It’s the time of the year where we turn our minds to holidays or going away for weekends in the sun. Once again we are faced with the question: ” What to wear?!” Beach life or Pool life we need a separate wardrobe for it. We are not only talking about all the different kinds of swim wear and outfits, but as well about the right cover ups, sun hats, foot wear, beach bags, sunglasses. Also, not to forget that the dress code varies from beach to pool as well as lunch to afternoon or cocktail time. Let’s turn our attention first on the right swim wear that matches your body shape before moving on to cover ups and beach life accessories. For every body shape there’s a swimsuit that will flatter in all the right places. Your swimwear should be as flexible and flattering as your everyday clothes. Some will show more back and less tummy, others show a bit more cleavage or thigh. Show off your best assets and conceal the others.

When choosing your swim wear, your aim is to create the illusion of having a balanced body.It is even more important to get the style line right for your body shape and body size in your swim wear than in your clothes since there is no place to hide.

The neat hourglass is considered to be the most perfect and balanced body shape with:

• Shoulders and hips in line
• A defined bust
• A waist, even with a softy curved tummy
• A curved bottom

The problem with understanding your body shape is that most women focus on specific area (i.e. problems zones such as the tummy, arms, bottom, thighs etc), which can cloud their judgment when it comes to seeing the whole picture. It’s important to view yourself as a whole so that you can define your body shape.

The Neat Hourglass

Goal: Show off in style your perfect body!

You can wear any swim wear you like but it would be a shame not showing off the curves and figure you have.

• Choose for a one piece a monokini; for  two piece choose styles that have details in or around the waist like belts, beads, ruffles or wear a skirt or shorts in your brief choice.
• Your bra can be a bandeau, triangle, strapless, tie front, one shoulder, halter anything what your heart desires. But make sure it has  dramatic details in the style lines e.g. bows, embellishments or in the pattern as colour blocks, prints
• Also, charm centers are great to show off your bust, back details to emphasize your back and straps that have a feature e.g. pattern or fabric or style.
• Patterns- don’t be shy about them since you can wear any type you like e.g. animal, dots, stripes, abstract, print, colour blogs, monochrome and the list goes on.
• Your bottom style can be low, high hipster, thong have side bar details or be a tide side- anything goes.

The only faux pas you can make is going neutral, simple with no eye catching styles, colour, prints or details.

Full Hourglass

Goal: You need to wear shaped and fitted lines in order to follow your body line, but avoid any bulk and volume around your feminine curves

Remember you have already got , so there is no need to add drama with strong patterns or style details. All you need are style lines that follow your curves!

• If you prefer one pieces swim wear choose a well constructed style with panels, so it really follows your shapes. Be easy on the Monokinis- they are not ideal for you.  By mixing style lines and strong patterns with your curves means you are overdoing it. Tankinis are as well not ideal- firstly- too much fabrics on your body, secondly because they cover up your curves and thirdly if they come in pattern it is all too much  for your shape.
• Balconette, halternecks or wider shoulder straps are most flattering and more comfortable than spaghetti straps. They hold in at the same time as they minimise an ample bust while giving view to some sexy cleavage. Important here is choosing a back fastening rather than string ties, which are less secure. This style will allow you to make adjustments for a personal fit.
• Triangle bikini tops tend to be skimpy, so choose instead designs with cups or substantial cups- depending on your needs- that cover up your bust properly.
• Underwiring is essential – you may need the extra support and it will provide you as well with an uplift . Foam cups are another great option. Important here : Go for styles that are cut high at the sides of the cups to avoid bulges.Think of your swimwear top as you would of your bra- it has the same requirements. It has to fit well as it has to be comfortable.
• High cut or low cut hipster – both work well. But avoid a too small side bars in your bottom style otherwise it won’t look proportional to your curves.
• Go easy on the pattern. If you must choose oversized patterns over small ones. Your shape will overpower the small pattern style. Best though is to make a splash in the cut and style of your swimwear or having a charm centre in your bikini top. But colour blocks work well for your shape.Therefore have a try at mix matching bikinis tops and bottoms.
• Straight cut bust styles give a clean and sporty look and feel. But if you love your curves choose a sweatheart neckline in your upper bikini top.
• Avoid any styles that provide you with minimal coverage, support, or security as well as petite patterns or styles in the design of your swim wear.

