Choosing The Right Swimsuit Or Bikini For Every Occasion
By Vanessa Lausch, Thu Dec 8th

Most women own at least a couple of swimsuits or bikinis. Someof these swimsuits may be old, comfortable favorites, while somemay be trendy and new for the summer season. Doubtlessly, someof the swimsuits are more modest; others are sexier andflashier. With all of the choices that most women seem to havein their swimsuit wardrobe, choosing the right swimsuit forevery occasion can become quite a daunting task. Swimsuits aredesigned and intended for a wide variety of purposes andactivities, from swimming laps to attracting men at the beach.With all of these different swimsuits to choose from, it canbecome quite difficult to select the most appropriate swimsuitfor the occasion. In the following paragraphs, you will find abrief guide to several of the most common swimsuit-wearingactivities or outings, along with a recommended swimsuit styleand color for that activity or occasion.

Serious Swimming: Of course, almost every woman knowsthat a sexy, skimpy bikini is hardly the best choice forswimming laps. No matter how much spandex is contained in thatsmall amount of material, it is not likely to stay put andremain comfortable for serious swimming. However, swimming lapsat the local pool or gym does not have to merit your drabbest ormost boring swimsuit. For a good fit and look while swimminglaps, try a one-piece swimsuit with a polyester blend. Apolyester-blend swimsuit should stay put and go the distancewith you. Vertical stripes down both sides of the suit can helpdefine the waist and add a little style to your swimsuit. Whilewhite is probably not the best color choice for lap swimming (ithas a tendency to show through), almost any other color isappropriate for this activity. Feel free to indulge you innersense of style and fashion when choosing a swimsuit color forserious swimming activities. To test the comfort and fabricflexibility in your swimsuit, be sure to circle the arms androtate the shoulders in the dressing room.

Beach Volleyball: Beach sports like volleyball orFrisbee require a swimsuit that will stay in place duringextreme amounts of bodily movement, similar to lap swimming.However, being on the beach where hundreds of people are likelyto view your swimsuit or bikini also requires a sexier, moreattractive swimsuit than lap swimming would warrant. In thisway, beach volleyball and other beach sports pose a ratherchallenging problem for swimsuit selection. The best bikinioption for beach sports is a halter top with a tie front andback paired with either short boy shorts or brief-style bikinibottoms that sit on the hips. This type of bikini won’t gap orgive, whether you are spiking a ball or diving for a dig. Itwill also retain a sense of beach-style sexiness. As far ascolor is concerned, the sky is the limit on appropriate colorsfor beach sports. Try some fun tropical prints or sporty stripesto indulge in summer style.

Country Club Visit: Every so often, an occasion such asa visit to the local country club requires a more sophisticatedswimsuit look. A general rule to follow with country clublounging is: if a membership card is required, a chic andclassic swimsuit style is also required. While swimsuits nolonger need to be prim and proper in order to be appropriate forcountry club display, they do need to be somewhat more tastefuland modest than the suit you would typically wear on the beach.To achieve a tasteful sexiness at the country club, try abandeau-style bikini or a one-shouldered maillot. Feel free totry floral prints, cheerful colors, and stripes, but stay awayfrom bright neon or shiny metallic swimsuits. If you feel theneed to wear a white swimsuit, make sure it is double or eventriple lined to ensure modesty and opaqueness. A country clubvisit does not need to be an extreme show of propriety, but yourswimsuit should be tasteful and classic.

Yacht Party: For a party out on the boss’s yacht,country club rules generally apply. It is likely that you willnot be doing much swimming in your swimsuit; so feel free toexperiment with the newest trends in swimsuit fashion. You willwant to maintain a tasteful look (depending upon the company ofthe yacht), but you can still indulge in some trendy, new looks.The latest swimsuits designed for lounging include one-pieceswith revealing cutouts or plunging necklines. While theseswimsuits are not designed for serious swimming, they can getwet. In other words, you should not worry if your ice cubes dripa little. For the yacht, you should generally choose understatedcolors or a simple black and white bikini combination. This lookis fresh and sassy, and wearing the white up top is flatteringfor the figure. Be sure to remember a cover-up or sarong in caseit gets windy out on the boat.

Backyard Barbecue: For the summer fun of a backyardbarbecue, anything goes as far as swimsuit choice. It is likelythat you will be surrounded by family and friends, so feel freeto indulge in your own personal style with bright colors and funprints from the latest trends. However, depending upon theguests at your backyard barbecue, you may want to show somerestraint in your swimsuit or bikini choice. If there will bechildren at the party, be sure to wear something tasteful andfun, such as a cute, ruched tankini. It goes without sayingthat, if you have invited your future in-laws, you may not wantto wear your newest thong bikini. Nevertheless, a backyardbarbecue or neighborhood get-together is one of the most casualoccasions that require a swimsuit. You should use this time toindulge in any swimsuit style you choose.

Beachcombing: If you are planning a visit to the beachto do some serious lounging and relaxing, feel free to bringalong your skimpiest swimsuit or bikini. The beach is theperfect location to show off that sexy string or thong bikiniyou have been dying to wear all winter. To get the

pipelineperfect style in terms of color, try pairing boy shorts orbriefs and a halter-top in a Hawaiian motif. If you want to adda little more modern funk to your style, try a floral-and-stripecombination in your bikini. Or, if your beach visit requires alittle more sophistication, try a one-piece suit in a floralprint or a mellow lime color. Regardless of what you bring, besure to embrace the beach as the prime location for relaxationand style exhibition.

Cruise: If you are headed out on a romantic or funcruise in the near future, it is likely that you will be packingseveral swimsuits to bring along. You may want to use acombination of styles and colors from the occasions listedabove. There will likely be plenty of opportunities for loungingby the poolside in a skimpy bikini or one-piece swimsuit withcutouts. You may also be able to do some lap swimming in theon-board pool. Also, there may be some opportunities for beachvisits in fun Hawaiian print suits. For a cruise, you may justwant to bring the entire swimsuit wardrobe along and use yourbest discretion for choosing among the options for the bestswimsuit for each outing. In fact, a cruise just may be theperfect opportunity to practice your newly acquired skills inchoosing the most appropriate swimsuit or bikini for everyouting.

About the author:Vanessa Lausch is a technical writer for More Swimsuits (http://www.moreswimsuits.com/) an online swimsuit store