Swimsuit Shopping!

In this video, I want to talk about swimsuits! Summer is right around the corner and this is prime time to start swimsuit shopping. For a lot of my clients and most women, this isn’t typically a shopping trip they’re looking forward to. Swimsuit shopping can really bring out that mean internal voice we have with our bodies. A lot of times, we want to get swimsuits that are going to conceal areas we’re most self conscious about. As a stylist, I like to get women to shop not just based on we want to minimize but also what we want to highlight. It can be a much more positive and successful shopping trip when you focus on what areas of your body you love the most and want to accentuate.

Before we dive in, I’ll give you a quick introduction, I’m Emmaline Chappell and I’m a certified personal stylist. I have my own business here in Richmond. I help busy women elevate their style by discovering a new way of dressing to look luxe for less.

So let’s say you want to highlight your shoulders or arms: go for strapless, off the shoulder, one shoulder or halter styles. These silhouettes will draw attention to upper body.

Or maybe you want to accentuate your legs and thighs: try higher cut bottoms either on one piece or bikini bottom designs: this style will extend the leg line.

If you want to enhance your waist or torso: try belted swimwear, cut out details on the waist, wrap tie designs on the torso or even high rise bottoms will draw eye to waist.

Or if you want highlight your chest: go for top styles with underwire, halter styles or ruffle details near the chest. The underwire will provide support, lift and help you feel confident that you can move around knowing the girls are in place.

And if you want to accentuate your bottom: try ruching detailing on the bottoms of your swimsuit, peplum designs near the hips or skirt style bottoms to add a flirty element to your lower body.

I also wanted to give a few general tips when swimsuit shopping. Tip one: is to think about what you’re going to be doing in your suit. Is it lounging by poolside, tanning by the beach or playing volleyball in the sand. Different activities call for different features needed in your swimsuit. If you want more support because you’ll be in motion a lot, keep that in mind when shopping. You don’t want to go buying a bikini that is more conducive to chilling on the beach than it is snorkeling.

Tip two: know your body. So make sure you know your measurements when shopping, analyze the size chart to figure out which size will suit you best. Knowing your unique shape will make assessing what silhouette for your swimsuit you should be looking for. Try not to be put off by the number you need. Swimsuit sizing is normally smaller than regular sizing so it’s totally normal if you need to go up a size. A good rule of thumb for me is buying three sizes if shopping online. One based on what the size chart tells me, one size lower and one size bigger.

Tip three: think about the quality. When buying a swimsuit solely because it looked cute and you didn’t give it much thought, those tend to be the ones that don’t last as long. Try to take the time to look at the details either in store or once you’ve purchased online, look at the stitching, test out the stretch, read the reviews. Maybe even examine the company, how transparent are they about how their pieces are made. Taking all this intel will ensure you buy the best swimsuit.

Tip four: a great swimsuit comes down to comfort and confidence. These two words can mean different things for different women. For me, I want it to feel like second skin so I’m not having to fuss and pull at it all day. Whatever it is, make sure it fits your needs of comfort and confidence. That’s why swimsuit shopping isn’t necessarily about finding a suit that needs to be right for your body type. My motto is to have fun and finding a swimsuit that makes you forget about your flaws and it makes you feel good. Because you deserve to celebrate and feel confident in your swimsuit. When you find that right one, you’ll know the minute you slip it on.

If you have any questions about this video please leave a comment or send me a direct message and I’ll answer you asap or if would like any help with your personal style or your wardrobe, reach out through my website.