Its that time of the year ladies! When we bare our bods and belt to the beach. A scary prospect for so many gals though. But I am here bringing good tidings!! Perhaps more than other seasons, this summer I truly believe  there are options aplenty for all shapes, sizes and level of modesty. So without further ado—here are some suits suited for you!

Perfect bodies
For the 15% of real women who have ‘perfect 10’ bodies they can wear the full gamut of styles and for most the bikini will be a no-brainer. For women who fall into this category just be sure to choose a pattern and color that really enhances. Too often I see women with great bodies wearing bathing suits in a color that actually takes away from their great look. So perfect body or not, think of the colors that put you in the best light.

A great example of using color and print to enhance a great body!

This is a celeb wearing a poor fitting bikini in a color/print that makes her look washed up. Don’t let this be you!

Full in the hips/thighs
For women who have a pear (triangle) shape, minimizing the hips and often rear is the challenge. An easy strategy is to use color blocking—wear a darker color on your bottom and a brighter/lighter one on top. Another alternative, the skirted suit or tankini in a straight to slight a line silhouette (not flared!). Boy shorts provide coverage in the rear. Also bring as much attention to your top half by details, accents, design to detract from your larger bottom half. Avoid horizontal stripes on your bottom half!

This suit from Norma Kamali is perfect for a pear shaped woman. The ruching all over minimizes and hides bulges, the dark colored bottom balances her shape out and the sexy white top brings the eye above the waist. Moreover the straight skirted suit camoflages the larger hip/thigh.

For pear figures that are not too exaggerated, the gradated color blocking in this suit from Victoria’s Secret  from light to dark will do the trick. I also love the necklace collar which draws the eye up and away from the wider bottom.

Tummy
For gals with a tummy step away from the bikini! Too often I see ladies with their little paunches all hanging out and honestly they can do so much better. For you, I highly recommend the minimizing  one pieces. Or a one piece suit with ruching at the waist/tummy which is an excellent camouflager. Or a suit with a wrap over style to minimize bulges. A high waist retro styled bikini bottom with high spandex content can work wonders for the mid section. The key theme in whichever suit you choose is a high percentage of spandex to hold in bulges.

This red hot sexy very ruched one piece from Victoria’s Secret is just what the stylist orders for those with mid section bulges. Love it! And cool that you can pull the skirted part up or down depending on your coverage needs.

Not crazy about the color of this swimsuit from Bloomigdales but the construction and design is PERFECT to hide numerous figure flaws most notably the tummy or thick waist. The ruching in the middle and panelling on the sides is very strategic and figure enhancing. And the modest cut of the panty also works for those needing to minimize hip bulge!

This really mod high waist bottom is great for those with a tummy but a great figure otherwise. The graphic print also helps detract. Kate Perry is wearing for style not function but this would really work on a woman with a little poof in the middle.

Large busts
Women with large breasts really need proper support. Bikinis are fine once the top has the proper underwire support to keep the bust lifted. With one pieces, you absolutely want to look at a deep V neck or wide U scoop necklines which enhance your bust. To avoid like the plague? Little itsy bitsy tops or stringy halters that look at odds with your proportion and provide zero support. Also any top that adds bulk to your breasts.

This very pretty bikini has great underwire support for fuller busts–from Shoshana @ Bloomingdales.

This bikini from Victoria’s Secret is cute on the model but would not be so cute on a full busted woman. The ruffles add bulk she doesn’t need and the strapless bandeau dsign provides little support. A ‘Don’t’.

This halter one piece can be great on the full busted because the molded cups provide great support while the substantial straps of the halter match her proportions. Available @ Victoria’s Secret.

Look for the rest of this post later this week! Want more tips on how to flatter your unique body and proportions? I highly recommend picking up a copy of my book: Frumpy to Fabulous: Flaunting It. your Ultimate Guide to Effortless Style. Full of tips, advice and motivation to look great regardless of your size and empowering you to Flaunt It. The secret? Confidence (and a few handy insider secrets that I share).