Swimsuits that slim you can change your summer. A flattering swimsuit can mean the difference between letting loose in the waves or staying sand bound in a coverup. Or to be less dramatic, the difference between jumping into that fun photo with loved ones or being forgotten from that day of fun. Well, not on my watch. We’re going shopping! I know, I know — many of you hate shopping for a bathing suit. I get it! Body dysmorphia aside, the sheer number of options is overwhelming. That’s why I am here. I can’t have my clients avoiding spectacular water fun or feeling bad about their bodies because of a rubbish swimsuit. Nope. I am going to give you tips so you can have a non-shitty swimsuit shopping experience, and, of course, direct you to my favorite slimming swimsuits this summer. Let me help you retire that one old bathing suit that looks great on you, but is starting to fall apart, and may or may not be seriously dated. (Once you’ve got your swimsuit, check out the rest of my summer essentials, from sunscreen to beach towels, here.)
Characteristics Of One-Piece Swimsuits That Slim You
When hunting for a flattering one-piece bathing suit, you need to clear the clutter by filtering your search so it’s not an endless sea of elastane. First of all, skip most of those trendy complicated one-piece suits. The tan lines alone are reason enough to skip them. You also want to skip anything boxy with harsh right angles, and avoid thin, skin tight styles that stick to every lump and curve of your torso while flattening your breasts. Instead, search for the suits that have one or more of these slimming characteristics:
- Ruching
- Shirring
- An emphasis on the smallest part of your waist
- Diagonal shapes and angles
You will see more examples of these below.
Most Slimming Bikinis
The majority of bikinis make us look like merde, pardon my french. They just have so many opportunities to ostentatiously squeeze the flesh. On that note, avoid any bikini that cuts into your fat. This usually means sizing up on your bottoms, or going for a triangle bikini with ties for closure. This is truly the most flattering bikini style if you don’t mind revealing a lot of your body. Another flattering bikini bottom option is one with ruched sides. These effectively eliminate direct tension on one fleshy part of your body (pictured above).
Most Flattering Swimsuit Tops
The halter style is typically the most slimming for all body types, but as long as the straps are at an angle or curved in some way, you’re good. Swimsuits that slim you avoid harsh right angles, and bikini tops that have fabric below them, like this Becca by Rebecca suit. This shortens your torso and enhances belly rolls. You want a bikini top to end right at the bottom of your breasts. Strapless suits are more comfortable and flattering for the medium to smaller busted ladies, but if your bustiness feels good in it, a strapless swimsuit is flattering on most women.
The Best Bikini Bottom Style
There is nothing more flattering on a woman’s bum than a ruched back on a bikini bottom, and yet so little designers add this to their designs, and when they do they expose half the ass. I feel like I am taking crazy pills. Not only does this create a gorgeous shape to almost everyone woman’s bum, but it also prevents bikini bottoms from getting stretched out and dumpy. A saggy or flat looking bikini bottom is the bane of my swimsuit experience.
Magicsuit Drew One-Piece Swimsuit
Magicsuit is always a great resource for classic swimsuits that slim you, but they rarely have “wow” prints like this! I highly recommend you jump on this Magicsuit Drew One-Piece Swimsuit.
Summersalt The Perfect Wrap One-Piece
This Summersalt The Perfect Wrap One-Piece is absolutely gorgeous and I adore the company. Their swimsuits are based on real women’s bodies — they took over 1.5 million body measurements from 10,000 women to create the Summersalt fit. Plus, they have a focus on sustainability and use recycled materials for their fabrics and packaging.
Summersalt The Lace-Up Backflip
Another goodie from Summersalt: The Lace-Up Backflip. Besides slimming the form, I love the way it is both sexy and sporty.
La Blanca Flyaway Halter Bra Bikini Top
I love the print of this La Blanca Flyaway Halter Bra Bikini Top and it’s a great triangle bikini top option for my busty gals — it has more support. This swimsuit top is available at Nordstrom, Amazon, and Zappos.
La Blanca Flyaway Shirred Band Hipster Bikini Bottoms
These La Blanca Flyaway Shirred Band Hipster Bikini Bottoms can be really forgiving if you size up. They can also be a great option to fill in the gaps of the hips of a more “straight” bodied woman. These bottoms are sold at Nordstrom, Amazon, and Zappos.
Tommy Bahama Side Shirred Hipster Bikini Bottoms
I love the color and shirring of these Tommy Bahama Side Shirred Hipster Bikini Bottoms. These bottoms are available at Nordstrom, Tommy Bahama, and Zappos.
