Summertime is inevitably a season when we all at some time or 
another bring out the swimwear. Whether it is at the beach, 
camping or the cottage, the warm weather and tantalizing water 
encourages a refreshing swim. There are some on the other hand 
who may not even use their swimwear for the water but who like 
to sit in the sun’s rays and give their skin the glow of summer. 
Whatever use you have for your bikini or swimwear the wonderful 
assortment of fabrics, styles and accessories will have you out 
and about enjoying the fine weather.

There are some of us who don’t exactly look forward to this time 
of year when we have to bring out the swimwear and bikinis in 
hopes that those couple of extra pounds gained over the year 
won’t have us bulging out of the seams. Not to fret though as 
swimwear today offers great stretch fabrics for easy mobility 
and plenty of style options that might just minimize or hide 
any imperfections.

The fabric, body shape, design and color are all factors when 
choosing the most flattering swimwear for you. When selecting a 
swimsuit the quality of fabric is important as you want a suit 
that will stand up to the seasons of wear, sun and saltwater. 
Nylon, Lycra and Faille are popular fabrics used for swimsuits, 
they resist fading and hold their stretchiness. Nylon and Lycra 
used together offer more stretch then standard swimwear along 
with shaping, control and comfort for the wearer.

The design of the swimsuit is probably the most important factor 
when women are out shopping for swimwear and bikinis. You will 
find plenty of suggestions on flattering suits for all sorts of 
body types. There are suits to create curves where needed, suits 
to minimize hips, suits to whittle waistlines, others to add 
shape to specific areas and then there are the standard all 
purpose suits that may look great on a variety of shapes. Lines 
and colors are very important in minimizing or accentuating 
particular parts of the body. Black and darker colors are often 
used to minimize, while stripes depending on whether they are 
vertical or horizontal are used for the same minimizing 
(vertical) or accentuating (horizontal) effects. There are 
several special sizes of swimsuits available to accommodate 
women from petite, tall and plus sizes.

Bikinis alone come in several popular designs that may include; 
tankinis which are similar to a tank top (with matching bottom, 
there are different variations of the tankini from short (above 
the navel) to tops that touch the bottom piece; bandeau tops are 
designed as a strip usually with no straps; halter tops are just 
as the name implies similar to a halter with possibly a string 
that goes around the neck connecting the bodice; lastly there are 
bra-tops (similar to bra designs) and triangle tops (triangle 
designs). The bikini that works best will vary from person to 
person, you want a top that offers support if needed, it is 
always best to try on a few different tops and see what works 
best.

Women’s swimsuits offer features such as; soft-cup bras which 
give full support, built-in shelf bras with underwire, sarongs 
that add gentle shaping to midsection, gentle tummy wraps that 
accentuates shape, side shirring adding gentle shaping, and 
overlapping tops with bottoms for gentle coverage. There are 
also swimsuits available in swim dress designs which offer 
additional coverage of hips if needed for some, and bandeau 
style one pieces with no straps.

Women really are at an advantage when it comes to selecting 
swimwear designs, as the number of women’s designs far exceeds 
the number of men’s designs. Women’s swimsuits come in one-piece 
designs, swim dress designs, sarong swimsuits, tankini suits and 
several bikini designs. Whereas men’s suits are available mostly 
in the standard racing style, swim trunk and swim short designs.

The list of swimwear accessories is as great as the swimsuits to 
be had. The accessories are an important part of your beach or 
lake excursion, and can include; straw hats, crochet hats, sun 
hats, short chemises, pareo (cover up skirt), cover ups, capri’s,
thongs, sunglasses, tote bags, mesh bags and most importantly 
beach towels.

Children’s swimwear offers some excellent options for those 
little one’s just learning to swim. There are great thermal 
wear suits available, which keep children nice and warm, the 
innovative suits are made from a specially treated heat 
reflective neoprene material. Thermal wear suits and special sun 
protective swimwear also offer UV protection from the sun. There 
are special water shoes for children that protect their small 
feet and help to prevent slips. Then of course there is the wide 
variety of designs and fabrics available to choose from. Designs 
for girls come in one and two piece while the boys’ suits most 
often come in the short and trunk designs.

Other considerations to keep the children busy at the beach or 
lake are lifejackets, arm floats, flotation devices, goggles 
and beach toys. There are great swim vests and special swimming 
tubes specially made for children to gradually ease into 
swimming. The list of pool toys is endless with floating 
basketball nets, dive toys, swimming fins and volleyball 
games to name a few.

The sun protection clothing and sun protective swimwear that 
is being manufactured is innovative and an excellent choice 
especially for children. Some of the sun protective clothing and 
swimwear claims to block 98 per cent of UV rays with a UPF of 50 
plus. What this means is that only one fiftieth of UV radiation 
falling on the surface of the garment will pass through. Wearing 
this clothing is added protection against the suns harmful rays.

When going to the beach, pool or when participating in any 
outdoor activity it is important to wear a sunscreen of at 
least thirty. Nothing spoils a day in the sun like the pain of 
sunburn. That is why being prepared for your outing is important, 
bring along the necessary hats, sunglasses and cover-ups to 
ensure both comfort and protection. This is true especially for 
children, it’s probably best to avoid mid afternoon intense sun 
if possible. However if you cannot avoid being in the sun, be 
sure to bring along a beach umbrella to provide shade and again 
hats and sunscreens for children are absolutely necessary.

With so many wonderful swimwear options to choose from your 
beach, pool, lake or camping experience can be both pleasurable 
and fashionable. Take the time and find a swimsuit that you feel 
comfortable in and one that compliments your particular figure. 
With the right swimwear choices you will be ready for all your 
travel and vacation needs with a suit that lasts for a few 
seasons.