How To Choose The Right Swimwear For Your Body Shape
Does anyone actually enjoy shopping for swimwear? The unflattering changing room mirrors, the images of bikini-bearing supermodels planted on the walls of every swimwear store and the bright shop lights that highlight every lump and bump have an uncanny ability to make us want to run away from the shops and wear last year’s unflattering cossie.
Katherine Hancock, founder and designer of popular swimwear brand Ebony Louise, says “every woman can look beautiful and feel great with the right swimwear”, so follow her tips on how to choose the right swimwear for your body shape.
Pear Shape
Women with pear-shaped bodies exhibit hips significantly wider than both their waist and bust. Draw attention away from a bottom-heavy figure with an empire-line swimsuit or a two-piece with a printed top half and generous block colour bottoms. “This will slim the bottom half of your body and create interest around the top half,” says Katherine.
Apple Shape
Women who have apple-shaped bodies will have a waist substantially wider than their hips, and equal to or nearly as wide as their bust. “Skip the skimpy bikini and opt for a flattering one piece,” said Katherine. A one piece swimsuit will balance everything out, especially if it’s a single block colour.
Hourglass Shape
An hourglass shape refers to those women that have a waist smaller than both their bust and hips. If you are one of these lucky women, you can pretty much wear anything and it will look flattering! “A sexy bikini will show off and accentuate your curves”.
Straight Shape
Straight shaped women have bodies that are essentially the same width from the chest to hips, with minimal curve. It is recommended that women with straight body shapes opt for swimsuits with lots of detail such as pretty patterns, ruffles or ties. “Patterns and added features like ruffles create the illusion of curves,” Katherine says.
Of course, you should wear the swimsuit that you feel most comfortable in. Katherine’s mantra is: “Confidence goes a long way – if a woman is confident in her swimwear, she will always look flawless.”
Bikini? One-piece? Tankini? What’s your favourite swimwear style?
