Body Shapes and Bikinis

Pear Shape: Good upper body, don’t like bum or thighs

Bikini

If you want to slim your lower body and add volume to your upper body, go for plain darker bottoms and a patterned or bold coloured top. To bring the eye up, you can always go for a chunky necklace as well! Boy shorts can show off a flat stomach which pears very often have, and if cut high enough can give the illusion of a flat stomach, even if yours isn’t quite at washboard level yet!

Miu Miu £250

 One-Piece

Go for suits that are more interesting and shapely around the neckline and plainer at the bottom. One-pieces with padding on the bust and a gathered fabric will help to balance your figure by creating volume up top. Look for clever horizontal pleating in the middle to emphasise your waist.

Clube Bossa £440

Cover up

Buy a large sarong in dark bold colours or large prints and tie around the smallest part of your waist to create a maxi skirt down to the floor, which will lengthen and slim your legs. Wear with your bikini top to show off your toned upper body. Go for nude coloured sandals or shoes to elongate your legs.

Apple Shape: Generous bust, good legs

Bikini

Halter neck styles are often good for apple shapes as they break up the bust and shoulders and also provide added support for generous busts. Go for colour on the bottoms and a plainer top, or just choose one colour all over. Another style of bikini top to try is a balconette style which will lift and separate your bust, giving you a longer waist and a more hourglass figure.

Some apples are conscious of their bellies, if so opt for a bikini bottom that sits just below your belly button with a high cut leg to flatten your stomach or opt for a Lycra tankini with a longer top to hold you in.

One-Piece

Deeper necklines will help to create softer lines around the bust and break up the volume a bit making you look slimmer all over. Halter neck styles will look sexy and offer you enough support if you want to hit the swimming pool but ensure your bosoms are contained! Hidden bust support is always a great idea for bustier ladies. Apple shapes tend to have quite a short natural waist so to enhance your curves, choose a style that gives you a waist.

Michael Kors at Net a Porter £280

Cover up

Use a large sarong that goes down to the floor, hold two corners of the sarong then twist the fabric, swapping hands to create a halter neck cover up. The style will add structure to your top half, drape down over your body to hide your belly yet show off your fantastic legs.

Emilio Pucci at Net a Porter

Hourglass

Bikinis

Horizontal stripes and zig zags or chevrons, one of ss12′s biggest trends, look great on hourglasses as it highlights your curves and your waist. However, keep the leg cut quite high on your bikini bottoms to avoid looking too wide on the hips. Halter neck styles look great on hourglass shapes.

Missoni at Net a Porter £210

One-Piece

Deep V halter necks with a built in belt or waist panel will really emphasise the hourglass shape, boosting your bust to perfection and slimming your waist giving.

 Cover Up

Kaftans with a cinched waist and low open neck will emphasise your shape nicely. Go mini or maxi depending on how much leg you want to show.

 Petite Figures

 Bikinis

Triangle style bikinis look great on petit colours. Go for small prints and bright colours which will add more depth and ruffles and frills will help you to give the illusion of curves. Stay away from large prints might overwhelm your small figure. Ties at the hips on the bikini bottoms that are in a print or pattern will add width to your hips if you are quite slim and want to create more curves.

Zimmerman at Net a Porter £130

 One-Piece

Vertical lines elongate the body so will make you look longer were as small prints, ruffles and frills will add just enough volume to your figure. Spaghetti straps look great on small bods like yours.

Cover ups

Petite figures can wear little shorts and vest tops and always look fantastic! A smock or tunic top can be a nice alternative but don’t go mad with prints or colours as it could drown you.

Tall and Slim Figures

Bikinis

A lot of tall ladies can feel self-conscious about their height and sometimes feel too skinny, but you can get away with anything when it comes to beach wear so go for bright, bold prints in interesting cuts, which will break up the length of your body.

New Look £16.99

New Look £9.99

 One Piece

Look for swimsuits that are cut out with ruches, ruffles, pleats and frills on which will give the appearance of more curves. A halter neck style will give the appearance of a more generous cleavage whilst delicate stringy straps will show off your slender arms and shoulders.

 Cover Up

Long maxi style kaftans and dresses look amazing on you, worn with simple flats. Again you can go for prints and colours or keep it plain and just add some bangles and a necklace to complete your look.

Boyish and Athletic Body Shapes

 Bikinis

Ruche details on tops and bottoms will add shape to your figure. Look for bright colours and feminine prints to add softness to your figure. Also try bandeau styles in a woven fabric which can give the illusion of sexy curves.

Amore & Sorvete at Asos £162

One-Piece

Cut out and scoop side swimsuits and two tone one-pieces can add depth and curves to your figure. Even better if the garments has a patterned fabric with some feminine detail on. Details and frills will add interest and give the illusion of greater shape and volume and you are one of the few shapes who can get away with an extremely low cut v neck – I’m talking down to your belly button if you dare!

Cover Up

Go for softer, flowing more feminine fabrics to create fluidity, movement and curves. A huge trend for s/s12 is fringing, were a fringed summer dress would look incredible on you, as would three dimensional floral garments.

Curvy Body Shapes

Bikinis

Go all 50’s, one of ss12′s hottest eras, and look for high waisted briefs in a bright colour or polka dot / vertical stripe and team with a little belt and halter neck style bikini top to create the ultimate glamour in poolside wear. Big black shades are a must here.

Asos, £15

Remember that oversized prints disguise any lumps and bumps so look for large animal prints, which are massive in s/s12 or bold tribal prints to create an on trend beach look that is sexy and slimming.

 One-piece

You can trick the eye in to seeing a flatter tummy by boosting the bust so look for swimwear that offers in built support. Look for Lycra styles that will hold you in at all the right places and go for deep v necks which will break up the bust. Go for plain all in ones which will elongate the body or bold large prints which will disguise any lumps and bumps.

 Cover Ups

A kaftan that is nipped in at the waist yet still flowing and loose will look chic on you. If you want to show a bit more cleavage use a sarong wrapped around your waist going all the way down to the floor which will lengthen your legs, hide your stomach whilst leaving your best assets still on show.