Violet Revolution

If you’ve been procrastinating buying swimwear to the last possible minute to lose just a teeny-bit more, sorry to tell you: time’s up.  I’m not poking fun…I’m riding this train with you.  After having a baby earlier this year, I’ve been holding off, hoping to shed at least one more pound before I have to evaluate myself in a swimsuit.  Despite that post-pregnancy has been good to me, my stupid scale hasn’t budged in 2.5 weeks!  I even try to see if the needle (because I hang on to this retro-analog scale that tells me I weigh less than other scales) will magically move if I keep getting on and off over and over again.  No such luck.  So with much remorse, I started looking at swimwear styles I think are going to give me the best chance of looking good all summer long.  Peruse through and let me know which ones are your favorites!

I personally think prints are a great way to detract from the rest of your figure as people are so consumed with evaluating whether or not they like the suit.  I’ll talk a little about body type and styles here, but you can also read this article for more style advice on which swimwear is best for your body-type.  This brightly-colored batik printed string bikini is really cute.  With the adjustable sides, I’m hoping it won’t dig into my hip area too much.  Sometimes if those scoop bottoms are cut wrong, they give you that bulge at the waist.   Yuck.  Mara Hoffman makes some adorable swimwear.  Check out this geometric multicolored bandeau/boy-short bikini combo.  The boy-short, plus the bold print, are known to detract from problem areas.  I also like this lime green checkered bikini from Betsey Johnson.  The ruffled bandeau is super-cute, and her stuff usually fits me pretty well, so I’m willing to bet I’m not going to have a problem with the scoop bottom.  I really like the teal and paisley print on this underwire ring top and scoop bikini bottom, and since tye-die is in this season, why not a bikini?  The halter top actually has an underwire hidden inside.  Looks cute with a scoop bottom.   

You really can never go wrong with black.  I personally think it’s a must-have in anyone’s swimwear collection.  It’s slimming, sexy, and still hides problem areas.  The gold glitter diamond pattern in this mix-and-match set give a little something extra to an LBB (that’s my lingo for Little Black Bikini).  Did you ever wish your swimwear could have the same effect on you as Spanx?  Well, now it can!  They actually make swimwear WITH Spanx in them.  How genius is that???  And it’s actually stylish enough to wear, as you can see with this SPANX “All The Wave” bikini.  I so love this embellished monokini by Cynthia Rowley.  To be honest, the monokini confuses me.  It looks good, but I really don’t want a tan line down my abdomen.  That being said, this suit is so cute, I’m contemplating trying it out.

So maybe it’s because I am looking to hide some problem areas, that I’ve started revisiting one-pieces.  I’m generally not a one-piece fan, but I have to say, the ones I found are stylish.  This one by Nicole Miller has a fun colorful print to it, plus I like the mid-back strap closure (never been a fan of the open back one-pieces); although I’d caution that this would not be a good swimsuit if you’re pear shaped.  I also like the racerback and zipper front on this kaleidoscope printed one.  For a sold color, this pastel color block strapless suit looks like its thick enough so there’s no see-through risk.  Kind of reminds me of a paired down surfing bodysuit.