alex Marie Clarrissa Platform Wedges, straw hat and scarf from Dillard’s.
General Tip – Price Matters
Especially with maternity suits, price matters. Typically the more expensive suits are much better quality, have better linings (to avoide transparancy when the suits get wet), thicker fabric, stronger stitching, and more durable hardware.