Ah, bathing suit season. The once-yearly event that prompts us to join a gym, eat our veggies, slather on the self-tanner, get bikini waxes, and worry endlessly about finding that perfect swimsuit. Aside from finals week, I can’t think of any time of year that sparks more anxiety in college girls! Funny that finals week and swimsuit season are so close together…

But let’s be honest: there’s no magic formula that will instantly give you Jessica Biel’s bikini bod (or Justin Timberlake for that matter). Fortunately, there is a way to magically look fabulous in your bathing suit no matter what body type you have.

Whether you’re curvy and full-figured or stick-thin and boyish, top-heavy, bottom-heavy, or somewhere in between, this guide will help you find your most flattering bathing suit.

Table of Contents

A bit about body shapes and “what to wear”

As I’ve mentioned in posts here before, I’m not in favor of dressing to “hide” any perceived “flaws”. Every body is different and all bodies are beautiful – no exceptions! Therefore I’m not going to mention “problem areas” or “how to disguise yourself if your (insert body part here) is too fat”. If you want someone to make you feel bad about yourself, look elsewhere!

What we’re trying to achieve

Before I get into each individual body type, let me just explain what we’re going for here. The single most important rule for swimsuit shopping is BALANCE. That’s what we’ll be trying to achieve for each figure.

What do I mean by balance? Simple – you want your bottom half and top half to balance out and for your body to look proportional. Humans love symmetry, so a balanced body is the most universally pleasing aesthetic for the eye. That’s what we’re going for.