Ready to refresh your swimwear? Here’s how to find your best suit based on your body type.

As an image consultant, one of my biggest goals is to bring positivity, hope, and honesty to every shopping experience.

And I have to be honest, swimsuit shopping is tough.

Spandex, lycra, elastane — these ingredients (and pretty much all swimsuit fabrics) can feel like a sausage casing on your inherently beautiful body that feels best when it feels free.

Swimsuits make us acknowledge our bodies in ways we usually don’t have to, and that can feel very scary. Every lump and every bump, every dimple and every wrinkle can feel exposed — not just to us, but to everyone around us.

But there’s also a few other things I know to be true.

Swimming is awesome.

The pool is awesome.

The beach is awesome.

The sun on your skin is awesome.

Your body is awesome, no matter what size, shape, color, texture, or age it is.

And to enjoy all of these things, swimwear is necessary.

The trick to getting out of the negative and into the positive is knowing and honoring your body type.

This is necessary for all clothing, but especially for swimwear. The stakes are higher, so following your knowledge and intuition about what suits your body type is key.

So for today’s blog, I’m breaking down swimsuits for each body type. Read the tips, shop the suits, watch the video, and when you’re done, leave me a comment. I would love to know which suit you’re most excited to try this summer.

Lots of love and joy,

Raquel

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DON’T KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE? Head here before reading the article below.

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Click the pics to shop the suits from Summersalt.com.

APPLE

what to look for in a suit:

Structure is key. Swimwear covers your chest, abdomen, and hips. Since abs and chest tend to be where you carry most of your weight, you need a structured suit to support you in these two areas.

A classic bra cup is a great supportive detail to look for if you want to try a timeless bikini. More into a one-piece? Check out a suit that still gives you a lift through the chest like the one below.

Other options include tankini swimwear and a high-waisted swim skort with a bra top.

PEAR

what to look for in a suit:

Being a pear means your hips are slightly wider than your shoulders, so your focus in swimwear is going to be to accentuate your shoulder line, highlight your waist, and balance your hips.

If you decide on a two-piece, go with a high-waisted bottom for a style that sits right by or on your waist. This style will follow the natural line of your body, thus honoring your shape.

Make sure the legs of the suit curve around your hips as well to follow your body type, rather than creating an intense line across your hips.

For tops or the top of a one-piece, you have a lot of freedom with what works best. You can balance your hips with an exaggerated detail like the one-shoulder ruffle top below or highlight your narrow shoulder frame with the tight neckline of a spaghetti strap top or halter.

WANT TO HEAR ME TALK THROUH THE SUIT THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOUR BODY TYPE?

WATCH MY INTERVIEW WITH ROSIE NEWBERRY ON KXAN.COM TO GET THE SCOOP.

INVERTED TRIANGLE

what to look for in a suit:

As a T-shape body type, your shoulders are wider than your hips. You’re the opposite of a pear.

For bottoms, you can go with a mid- or high-rise suit, but the majority of your focus should be on choosing necklines that balance and compliment your shoulders.

Steer away from tiny straps like spaghetti straps or big details like ruffles, because these will expand the look of your shoulder girdle.

Instead, balance your shoulders with a halter neckline that frames your face and naturally curves from your neck to the body of your suit.

Other styles to try include deep-V or scoop neck suits. The openness of these necklines will elongate your silhouette and will keep you from feeling stuffy up top.

RECTANGLE

what to look for in a suit:

All body types have their benefits, but if you’re a rectangle, the world is your oyster. As a rectangle, you can use your body type to create the illusion of a different shape or enhance your own.

Create a more exaggerated waist to mimic an hourglass/pear figure by choosing a suit that has a set-in waist like the leopard one below.

You can also enhance your silhouette with long-sleeved suit or a one-shoulder, one-piece suit.

For bottoms, high-rise will likely be most comfortable, because of your lean torso, but you can also rock low- or mid-rise if you prefer.

HOURGLASS

what to look for in a suit:

An hourglass is defined by a narrower waist than hips, with hips and shoulders being the same width.

To honor your body type, you want to accentuate that curve from shoulders to waist to hips. To do this, you’ll be looking out for a suit that is high-waisted, or if it’s a one-piece, has a set-in waist detail.

Try a suit that’s cut high on the leg, like the coral one below, for a sporty look that’ll give you a lot of freedom to move or one that’s cut lower, like the polka dot, for a retro-inspired detail.

Since your hips and shoulders fall in line with each other, you have a lot of freedom to play with shape and cut on top. Styles like spaghetti-strap, one-shoulder, or strapless will all work for you as long as they align with your personal style.