Thursday, May 14, 2009

Swimsuit Shopping!

Hi girlfriends, I am re-posting this article about swimsuits from a post I did last year as a few of you requested it. I have 2 more weeks to finish my manuscript for Zondervan so as soon as it's done, I'll be back to posting on a regular basis. You'll be excited to know that my new book (Summer 2010 release) will have a full chapter with PICTURES on bathing suits! It was a fun chapter to write and I even learned more! Hope this post from last year will get you thru your dreaded swimsuit shopping for this year!
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Swimsuits are not like any other suits....you shouldn't wear them to the office, to the grocery store (although I've seen plenty of them there), or to a cocktail party.
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You don't wear them to church or to the movies. So why call them "suits"? That just doesn't seem fitting, does it? But, suits they are, so here we go.
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When buying a swimsuit, you must understand your body. Where do you gain your weight? Are you small chested, big chested or somewhere in the middle? Flat tummy, large hips, long legs? Once you know and accept your body for the way it is made, then you can move on to finding the right style for you.
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There are great suits out there that actually have a tummy shaper in them...they're great! Anything that will suck in my extra fluff, I'm all about it! If you have any fluff on you at all, a 2 piece isn't for you, not even the tankini's, unless they cover your belly completely...otherwise you'll just have a little fluff peak thru...not good.
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A solid color will give you a longer, leaner line. Make sure you buy a suit in a shade that looks good on you. Don't just settle for black cause it's easy. Be careful of prints on a suit as these can draw attention to areas you don't want to draw attention to. An all over print is nice, though.
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If you have fuller thighs, then you don't want a skirted suit, but one that has a higher cut leg. Fuller busts, make sure you have support in the bra area. When buying a swimsuit, make sure you are comfortable in it. Buy up a size if you need to, then just cut the tag out and forget what size it is! Sit, jump up and down, make sure it's still comfy. Also, make sure when you lift your arms, there is no extra fluff spilling over the top.
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Make sure you have a 3 way mirror where you try on your suit and look at yourself from all angles. Your suit should have a smooth fit all over. Long legs, don't go very high cut, otherwise you'll look out of proportion. Short legs, get a high cut leg. Narrow shoulders, don't wear a halter top, go for straps that sit wider on your shoulders.
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Beautiful Blessings!
Shari

4 comments:

Tara S. said...

Thank you for re-posting, Shari!

Emily Nicole said...

I just found your blog. I love it! Great post! Thank you for posting about swimsuits. It is so hard to find one that is modest.

Lynn Cowell said...

Girl,
I hope that book includes some instructions on how to put on make up because I need some help!
Happy writing!
Lynn

Sarah said...

Hi Shari,

I was at the SheSpeaks conference and I heard a lot of great feedback about your session "Radical Style" from some of my RadRevolution friends. This site is the best I found for modest swimsuits: http://www.limericki.com/ I have one from there and I love it.

Also, Lynn, I found a great make-up tutorial video here if you're interested: http://www.howtogirl.com/?p=161