The Pear

Goal: You need to balance your top half with your lower half by choosing  swim wear that make your shoulders look broader and keeps the attention upwards, so it will visually minimize your lower half.

• The most important rule is: The drama and details stay on top- meaning in our bikini top! What we can’t have in our bikini bottom we make up in our bikini top with all the colours, patterns, style in designs, cuts and details we can get! Look for details that broadens your shoulder, boost your bust, show off your waist and balances out your hips and thighs.
• Any styles that makes the most of your top half such as  chunk shoulder straps, halter necks, back details are fantastic choices. Therefore keep away from spaghetti straps or strapless swim wear. It will make draw the attention downwards. That goes mostly as well for tankinis.
• Bikini top details such as charm centers, frills, ruche, tie in front or Empire styles and designs in one pieces are working great on this body shape. While monokinis or any cut out one pieces swim wear should be avoided as well as any styles that doesn’t have any waist definition.
• Mix match bikini styles are my favourite choice for this body shape. Since you can choose a busy top no matter what the colour, design or pattern and go for a simple classic bottom.It is the perfect solution to broaden the shoulders, keeping the attention on the top and distracting from the bottom and minimising it at the same time. Create impact with colour blocks or contrast!
• Choose hip reducing styles: A high cut hipster brief for your bikini is a much better choice than a low hipster one. It will make you look slimmer and leggier, but also you are avoiding any attention on your fuller part when your brief meets your thighs. So, don’t add any bulk on your lower part by adding details to your bottom style or avoid any styles that will finish on your thigh such as e.g. low cut briefs, shorties.Briefs that rest on your hipbones will highlight your widest point, and anything that comes up too high on the body will make that area look bigger.
• Avoid any side bar details, tie side options, shorties, skirts. Covering up means more material and therefore bulk and details such as tie sides or side bar details are drawing the attention to the wrong place of your body. Plus it will make you visually even more fuller on the lower half. So, stay clear of any details and keep it plain here!
• Also, if you have a smaller bust opt for padded cups to give it a boost.

The inverted Triangle

Goal: On your bottom half you need to wear clothes that make your hips look broader, so that you create visual balance with your broader shoulders.

• Well, for this body shape the rules are the  opposite to a pear body shape. The attention has to be drawn away from the top and emphasized with drama, fuss and buzz on the bottom half to balance the broader shoulders. Avoid any buzz near your shoulders- whether on top, at the side or below!
• Strapless in bikini or one pieces work are great as well as petite halter straps. Stay away from any shoulder staps or any Empire style designs.
• Monokinis are great to add roundness and volume to your bottom half. Tankinis are good as long as the top stays plain in design and colour and the attention is on the bottom half.
• The bikini bottom is your play ground! Shorts, skirts, low cut hipster, side bar details, saches, belts tie on side are fantastic options to make the bottom fuller, so it balances visually with your broader shoulders. Also, bikini bottoms that boost of colours, prints or any patter are made for you. The only option that is a no go are thongs or tiny bikini bottoms- for the obvious reasons- not strong enough in style to create visual balance between your smaller bottom and broader shoulders!

The Apple

Goal: Follow your bodyline – avoid details around bust, tummy and hips. Keep detail in top and lower thirds.

If you are self conscious about your tummy try one of those fabulous, tummy, control panel, swimsuits: they really work wonders.

