When choosing a swimsuit for your holiday, there are many things to take into consideration. Will you be doing a lot of swimming, or are you more of a sunbathing type? What body shape are you? Do you have a favorite type or colour of fabric? How much skin do you want to reveal? Do you want a classic suit or one that is bang on trend? Here we will look at some type of swimsuit – cut, fabric etc – and it should help you choose the perfect one for your holiday!

One-piece swimsuits

First of all, there’s the classic one-piece swimsuit. This is generally low-cost and very practical for swimming, diving and snorkelling. If you wish to retire to the beach after your activities, hats and belts can be used to jazz it up. The one-piece is flattering to most body shapes and can hide a multitude of sins, and can be strapless (bandeau style) or have straps to help support a large bosom. If you’re feeling a bit more daring, but not enough to warrant a two-piece costume, you can find several one-piece swimsuits in bright prints, or with parts cut away for a look that’s perfectly in for this season.

Two-piece swimsuits

The bikini is an iconic piece of swimwear. Comprising generally of a pair of briefs and a small bra-style top, it is definately for the more daring and confident holidaymaker! The briefs can be tie-sided, shorts style, or anything in between, and the top is usually either cut like a bra (somtimes including underwires), made of two triangles of fabric (usually halterneck), or have no straps in a bandeau style.

Bikinis never really go out of fashion, but to keep you on trend for the upcoming season buy one made of a bright flower-print fabric and team it with a sunhat. Leave it on and just cover your hips with a sarong for a look that takes you from beach to bar to chill out.

If you’re not quite daring enough for a tiny bikini, try a tankini. The briefs of this outfit are similar to bikini briefs, but the top is cut longer, like a vest. This can be rolled up to tan your back and tummy, and rolled down for walking around if you are lacking in confidence a little. Tankini tops often come in the same fabrics and prints as bikini tops, and thus you can stay on trend while covering up a bit.

 

Something a bit different

Some designers have made variants of the above swimsuits – these are often quite risque and not usually seen on the beach. If you really want to push out the fashion boat and are not faint of heart, try one of these!

• Monokini: Usually the term for only wearing the briefs part of a bikini.
• Microkini: The smallest of bikinis, usually having only enough fabric to cover the necessary areas. Often viewed as a middle ground between true swimwear and nudism.
• Sling bikini: A one-piece suit that is essntially briefs with large side pieces to pass over the shoulders, covering the nipples in the process. Borat’s “Mankini” is an example of a sling bikini.
• Trikini: Briefly appeared in the 1960s then resurfaced recently, a trikini is usually the term for a pair of bikini briefs teamed with nipple covers.

Whichever swimsuit you go for, make sure it’s comfortable and makes the fashion statement you want! Have a great holiday!