Ready for Bikini Season? @ Girl-Doll Fashion Gossip

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It may be cold outside (even in April), but summer and the bathing suits it brings are right around the corner. Some neighborhood pools open in May and schools may even take a field trip or two to the beach or water park as the end of the school year approaches. Are you ready to start showing some skin and braving the store mirrors while you find the perfect suit?

The Fit that Flatters

The number one rule to swimsuits is to find the most flattering fit and print. If you have very little fat on your body, the string bikini may work for you, but many of us just have a little too much figure for all of those strings. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a sexy one piece or tankini. The girls in the Vickie's Secret catalog are almost always wearing a sexy one piece (that may even have a bit of extra help in the tummy or chest area.)

Find something that makes you feel good and confident. A tankini is the best of both worlds. It looks young and carefree, but offers a lot more coverage than a regular bikini. With so many styles and so many cute board shorts or skirt cover-ups it should be pretty easy to find the fit that works best for your body shape. Take a look at our summer beauties here on the Doll Palace to get fresh ideas for water fun.

The Fit that Matters

Fit matters a lot depending on what activity you are pursuing. If you are trying out for the local swim team, I sincerely hope you don't show up in three triangles of fabric. Racing suits are designed a certain way for a reason and if you plan on doing some serious swimming versus serious sunning it makes all the difference.

Bathing suits can draw a lot of attention from the opposite sex, but be sure it's the type of attention you want. I myself have been subjected to Bikini Top Drama at a water park. Apparently water currents in a wave pool can move your top even when you're unaware of it. And yes, a friend told me about my indecent exposure and I fixed it in a millisecond. It was still very embarrassing.

Bikini tops are not the only area that can give you more exposure than you want, however. A good jump off the diving board or a trip down a slide can make things not only uncomfortable with the bottom of your suit, but difficult to fix correctly in mixed company. Find a suit with nice, full coverage of the back end or go for a pair of shorts over your suit if you have a clue about where things might be headed...

One last consideration is the occasion of your suit. If you are fortunate enough to have a school outing or a camp function planned for this summer, you may want to tone down the suit. A basic suit will not earn you the adult disapproval that a little one will. Adults, especially teachers, find bikinis rather unwelcome on school field trips, so when you're shopping you might want to buy one suit for the beach with friends and another for any church, school, or community outings. There is no sense in making anyone more upset than necessary. Leave that job to the girls who just don't have a clue.