Guide to Buying the Perfect Fitting Bikini for Your Body Type

It's swimsuit season, with every woman squeezing into her most revealing outfit of the year, the bikini. Unless you're a model or incredibly lucky that god blessed you with a perfect body, or you eat lettuce for every meal and run track, you body has its flaws that you are always self-conscience of, especially when it's time to don a bikini. But never fear! Here are the best bikinis to hide, cover-up, diminish and otherwise avert attention from your flaws.

Small chest? Having a small bust is not always a problem, you'll have a lot less back issues from lugging around a behemoth rack, but you also feel self-conscience from all the 36-D's running around at the beach. Halter tops and triangle shaped bikini tops are good for small busted women. Wearing tops that are a light color or have a print with a dark bottom will create a more balanced appearance.

Not so rock hard abs? A tankini is a good bet to cover up a midsection that your not so proud of. Only exposing an inch or two of stomach will minimize any bulges. One piece suits with contouring are popular, and also help to hide your stomach. If you don't have love handles but are still un-happy with your stomach, you can opt for a one piece suit that is cut-out on the sides and will create the illusion of a leaner frame.

Flabby thighs? Your thighs are pretty easy to hide if you don't like them. Boys shorts style of bikini bottoms are great for covering up unwanted thigh flab as they cover more area. Suits with built in skirts also minimize the size of your thighs and bottom if you have more junk in your trunk than you want to show. High cut bikini bottoms make your legs appear longer and leaner and are a good choice for women who don't want their legs to appear so big.

Big Chest? If you have a large chest many envy you but carrying around such big boobs can be awkward, heavy, and unflattering. When looking for a bikini, go with something that is supportive with wide straps and under wire. Wearing light colored bottoms paired with a dark top will minimize the size of your chest. Low neck lines on top and patterns or embellishments on the bottom will also help to hide a big bust.

Sarong's can be used to cover up areas you are not proud of, tie them around your waist to hide hips, thighs, and bottoms, or around your bust area to cover up more. Using sheer fabrics like this can help to hide problem areas and give the illusion of a leaner figure.

Vertical stripes and patterns help to elongate the torso and make your figure appear slimmer and taller where as horizontal stripes and ruffles have the opposite effect, making you look wider and shorter. Depending on your skin tone, black swimsuits can be slimming but on the very fair skinned can make them appear pale and washed out. Make sure to use lots of sunscreen, nothing is less flattering than a bright red peeling sunburn. And take care of your skin so you can have a silky smooth bikini area.

When it comes to shopping for and wearing a bikini, always remember that you are the most critical person on yourself. Bikinis are never as flattering in the store as they are at the beach because stores have unnatural florescent lighting and you are scrutinizing yourself two inches in front of a mirror. Sun light is much more forgiving and no one at the beach is going to come up to you and inspect your body from two inches away. As long as you are confident and believe that you are beautiful, so will everyone else.