Some women fear the onset of warm weather because it brings with it the dreaded task of swimsuit shopping. Slipping on that form fitting bathing suit simply reminds them of the extra cupcakes they ate during cold weather months when their bodies were covered in loose sweaters. The good news is this. No one’s body is perfect and your own eyes are much less forgiving than the eyes of the general public who also feel a bit self conscious in their swimsuit. If you’re feeling out of shape, why not try using color and pattern to help you choose a fabulous figure flattering swimsuit?

Color and pattern play a key role in how a swimsuit looks on you. Subtle gradations in color and pattern can trick the eye visually and give the illusion of slimmer tummies and firmer behinds. Here are some tricks that will help you select a figure flattering swimsuit that naturally enhances the beauty of your body:

Use the Power of Color Blocks or Stripes
Blocks or stripes of color are a great way to hide those areas you’re not so proud of and enhance the ones you feel more comfortable with. Keep in mind that dark colors cause an area to recede while lighter ones create fullness. Bright colors also tend to give the illusion of more volume. When you select a one piece bathing suit, keep these principles in mind. If you’d like to play down your hips, choose a swimsuit with a dark color block in that region. You can further draw attention away from your hips, by having a light or bright color block on the upper portion of your body. As an example, for wide hips a simple one piece, tank style bathing suit with a black color block on the bottom and a white one on top can  be flattering.

To make your bust line appear fuller, choose a suit with block or stripe of bright color around the chest area. Another trick to slim down the body is to choose a tank style bathing suit with a black color block extending down each side. This tends to give the illusion of a more narrow body. If you want to look taller and slimmer, select a tank with vertical stripes. This principles can really work to enhance your natural physique.

Use the Power of Prints
Prints can also trick the eye and have an impact in how you look in a bathing suit. If you’re self conscious about being too thin, look for a figure flattering swimsuit with a bold, exciting print in bright colors. This applies to both one piece suits and bikinis. If you’re heavier and want to play down your size, you can still wear prints but choose a smaller one with a dark background and less contrast. This tends to have a slimming effect. You can use the color block concept here too. If you have a boyish upper body but carry a little too much around the hips, choose a swimsuit with a bold, graphic top and a simple, dark bottom. Prints have the power to subtly alter the way your body parts look in a swimsuit.

Use Fabric Texture Contrasts
Another principle to consider when choosing a figure flattering swimsuit is the texture of your fabric. If you have a slim, boyish figure, swimsuits made of shinier materials can be flattering as they tend to make you look larger. If you’re trying to play down certain areas, choose darker, duller, more opaque colors which will cause the eye to recede. Again, use this principle to play up the parts you want to enhance and draw the eye away from figure flaws.

Using the principles of pattern and color to select a figure flattering swimsuit can make the job of bathing suit shopping much more fun. Think of it as an artistic challenge and create the beach body you want to have this summer!

The beach is a great place for people watching as people of all shapes and sizes play in the sand and surf enjoying the first days of summer. No longer burdened by the heavy attire of winter, people arrive in an interesting array of swimsuit styles. Some of these beach fashions are flattering while some can be down right horrific, particularly if worn on the wrong body type. Here are some of the worst swimsuit styles you could see parading down the boardwalk, and which you should avoid at all costs:

1. The Monokini
This may be one of the worst bikini styles inflicted upon women so far, although it’s unlikely you’ll see it on the beaches of America. This is not because there aren’t people willing to wear it but because they might get arrested if they do. The monokini is really just another term for a topless bathing suit. This swimsuit was the brainchild of a European designer by the name of Rudi Gemreich who introduced this swimsuit style to the world in the mid 1960’s. Needless to say, it brought a firestorm of criticism from more conservative institutions and met with only short term commercial success, lasting only a season. Its influence is still being felt today as swimsuit designers use this principle to create skimpier swimsuits with less fabric. Although monokinis are still being manufactured, you probably won’t find them in their original form on the racks of most mainstream department stores. They’ve been transformed into bathing suits with strategic cutouts that are more socially acceptable but still a bit risqué.

2. The Thong
After Gemreich introduced the monokini in the mid 1960’s, he wasn’t finished yet. Undaunted by the lack of long term, commercial success of the monokini, he introduced the world to another ridiculously revealing bikini style, the thong. This little number was met with greater enthusiasm and more commercial success even though it still left a great deal of skin exposed. Even more significantly, the bikini thong wasn’t going to win any awards for comfort. Leaving most of the butt exposed to wondering eyes, it’s a bikini style that’s not for the faint of heart. It also requires a few trips to the gym if you’re over the age of twenty. This style is probably best worn in the bedroom.

3. Metallic Styles
There’s already enough glare on the beach. Why add to it by wearing a shiny, metallic bathing suit? Metallic styles run the gamut from solid colored suits in bright silver, gold, copper, and even a variety of metallic colors to bikinis with metallic accents. Although these styles certainly attract attention so does a metallic red fire truck. Both are probably best found off the beach.

4. Sheer and See Through
The monokini in its original form might not be around any more but you can still reveal almost everything in a sheer or see through bathing suit style. It’s nice to know there’s freedom of choice but some things are better left to the imagination.

Fortunately, with so many flattering styles of swimwear available, you’ll never have to fall victim to these swimwear disasters. When someone suggests you try one of these swimsuit styles, do yourself a favor and just say no. You’ll be glad you did.