This post is probably a day late and a dollar short but being on vacation last week I saw ALL the ill fitting swimsuits.  Day two I just couldn’t take it anymore and while the boys were in the splash pad I wrote this.

Ladies life is too short to wear a bad fitting swimsuit.  You are doing yourself no favors by wearing something that is too big or too small and adding layers because you don’t like your legs.  A bathing suit is the least amount of clothing you will ever wear in public.  People expect to see your thighs and arms and guess what???  They are probably more worried about what they look like than what you look like anyway so stop stressing.

Honestly the people who look comfortable in the suit they are wearing are the ones everyone is looking at anyway so be that girl and be exited about your thighs and arms and belly.

I am not a size two and I rock my swimsuit all over the pool.  Zero cares.  I feel good and to me I look good because I have a suit that I like and it fits well.  That’s all I need on my side.

Take off the swim skirts and the shorts and the tshirts.  Worry more about the fit and less about covering up what you don’t like.  Concentrate on what you do like and find a suit that accentuates that…

So here we go!

Ok ladies. Bathing suits.

Bottoms.  They need to be tight on the bottom. Snug. If the bottom is snug and the sides are giving you a muffin top you are wearing the wrong type of bottoms.  If you don’t buy a snug bottoms they are going to ride up and you will be pulling them out of your bum the whole time you are at the pool. Trust me on this. Just because you buy a full bottom does not matter. What matters is the snug fit.

So tops. Your cup should fit your whole breast. This means when’s you put the suit on you need to grab your breast and place the entire thing in the cup. If it is hanging out the top is too small. Ok so issues here. A lot of suits do not come with a cup size and a band size. How do we combat this?

First and easiest would be to find a bathing suit company that makes tops with cup and band sizes. Second,  get a cup that fits your breast and adjust the straps. Third, make sure you are getting a full size cup. Demi cups and triangle tops are not going to work for Big busted ladies.  Lastly, find a suit that has adjustable straps in the back.  Sometimes suits with a hook are not going to work.  Case in point this year I have a suit that I love but in order to get a cup that fit I had to get a plus sized top.  Well it was way too big in the band because of the type of closure it had.  I tightened the straps and brought it into my tailor and let them adjust the back.  Now it supports me great!

Other things that will give you additional support.  Racer backs or any kind of sports top.  Also, additional straps or additional ties.

When to one piece. So buying a one piece eliminates a lot of the two piece issues. They have more fabric and will keep things in place better than a two piece. A top with a high back is going to give you ladies with big breasts the coverage and support you need. Ladies with small breasts have less to worry about falling out of their top. The same still applies for the sizing though.  It should be snug.  Everything grows once you hit the water so always keep that in mind.

High Waisted.  The high waisted suit is a huge trend and one I really like.  It is still the sexy feel of a bikini but covers the areas that a lot of us would like to hide.  Tummy.  I may have been able to rock a low waisted tie bikini in my 20’s but not anymore!  The greatest thing about a high waisted two piece is that it gives your coverage but if you have a small bottom and a big top or a small top and a big bottom you can pick and choose what you want.

Other Thoughts.  Musings.  Opinions.

• I think the hardest suit to wear is a high cut leg or a full bottom.  Reasons?  The high cut doesn’t allow you to hide or hold in any tummy issues.  It can look incredibly sexy and also really not sexy.  Full bottoms are hard to wear because every butt is different.  Slighly cut in on the bum is going to look better than trying to fully cover the bum.  Wear a suit, not a diaper.
• Stop trying to be fully dressed at the pool.  You are supposed to be in a swimsuit so leave the shorts, tshirts, too big swim skirts, and everything else you want to cover up with at home.  You are beautiful and everyone else at the pool is nearly naked too.  Embrace it.
• Men.  Buy swim trunks.  Stop wearing athletic shorts with your underwear.  Seeing an underwear band on Marky Mark wasn’t cute and I surely don’t want to know the brand of underwear my sons friends Dad from school is wearing.  Buy a swimsuit.
• Compliment your friends swimsuit.  Tell her she looks hot and you love it on her.  Build her up.  Seriously.  Give the most compliments you ever give at the pool.  Even the hottest mom is nervous about how she looks.  Be the woman who makes people feel confident and empowered.

XO,

Tippy