Tips for the Finding the Perfect Swimsuit

There are about nine women over the age of thirty who look really good in a bikini, and none who look great in a bikini if they're overweight, like most of us Certain Age women seem to be. It's not easy to find a good one-piece suit either. Why? Because fashions are designed to change every year, store buyers purchase the latest styles, and what looks good on an anorexic 18-year-old model is not likely to look good on my thirtysomething body.

The trick is finding the ideal suit for your body type, whether it's fashionable or not, and then sticking with it. Ignore fashion magazines. They don't care about you, they care about selling product. Instead, remember that the suit that makes you look fantastic will never go out of style.

Finding Perfection

Solid colors are always better. Big, bold prints are more likely to make you look like a hippo than a fashion diva, and small prints are worse. Look, instead, for solid colors, or for suits designed in color chunks. Take it from light on top to dark on bottom to minimize your hips.

Pay attention to your skin color. Black or very dark suits look better on medium-complected women. Very dark skinned women, regardless of size, often look phenomenal in jewel tones. And women with pale skin look best in medium colors, or suits that blend solid colors from medium to very dark shades (again, top to bottom).

Shop with a trustworthy friend. You are not the best judge of what works for your body, and neither is the salesperson. Besides, mirrors in dressing rooms tend to be warped; ever notice how different clothes look when you get home with them? Your honest good friend will give you the best assessment.

If you still want a print, look for v-shapes that point down toward your bellybutton. Stripes in this orientation maximize your bustline and minimize your waist and hips. This trick also works well for solids that are put together in v or diamond shapes. If you use any other print, use large prints instead of small ones, and look for prints that are blended with solids.

Spandex is your expensive friend. Suits made with lots of spandex, like the Lane Bryant Miraclesuit, are worth the price; they are also typically made in classic designs, rather than following recent fashion trends, making them usable year after year. Look at these suits as investments, not a one-season thing.

Asymmetrical wraps - the kind that start on one hip and fasten on the opposite hip - are a great choice for women with great curves. They draw the eye inward just as the v-shape pattern does. Folded or pleated cloth, typical in this sort of suit, is also great for disguising tummy bulge and other small figure problems.

Check out lots of suits; you might be surprised at what flatters you. For instance, high-rise legs can be very flattering on short-legged women, but won't work on women who have saddlebags on their hips; these women should consider the suit with a built-in flirty skirt, one that swishes out when you twirl. A two-piece full-cover suit, like a tankini, can give you many more options while still looking great.

A must for larger women: a good built-in support bra. Large saggy breasts will ruin any suit, giving you a round outline instead of that hourglass figure you're looking for. This distracts from everything good about the suit. Well-supported breasts can give you the perfect shape, minimizing the waist and maximizing the curves.

While the front is important, don't forget the caboose. Many women forget to do a rear check - much easier if you brought that friend along - and wind up with a swimsuit that rides up, or that lets cellulite show. Look at the top around your shoulders for bulges as well; most women forget this part. If you have back bulges, consider a high-rise back suit or a suit with no back at all.

As a last resort, buy a pretty sarong in dark colors. Take it off when you get in the water, then put it right back on when you get out. Tied at the hip, sarongs have a slenderizing quality equivalent to the one you get from asymmetrical ties.