When donning a swimsuit, everyone has her own hot-button issue. And unless your idea of a good time is contracting your abs every waking minute (not ours, for the record), chances are your nemesis may be the stomach area.
Fear not: There’s a bunch of different ways to find a tummy-hiding swimsuit you’ll feel confident in, according to our genius swimwear buyer Jeni Doherty. Here are her four foolproof favorites for the best tummy control swimsuits:
CHOOSE A ONE-PIECE WITH SHAPING POWERS FOR THE BEST TUMMY CONTROL SWIMSUIT.
“Some one-piece suits are a lot like shapewear,” Jeni says. These kinds of swimsuits are made with three times more hold than traditional swimwear, plus they tend to have design details like ruching, draping and strategically placed prints to give an all-around slimmer look. When trying a shaping suit like Miraclesuit or Magicsuit, Jeni says to go one size up from your pant/dress size.
TRY A ONE-PIECE BATHING SUIT THAT ARTFULLY HIDES THE STOMACH.
Not everyone wants a firm-control swimsuit, and that’s cool—you should feel your most at-ease, whatever that means to you, on the beach or by the pool. Another winning tactic to downplay the stomach is to opt for tummy-hiding swimsuits that include prints, colorblocking, bands of fabric or ruching that glosses right over that zone, creating a more slender appearance.
CREATE A CUSTOM TANKINI TO HIDE THE TUMMY.
Still another smart way to obscure the stomach is by mixing and matching sizes and colors. “A lot of tankinis offer the same flattering ruching, colorblocking, ruffles and prints that one-pieces do. I find the most flattering way to wear a tankini is to pair it with a solid bottom. The top has the power to draw attention up towards your chest and away from your lower half,” says Jeni, who especially loves pairing the tankini top of your choice (a good opportunity to go bra-size or wire-free, depending on what you need up top) with a Miraclesuit or Magicsuit high-waisted bottom, which has shaping or tummy control components to hold you in right where you want it.
SHOP STRATEGICALLY.
Regardless of whether you gravitate toward a cute one-piece swimsuit or a tankini, commit these key features to memory as you look for a tummy-becoming bathing suit:
