The lament begins this time of year in dressing rooms across the country. Why don't they make swimwear for regular women?
One reason is they don't exist, and that's the problem: Real women are not uniform. Either small on top, big on the bottom, or just plain soft all over, women were made with glorious differences in size and contour. So where are all the options in swimwear?
This year, thanks to the social networking of the Internet, swimwear designers have answered the needs of women everywhere with creative and better-built swimwear. With more manufacturers making separates, women can mix and match styles and sizes to better fit their body type.
Now if you find a medium-sized halter tankini that looks great, you can pair it with your choice of bottom, whether it's a hipster or ruffled. The lesson to keep in mind is that the suit needs to move with you. This means bending over, sitting down, dancing around and lifting your arms to test how the suit moves on your body. Posing in the mirror and sucking in your gut does not count.
Let's face it. The Pittsburgh market for bathing suits is not nearly as extensive as South Beach's. If you want something more than a utilitarian suit to get you through the summer, you may want to order a few online.
Because a Lands' End survey found that 68 percent of women shop for a swimsuit online, it has developed a helpful guide on its website. Some of its merchandise is available at select Sears stores. A lot of other online retailers have developed guides to help women buy suits according to their measurements or body type. Many, including L.L. Bean, also offer a wider selection.
Still, the best way is to try them on.
"Getting over the fear of bathing suits means getting them home, trying a few on, and sending back the ones you don't feel comfortable in," says Jane Shoenborn of Lilly Pulitzer in Shadyside.
With most online retailers you can do this without dreading un-returnable items. However, the policies on shipping fees vary from site to site.
In the virtual world of buying a bathing suit, there are websites such as My Virtual Mannequin (www.mvm.com) that allow you to build a body type and then try on clothes. The website has a limited selection, but it's fun to get daring without actually embarrassing yourself with the real ordeal.
Here are a few good swimwear sites:
www.Zappos.com -- free shipping and returns
www.LandsEnd.com -- free shipping on reorders, can return to Sears
www.Shapefx.com -- shipping unrefundable
www.ShopBop.com -- free return shipping within 15 days
www.VictoriasSecret.com -- free shipping for returns
www.LLBean.com -- free shipping on reorders, shipping fee for returns, can return to store
In a recent Lands' End survey of 1,000 women, 83 percent admitted to wearing the wrong swimsuit size. Clothing size is not always a good guide for buying a swimsuit. In the same survey, 66 percent of the women admitted to never taking their measurements. Surveys vary, but the average woman's size is between 10 and 14. However, most women know that may only apply to one part of their body. Now that the swimwear industry is changing the way it sells and markets swimwear, women do not have to feel stuck with a suit that only partly fits -- or fits parts!
One trend that has not always been appropriate for fuller figures is the bandeau top. Now designers have managed to build a bandeau support top with adjustable straps and reinforcing materials, giving the look a more practical application. The style is made more wearable when incorporated into a one-piece or a bandeau tankini, like the Gottex version found at Nordstrom.
More suits are being made with tummy-slimming materials in contrast to the flimsy fabrics of the past. Spanx -- long heralded for its body shapers for curvy women -- has been applauded in fashion blogs for its swimsuits, available at Saks Fifth Avenue. The Miraclesuit and La Blanca are sturdy brands on the racks at Macy's. Designers have incorporated a tremendous amount of ruching, bunching and strategic ruffling into suits to offer more forgiveness.
Other trends are the asymmetrical shoulder and the cut-out suit. The cut-out suit is a variation on the monokini, which really didn't flatter anyone who didn't resemble Fergie. This year the term "cut-out" applies to styles that are less dramatic and work as a detail rather than defining the piece.
For example, Luli Fama's version, available at Victoria's Secret, has triangle cut-outs up the side. Others feature deep V-cuts that are made to elongate your trunk and give a little styling to tummy-tucking tanks such as the one designed by Trina Turk. The one-shoulder look, an easy segue from clothing trends, updates a one-piece or tankini. Kohl's carries a version from its Apt. 9 line that is part of its separates offerings this year.
The most predominant trend involves bright colors and shapes. Clashing patterns and a busy bosom of color has become acceptable in designs from Maaji and Beach Bunny. Target's Liberty of London line is a good example of busy patterns, including paisleys, florals and feathers.
Drenching yourself in a whimsical, upbeat pattern says you have a sense of humor about baring your skin. No one does this quite as successfully as Lilly Pulitzer. Available at Palm Place in Shadyside, Lilly Pulitzer this season is offering separates for the first time. According to fashion director Jane Shoenborn, the change was in direct response to the feedback they received from social networking groups like Facebook and Twitter.
"What we love is that, just like the rest of the brand, we are print driven. We have a resorty atmosphere, so we don't spend a lot of time tricking up the suit. We let the prints speak," says Ms. Shoenborn.
The collection was inspired by nature and endangered animals and is full of crazy corals and shells in hot pink, vivid green and electric blue.
First Published: April 27, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
