Warm days are finally here, and last weekend I spent a few days by the sea in a well-known and quite elegant marine locality in Tuscany. I love lazily laying under the sun – aside from being relaxing, it’s also a fun occasion to watch out for which styles happen to be currently “in fashion”, so as to decide which ones are more flattering, and which ones have a poor outcome.
One of the first things I realized is that, interestingly enough, contrarily to what happens for other clothing pieces, choosing striking colors and intense hues for your swimwear can enhance the silhouette – whereas pale, pastel tonalities usually have a worse outcome.
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This is due to the fact that, if the color of your bathing suit strongly contrasts with your skin tone, the eye only perceives the contrast – it’s kind of distracted by the stark contrast, and any imperfection in your figure will easily go unnoticed.
Therefore, wearing bathing suits in bold, vibrant colors, is a safe way to play down any fault.
For the same reason, you can have an impeccable and always chic result with white, if your skin is deeply tanned.
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Also, cool colors like blue and green work better than warm tones because they allow a higher contrast between the hue of your skin (that’s a warm tone, whatever your skin type) and the cool tonality of the fabric.
Remember, colors that contrast with your skin draw attention to the fabric and distract from any imperfection you may have.
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Conversely, if the bathing suit does not stand out, any imperfection is highlighted.
Years ago I made quite a huge style-slipup by buying a beige and pink-striped bikini; it was so cute in the shop, but on the beach, when seen from a certain distance, it became the same color as my skin—a terrible result indeed; besides making me look naked, it gave me a good few extra pounds.
Faint, indistinct tonalities as in the image below are only suitable for skinny teenagers who would like to look more full-figured.
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For the same reason, it’s better to avoid small prints that, seen from a distance, may have a confusing effect.
Now on the subject of styles, I observed that ruffles seem to be just everywhere this year (on bathing suits, swim dresses, accessories), which in my opinion is not a good thing. If you are skinny, ruffles overpower your womanly curves making them almost disappear, while if you would like to look slimmer, they just add volume in the wrong parts – an outcome that’s not flattering nor chic at all.
If you can’t help buying something ruffled, keep it to minimal, as in the image below. The outcome will much more sophisticated, and flattering as well.
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Striped pieces also can have flattering results, shaping your figure in just the right place – though, your choice must be a wise one.
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Cut-outs are quite tricky, especially when they happen to be placed around your hips. If you want to add some sensual details, I think that it’s safer to stick to something minimal, as the thin extra strips in the picture below.
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Last but not least: another important point to remember—which works for any season—is that, if you are one of the small-busted girls out there (like I am), wearing a padded bra always helps to slim the waistline, giving the impression of a thinner waist. Take advantage of it!
And if you decide that you would like to lose some extra pounds in view of the holidays, take a peek to this post: you’ll learn some useful tricks to successfully swap treat foods with healthy and delicious meals!
