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Category: Fashion
When it comes to swimwear, just accentuate your positives
By Emily Spicer
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 05/15/2003
Every year, thousands of women suffer the same summer swimsuit trauma. We're lured into trying on a trendy, perfectly adorable piece of dental floss. And then we look in the mirror.

The specific reactions may vary — Where did my breasts go? My legs are that short? Whose is that vast bottom?

But the overall feeling is universal: Ugh.

The problem, says Carla Robertson, manager of Just Add Water in the Quarry Market, is that too few women understand that when it comes to fit, swimsuits are much like regular clothes. Different styles flatter different body types.

The staff at the specialty swimsuit shop encourages its customers to find an area of their bodies to show off rather than focus on what to cover up. "We're our own worst enemies," Robertson says. "So we try to emphasize the positive. How do I draw attention to something I like?"

Sharon Haver, founder and style director for www.focusonstyle.com, agrees. "Accept the skin you're in at this moment and find something to accentuate it," she says.

Haver has worked as a stylist for 15 years and says even women with perfect model bodies try on a heap of swimsuits before finding the most flattering style.

"No one can just go and try on a suit that looks great. That's just really lucky. So the more less-than-toned you are — in other words, 99 percent of the universe — the more you have to finagle around to find the perfect fit," she says.

Finagling need not take all day, however, as there are general guidelines. An uninterrupted visual line draws the eye along, creating a lengthening effect. An interrupted line stops the eye's movement for a shortening effect. Here are more specifics.

Short legs: To make legs look longer, choose a bottom cut high on the hips to extend the eye upward. "Stay clear away from boy-cut legs," Haver cautions. Shorts and fuller-coverage bottoms cut the visual line, making legs appear shorter and thicker than they are.

It gets tricky if you have short legs and also a saggy rear. "High sides accentuate saddlebags," she says. The trick then is to find a high-cut leg with hip detail such as a tie or belt to distract the eye from the rear.

Long torso: What works here is a suit that breaks up the line of your torso, such as a tankini or wide-band bikini. "Don't show that much nakedness. It makes you look longer," Haver says.

In a one-piece, look for horizontal stripes on the abdomen or sheer middle inserts. "It gives the feeling of a two-piece and the illusion of breaking the eye up, but it's really a one-piece."

Thick waist: Diagonal and chevron stripes and details help create a thinner middle shape by moving the eye toward your center, not your sides. Dark accents from the ribs to the hips, shirring on one side of the waist — anything to move the eye inward.

"A distinct waistline creates more of an hourglass shape," says Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor for Harper's Bazaar magazine.

Bust too small: Just like lingerie, "anything with an underwire or a deep V will really show them," Haver says. Anything unshaped, such as a bandeau top, will flatten and hide them.

Aside from pushing up and squeezing together, ruffles and shirring add some dimension to make you look bigger. The key, says Haver, is to stay away from suits that expose your sides and choose those that focus attention on the center of the chest.

For added oomph, buy inserts to add to the suit.

Butt too big: "Is there such a thing this season, with the return of the bottom, as the new erogenous zone, thanks to Jennifer Lopez?" asks Graham.

Despite the J.Lo endorsement, some women feel self-conscious about a generous booty. The solution is to draw attention away from the derriere. Choose a dark, solid bottom and a bright, patterned top. Graham suggests investing in a black, full-coverage bottom or two and then mixing those with several different tops for a variety of looks.

With bulgy, flabby hip issues, the full-cut bottom should be in a heavier, matte fabric for more support. "The most important (thing) is to have the heavier fabric that won't drag when it gets wet," says Haver.

The new retro silhouettes have brought back the skirt suit, a great option for those wanting some coverage without having to resort to a full sarong.

Once you have the flattering fit, have fun with pattern and color because there's plenty to choose from this year. The neon bright shades that graced the runways during the spring and summer shows have crossed over into swimsuits, Graham says.

Same with the '40s retro looks shown at several shows. Polka dots, halter necklines (good for full a bosom), horizontal shirring and screen siren cleavage are showing up in both one- and two-piece suits.

Stores are still seeing the aftershocks of Bond girl Halle Berry's beach scene in "Die Another Day." Interpretations of the canvas belt she wore are lending a kicky edge to bikinis everywhere.

No matter how you choose to suit up, Graham says the best way to wear the look is to flaunt it. After all, confidence looks good on everybody.

05/15/2003

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