How to Buy a Bathing Suit

Most women, young or old, heavy or slim, tall or short, hate buying bathing suits. It's simpler for men: there are two styles, long, loose and concealing, or short, tight and revealing. Women have a much rougher time of it: two-piece, one-piece, string bikini, thong, high-thigh, et cetera, et cetera and so on. Let's try to cut through some of the difficulty.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A list of stores where you can try on bathing suits in comfort, which also may have different style choices
• A trusted friend (optional, but highly recommended!)and/or a sympathetic store employee (also optional, but highly recommended.)
• Enough money or credit to purchase the suit of your choice
• Tight-fitting panties for wearing while trying on suits
• An hour or two, to several one-or-two-hour sessions over the course of a week
• Magazines or catalogs with pictures of current bathing suit styles

1. Take some time to look through your collection of magazines or catalogs and get a general idea of what styles appeal to you, and what you think will look good on you. Mark the pages or the individual pictures, and look at them again later, to see if you still feel the same about them. Take your final choices along with you when you begin to shop.

2. Talk to a friend or two about going along on a shopping expedition. Maybe you can combine your needs with hers or his and take turns trying things on. It helps to have a friend, to broaden your perspective. It helps you forgive your body for not being perfect when your kind, trusted friend is along to help. You don't have to agree with your friend's taste, but it helps to see yourself from an outside source.

3. When you get ready to start going to your list of stores, choose the one you like the best first, especially if it is the one that makes you feel most at home, most comfortable. If you have trouble finding what you're looking for, enlist the aid of a salesperson. It's what s/he is there to do, and many salespeople in the clothing business love their work, and enjoy helping customers find what pleases them. If you are in a store where the salespeople won't help you, leave. Repeat as necessary.

4. Even if you don't find your perfect bathing suit immediately, try on at least two or three; experiment with different styles. Remember that, many times, something that looks awful on the rack looks great on the back--never hesitate to try something new and different. Sometimes trying something you never thought would look good before will be just what you needed! Expect surprises.

5. Don't EVER feel obligated to buy something you aren't sure about or that you actively dislike. It's torture to own a piece of clothing that you paid good money for that you can't bring yourself to wear, especially something as intimate and revealing as a swimsuit. If you aren't sure whether you really like it or not, but don't want to lose the option to buy it, often the store will hold it for you. It's simple to call back and have them put it back on the rack if you find something elsewhere that you like better.

6. Promise yourself a reward for going through this process; it's very uncomfortable, and forces women to confront the image of perfection that no one can attain without airbrushing, starvation, possible liposuction and devotion to surface appearances. Maybe you and your friend can plan to go to a movie afterward, or you can buy a magazine or book as a treat, or spend some time in a jacuzzi--in any case, reward yourself for trying, even if you don't find a good bathing suit the first time you shop for one.

Tips & Warnings

• Forgive yourself for what you see in the mirror; despite what the media tries to tell us all the time, your body is perfectly all right--it's kept you alive so far, and that's really its function.
• Set yourself a time limit--for instance, if you haven't found a suit you like by Memorial Day, stick with last year's. If you are going away for a vacation, that might be a good time limit to use.
• Always wear panties when trying on bathing suits. There are certain hazards associated with trying on intimate garments which may have been tried on by strangers in the recent past; avoid them by simply keeping the area safely covered.

[GeorgiaGirl4U]

on 5/15/2008 Very Good advice and remember Thongs are not for everyone.

[Gracie1402]

on 5/3/2008 I am very tall with very long legs (which sounds good yes), but I am very uncomfortable in a bathing suit because it is very hard to find one that looks decent for a mom of 3 but not "granny". 2 pieces are out (personal comfort level), one pieces are out (they look wierd), tankini has to not leave just the "muffin top" exposed (gross!) so, it is always a battle for me. Reading this gave me some (a little) hope in find a suit this year- thanks :)