How to Pull Off a One Piece Bathing Suit

Almost everyone has strong feelings about wearing a bathing suit, regardless of whether it's a string bikini, a two-piece "tankini" or a traditional but modern one-piece. One-piece bathing suits are the longest existing bathing suits, dating to the 1920s. The 1930s styles began to look most similar to modern one-piece suits. To look your best in this classic bathing suit, it takes a little creativity.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Take an honest friend with you for the bathing suit shopping excursion, which is the first step to a great one-piece look. Try on lots of styles. The goal is to find a suit that you feel comfortable in and that fits your body features.

2. Find styles that match or highlight your body type. People with longer legs look best in higher-thigh cut suits. Shorter torsos require suits with gatherings or criss-cross weaves. If you want to "hide" a few extra areas, consider suits with "boy cut" legs or built-in skirts to minimize thighs or tummy and side liners that slim the look of your middle.

3. Consider how the color of the suit accents your skin tone or if it makes you look sickly. If you're winter shopping in a northern location and you know you'll be "more tan later" that's fine, but shop with what you see now. The color of your suit will still work on your skin tone even when you are tan. Unless you're a teenager, darker, strong colors will give you more to work with to pull off a good look than overly bright, flashy colors.

4. Dress up your suit with coordinating accessories. Get a neutral-colored cover-up (short sleeved or sleeveless tunic or jacket) that goes with the colors of your suit for travel between your room and the pool. Choose a pair of sandals, perhaps with a slight heel, that accent the suit colors or design and make your legs look good.

5. Use a wrap skirt in parallel colors to "dress up" your bathing suit for stints to the bar or in-between dips. Grab a sun hat that fits your personality as an added accessory that speaks of style and flair. If you're not a hat person, try a headscarf that coordinates with the wrap or cover-up.

6. Carry yourself with confidence. Walk tall with your head up and shoulders slightly back, making eye contact with people you encounter. Sitting up straight rather than slouching helps the look of a one-piece, so sit tall as well, with your torso at its full height. Reclining back onto your elbows achieves a similar effect when you're sitting and someone is standing above you.

Tips & Warnings

• Though brightly colored patterns and large print designs are common in bathing suits, to keep your look classy, stick with solid black or brown or smaller, less bold designs. How you come off to others is directly related to how good you think you look. Be confident in your outfit.
• Don't buy solid white one-pieces, even if you're really tan. The see-through effect of wet, white one-piece suits may reveal more than you want the world to see.

References

• Women's Swimwear 1920-2000 Fashion History

Resources

• Popina Swimwear: Retro Styles