Swimsuit season is officially upon us, and I can hear the beach calling my name! However, as exciting as frolicking in the the waves and tanning poolside is, swimsuit season also means swimsuit shopping, which is kind of the worst. There’s nothing more frustrating than cluelessly trying on countless suits searching for the perfect one.

In this post, I’ve put-together some advice for finding figure-flattering swimsuits that I truly believe will make every body type look incredible, along with swimwear that will have you dreaming of jumping into crystal blue waters.

Table of Contents

Before we begin…

I do want to point out that there are countless body types out there and every kind is beautiful. My hope is that you can interpret my advice on swimsuit shopping for the basic body types below and mix and match it to fit your particular body type.

For example, I have a petite and athletic build with a larger bust, so I would try to find a suit that complements all of of those features. Best of luck!

(For even more swimwear advice and inspiration, be sure to check out our past posts on swimsuit shoppingfor body shapes, as well as last week’s post on 2014 swimsuit trends.)

Petite

Product Info (left to right): Pink One Piece, Turquoise Bikini, Black One Piece, Neon Bikini

If you’re short (like me!), the key to rocking a swimsuit is finding one that will emphasize and elongate your legs and torso. Higher cut bottoms make your legs look longer, and solid colors make your body appear taller.

Halter tops are also ideal because they won’t cut off your line. Great things come in small (AKA petite) packages!

Athletic

Product Info (left to right): Teal Tankini, Black Bikini, Pink Bikini, Navy One Piece

If you’ve put in the sweat to obtain lean muscles, then you need to show them off! Highlight your athletic build in a tankini, which will shorten the upper body and create an hourglass shape at your waist.