Tommy Bahama Pearl High-Waist Side-Shirred Bikini Bottom
This Tommy Bahama Pearl High-Waist Side-Shirred Bikini Bottom is wider for those of you who want a little more coverage. These bottoms are sold at Zappos and Tommy Bahama.
Tommy Bahama Pearl Twist Bandeau Bra
The angle up at the bottom center of this Tommy Bahama Pearl Twist Bandeau Bra elongates the torso and I am sure you know that thin halter straps are very slimming. This top is sold at Zappos, Tommy Bahama, and Bloomingdale’s.
Body Glove Simply Me Solo Underwire Bikini Top
For some full support, this Body Glove Simply Me Solo Underwire Bikini Top is fabulous. This swimsuit will slim you while still supporting your voluptuousness. This top is available at Zappos and Amazon.
Body Glove Simply Me Eclipse Surf Rider Bikini Bottoms
Don’t forget the matching bottoms: Body Glove Simply Me Eclipse Surf Rider Bikini Bottoms. These bottoms are sold at Zappos and Amazon.
Palm Bella Ruched High-Waisted Bikini Brief Bottom
I have a crush on this gorgeous Palm Bella Ruched High-Waisted Bikini Brief Bottom. You can hide some goodies while still sporting a two-piece in style.
Norma Kamali Bill Mio ruched halterneck swimsuit
I have never seen a more beautiful fully ruched one piece than this Norma Kamali Bill Mio ruched halterneck swimsuit. This color looks best on fair-skinned women.
Becca Color Code Side Tie Bikini Bottoms
A truly classic swimsuit that slims you is a simple black triangle bikini set. Swimwear is one of the few times I am down with black. These Becca Color Code Side Tie Bikini Bottoms are available at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.
Tommy Bahama Colorblock Square Neck One-Piece Swimsuit
This Tommy Bahama Colorblock Square Neck One-Piece Swimsuit kind of breaks my rules, but I promise it isn’t blocky. It does such a great of enhancing the waist and the straps are subtly curved and angled to create a slimming silhouette. This swimsuit is sold at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Tommy Bahama.
Trina Turk Women’s Plunge Wrap Front One Piece Swimsuit
This Trina Turk Women’s Plunge Wrap Front One Piece Swimsuit is one of the best swimsuits that slim you. The plunging neckline and gorgeous angled ruching are flawless. This swimsuit is available at Amazon and Zappos.
lemlem Luchia Deep-V Belted One-Piece Swimsuit
Besides having all the flattering angles, the print of this lemlem Luchia Deep-V Belted One-Piece Swimsuit helps elongate and hide, and the belt fills in any belly roll divets for a full slim look. This swimsuit is available at Madewell and MyTheresa.
Dolce & Gabbana Leaf Print One-Piece Swimsuit
The print, plunge, and ruching of this Dolce & Gabbana Leaf Print One-Piece Swimsuit are dynamite for slimming oneself. And you know that halter helps everything. This swimsuit is sold at Nordstrom and Farfetch.
Miraclesuit Must Have Sanibel Underwire One-Piece Swimsuit
The Miraclesuit Must Have Sanibel Underwire One-Piece Swimsuit is a must-have. As I mentioned before, Miraclesuit is the queen of swimsuits that slim you. If you really need to hold some goodies in, the Miracle Suit has the market cornered. This swimsuit is sold at Talbots, Miraclesuit, Bloomingdale’s, and Amazon.
La Blanca Petals One-Piece Swimsuit
The print on this La Blanca Petals One-Piece Swimsuit is one of my favorites they have ever done. As for slimming, that plunge and those straps are perfect, and although there isn’t ruching, their fabric and pattern is also very forgiving.
La Blanca Off the Shoulder One-Piece Swimsuit
This gorgeous La Blanca Off the Shoulder One-Piece Swimsuit is amazing for women insecure with their armpit and upper underarm flesh. It’s also incredibly sexy, and that ruching is our friend.
Raisevern Women’s One Piece 3D Print Funny Swimsuits Bathing Suit Swimwear Beachwear
I know it is bizarre, but this swimsuit is massively flattering. A bunch of my friends and I bought it for a bachelorette party and we all looked phenomenal in it. It has this way of not sticking to your stomach so everyone looks like they have a flat stomach when they wear it. It’s seriously strange. Embarrassingly enough, it is now one of my go-to swimsuits.
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