• Many of the rules for a full hourglass apply here as well just with the difference that an apple doesn’t have much of a waist .
• Key aspects for apples are support and control in their tummy and bust area like under wiring ,boning styles, lace or mesh inserts and cups. Choose styles that are cut high at the sides of the cups to avoid spill overs or bulges.
• Invest in Lycra swimsuits and tankinis with an Empire style. These are best for tummy taming, avoiding bulk on your fullest part and draw attention to one of your best assets- your cleavage. This style will hold you in, give you shape and keep the attention where it is best!
• Halternecks or wider shoulder straps are most flattering .They hold in at the same time as they minimise an ample bust while giving view to some sexy cleavage. Wide straps are as well the perfect remedy for sloping shoulders, because they give you structure in your body shape.
• Details in your decolltee like charms, embellishments or other styles are fantastic option to create visual balance. As long as you avoid any form of bulk in additional fabrics like ruche and frill.
• Also, avoid any tight, low cut leg styles for your briefs, but instead choose higher hipster. It is not that you can’t take the attention around your slimmer thighs but it will make you look all too round in the middle section as well when you viewing yourself as and as a whole.
• Low neckline such as square, scoop or sweat hear are always winners for your body shape.
• Darker colours are slimming while lighter or while brighter colours are creating exactly the opposite effect. Make use of colours as accent colours around your neckline and decoltee line as well as embellishments.
• Say no to petite styles in bras, briefs, straps or patterns. It will create the wrong body balance.
• Though most apple have a small bottom and good legs they still should avoid shorts, ruffles or skirts in their swim wear. It will make them look fuller around the tummy and just add to a more rounder silouette. Keep in mind it is all about adoring your top third and slimming your second third- the middle section- and balancing your third with the other two thirds.

The Lean Column

Goal:You need to create the illusion of a waist and add roundness to your shoulders and hips

• In general it is all about adding volume at the right places.
• If you are small on top opt for boost busting features such as padded tops, cups and details that creates volume around your chest area e.g. ruche, frill, tie in front, embellishments. Adjustable straps will help for a better fit on the top half. Triangle moulded, padded styles are great as well as detailing on the cups, like seams contrasting colours or bolder, bigger patterns. And if you still can’t find a swim wear get a Brazilian one since they are often smaller on top.
• Bateau styles are great for creating roundness in the waist, but only if you have a bust to match otherwise it will look like a flat tyre.
• In general patterns themes that create roundess are best like dots, floral or horizontal lines. Avoid vertical lines since they will make you longer and straighter as well as abstract designs, because they will emphasize your more angular shape.
• Separates and monokinis are fabulous to create the illusion of a waist. While tankini style might make you look too straight unless you choose pattern with a “round theme”. Empire lines are not great for this body shape since it will stretch straight over the midriff and emphasize its straightness.
• In your brief your choices are unlimited. You can choose from the itsy bitsy string briefs to shorts, skirts, side bar details, saches, bows,tie side, drapes – you name it. These style will all provide fullness and roundess to your bottom.
• In general avoid any slimming or lengthening styles such as Empire Styles, dark colours or solid colours. They will make you look shapeless.

The Rectangle

Goal: You need to create the illusion of a waist and soften your angular shape in shoulder and hips.

• One can say that a rectangle is the extreme version of a lean coloumn. The shape is just more angular in comparison.
• Some of the style advice for a lean column and a rectangle are overlapping, but where a lean column has a small definition of a waist a rectangle has mostly none at all. So the emphasise is all about creating the illusion of a waist in order to create visual balance.
• Every style that has a V style is best to create definition in the middle part of the body like plunging neckline, v- necks, high cut leg lines, tieside briefs,monokinis. While everything that creates a horizontal line like square necklines, bateau styles, Empire lines, shorts, skirts, will make the body look even more squarish and cut the body visually in to halves. Horizontal stripes won’t work in the middle part of the body but can be great in the brief for adding roundness.
• Any asymetric style will work very well whether in the neckline, middle part or in the brief.
• Patterns such has floral or dots are best for visual balance.
• Belts can be more tricky than doing any good. Best left out.
• Avoid as well any style and designs in your swim wear that has a waist definition. It will  highlight your straightness and give and add unflattering bulk to that area.

Michaela