Almost everyone feels a bit self conscious in a swimsuit. To walk out onto the beach revealing so many inches of skin you have to feel self confident. One of the best ways to boost your confidence level when wearing a swimsuit is to choose a bath suit style that really flatters you. Many women make the mistake of picking a trendy swimsuit style that does nothing to enhance their natural build or body type. Nowhere is this more true than when choosing a swimsuit for wide hips. Choosing the correct swimsuit style can help to even out a pear shaped body and give the illusion of more narrow hips. This can be a real confidence booster when you take off that beach cover up. Here’s how to choose a bathing suit for wide hips:

1. Use the Power of Color to Camouflage Wide Hips
Whether you choose a one piece swimsuit for wide hips or a bikini, the color you choose can have a big impact on how large your hips appear. Dark colors tend to make areas look smaller while light colors expand them. If you opt for a one piece swimsuit, choose one that has a dark color block around the hip area and a lighter color on top. The lighter color will call attention to the chest, waist, and shoulders while the darker color on the bottom will visually reduce the size of your hip area. You can use the same principle for a two-piece or bikini. Choose a dark color for the bottom and a light color for the bikini top. A bold graphic bikini top will also call attention to the upper half of your body and draw attention away from your wide hips.

2. Choose a Swimsuit for Wide Hips with a High Cut Leg
Another way to deal with wide hips is to choose a swimsuit that makes your legs look longer. One of the most effective ways to do this is to choose a suit with a high-cut bottom. This will visually add length to your legs, making the hip area less noticeable. A higher cut leg will also make your legs appear slimmer.

3. Choose a Swimsuit for Wide Hips with a Mini-skirt Bottom
A mini-skirted bikini bottom can be quite flattering on wide hips as long as you stay away from too much detail. Forget the ruffles on the skirt. Concentrate the ruffles on the upper half of your body to call attention away from your lower half. A simple, ruffle trimmed mini-skirted bottom in a dark color may be all that’s needed to slenderize your hips.

4. Draw the Eye to Your Upper Half
When choosing a swimsuit for hide hips, select a swimsuit top with bold graphics or lots of pretty detailing to draw the eye upwards. Wear some fun sunglasses or a big straw hat to balance out your lower half. Add a pretty pendant on a chain that catches and reflects the light.

5. Choose a Swimsuit for Wide Hips with Diagonal Stripes
Choose a swimsuit with diagonal or vertical stripes along the sides of your torso and hip area. This will give you a natural slimming effect and can make your torso look longer and slimmer.

6. Wear a Fashionable Cover Up
One of the best ways to cover up wide hips and still look fashionable is to wrap a sarong around your bathing suit bottoms Add a pair of sandals and you’re ready for a casual lunch on the boardwalk.

Don’t forget to fake a good tan by wearing a self-tanning cream. Tan skin gives you the illusion of being slimmer and more toned. Most of all, enjoy your day at the beach!

When it comes to maternity swimwear, there’s never been a greater selection and diversity of styles available. In the past, most pregnant women either avoided the beach entirely or do their best to cover their growing abdomen in conservative swimwear and a cover up. Times have certainly changed. In this day and age, it’s not uncommon to see a woman eight months pregnant sporting a bikini. While this may be true, most pregnant women still feel more comfortable in a one piece but that doesn’t mean it has to look matronly. Here’s how to choose a one piece maternity swimsuit that’s stylishly practical:

Decide if you want to look pregnant or cover it up.
If you don’t mind showing off your pregnancy a bit, you can choose from a variety of one piece styles that will show off your expanding abdomen such as an empire tank or a keyhole style swimsuit. If you’re a bit more modest, you can opt for a style with a flouncy skirt such as a baby doll style with a halter back. A flouncy skirt can look stylish while making you feel a bit less self conscious about your expanding abdomen.

Plan for your expanding abdomen.
As your abdomen continues to grow in size, you may not want to invest in another swimsuit. To avoid this, choose a suit with tie closures as opposed to clasps. As your abdomen distends, you can simply adjust the ties to accommodate your expanding girth. This can be a big time and money saver.

Reconsider basic black.
Although a solid black swimsuit is slimming when you’re not pregnant, it does little to distract the eye away from your growing abdomen when you are. Try on a print one piece maternity swimsuit and you may find the pattern draws eyes away from your abdomen and towards your upper body and face. A print halter swimsuit top with a center pleated skirt paired with a simple tie bottoms can be very flattering. One piece maternity swimsuits come in such an array of colors and patterns these days that there’s no need to stick with basic black. Experiment a bit and find a shade and pattern that expresses your personal style and makes you feel good.

Be sure you’re supported on top.

As your breasts expand in size, you’re going to need adequate support. The best option may be a shelf bra with underlying elastic. If you’re smaller breasted, a bandeau style or halter top with soft cups or even a strapless style may work best although a strapless style may be impractical if you plan on swimming laps in the pool.

Choose your material.
Cotton is a nice fabric for swimwear because it bleeds but a suit with some lycra has its advantages because it expands as your abdomen does. That added stretch can be important as your pregnancy progresses.

Decide if you’ll be swimming or merely sunning.
If you plan on swimming laps in the pool for exercise, a tank style one piece is probably your best choice. If you’ll be spending most of your time in a beach chair or walking along the shoreline, you can choose a less practical and more stylish type of one piece maternity swimsuit.

You don’t have to dread shopping for a one piece maternity swimsuit. The fashion world has responded to a woman’s desire to be stylish during her pregnancy by design lots of flattering options. Have fun selecting your suit!