Cardigan Empire

Salt Lake City Fashion Stylist

How to Pick the Best Swimsuit for Your Bottom

I am basically a lower figured, triple threat: fleshy hips, swimsuit munching bottom, and full thighs.  The latter is probably my strongest feature.  And while I’ve heard and even witnessed glory and wonder attributed to the leg-lengthening high-cut legline, I personally appreciate a bit more coverage.  Today I’m going to compare four low-leg, high coverage options.

shop the video:

Albion Fit Wait Until Dark Swimsuit
Nanette Lepore Amalfi Floral Goddess One Piece
Shabby Apple Striped Ocean Park Swimsuit
Hapari Tankini Swimdress
Boden Tie Front Swimsuit

Let’s start with my favorite iteration: the retro leg, exemplified by Nanette Lepore’s Almalfi Floral Goddess Maliot.  I love how the rise cuts across the widest part of my hips, thereby dividing them into two smaller sections, without wrestling with my afore-mentioned thigh meat.

Next, we take the rise a bit lower with a full boy short.  The Shabby Apple Ocean Park Swimsuit is a cellulite sentinel, shielding the seat and thighs from over exposure.  And if your body harbors curves exclusively around the hips and or seat, this might be the suit for you.  But the lower line creates a rather unwelcome “v” between my legs and highlight the ample circumference of my thighs.

Hapari Tankini Swimdress

The most conservative option within our set is also the most flexible.  This Retro Fashion Seaside Tankini and Swimdress by Hapari can be pulled low for seaside strolling or ruched up for swimming mobility, exposing the leg-legthening higher rise swim bottoms.

Boden Tie Front Swimsuit

Our final option, Boden Tie Front One Piece, is surprisingly similar to our first option with one important exception: the width of the crotch.  It’s not uncommon for a retro leg to be accompanied by a wide crotch line.  If your thighs tend to gap, this might be your perfect fit, but my friendly thighs resisted and wrestled again this constriction with unflattering results.

For the best options for your bust and belly, link to these episodes.

I wouldn’t have trusted just anyone to capture my swimsuit clad figure on film. I thank the trustworthy Breanne of Red Poppy Photo for posing me, photographing me, and giving me the courage to put my real body into a swimsuit for educational purposes.   Her camera is just as kind as the operator behind it. Check her out.

How to Pick the Best Swimsuit for Your Bust

Last swim season nursing caused my cups to runneth over. This swim season the tides have ebbed significantly. Such fluctuations allow me to speak experientially of both the high and low tides of busts, and today I will give you strategies for both.

If you too lack gusto in the busto, ornament it. Flirt about those northern curves with ruffles, fringe, or other drapes of fabric. The volume of the fabric will give the illusion of greater volume beneath the surface. The subtle dip of a sweetheart necklines also offers bonus curve factor. While add-ins like soft cups, boning, and gripper tape ensure support for moderately full cups as well.

Trina Turk Seychelles Halter One Piece Swimsuit

Banded halters are friendly to busts of all sizes because they are fully adjustable. The tie behind the neck allows you customize the nest to your lady eggs, while offering structural lift at no extra charge. The banding underneath the bust is also adjustable to multiple size sand provides a crucial foundation. Molded cups provide shape and protection from show through.

What a high neckline offers is an uninterrupted line of your curves. Breaking a broad expanse into smaller pieces immediately makes it look smaller, which is great when you’re trying to minimize an area, but can lead to gaping overexposure when the area is dainty to begin with. Straighter busts can successfully opt for more coverage. Ample busts on the other hand should swim away from this aquatic turtleneck.

Maaji Women’s Parrot Paradise One-Piece Swimsuit

I picked this unique Maaji Parrot Paradise suit out because I loved the mismatched patterns, and I know that structured demi cups can provide great shape and show. However the placement of the strap to cup attachment was tragic. Securing the straps towards the center rather than the outer edges of the cup creates unsightly flesh collections under the arms. Thicker wider strap attached to the outside of the cup will avoid this fashion malfunction while creating superior lift and shape. The cut outs might have narrowed my waist but they showcase my ribcage instead due to my long torso. And the widening triangle at the hip created the illusion of even fuller hips, which might be desirable for a linear or upper figure, but was completely unnecessary for my bountiful lower figure.

For better alternatives for your belly and bottom, be sure to subscribe, these episodes are coming next.
Thanks to Breanne of Red Poppy Photo for posing me, photographing me, and giving me the courage to put my real body into a swimsuit for educational purposes.   Her camera is just as kind as the operator behind it. Check her out.