For the past couple of years, I’ve done a swimsuit round-up for you all with some tried and true brands/styles that have worked well for me! You may or may not have a body shape similar to mine, but that doesn’t really matter. I want to give you TWO things to take with you as you try on some suits this season in order to feel confident:
- Find a suit you love. Wear it. The End.
- Remember that confidence in a suit will never truly be found in the perfect swimwear, the six-pack, or reaching that “magical” number on the scale. Confidence comes from knowing WHO you are and WHO you belong to. When you begin to believe your body was made GOOD and BEAUTIFUL by an incredible Creator, it changes how we view ourselves, and we can walk in confidence regardless of whether we meet the standard of the world! We instead get to operate in a NEW way, which includes love and kindness rather than shame.
Now, when it comes to the practicality of finding a suit I love, like most things, I believe that quality typically rules in the end. I don’t have the easiest body shape – I don’t have a large chest, I have a pretty straight figure, I’m tall, and I’m fairly broad-shouldered. I don’t have an average height, average frame, or typical female curves/hourglass figure. Because of this, I cannot grab any random thing off the rack and expect it to fit just perfectly. But in general, I do find that quality clothes tend to fit me better than lower quality (and PS, they last way longer too!).
Ok, that being said, here’s my tried and true line-up. Disclaimer: I haven’t purchased all of these, but I either have purchased something similar from these same brands in past seasons, or this is a suit I’d totally be trying on if I needed more suits this season! I’ve spent the past 2 years getting a few extra suits that I loved, so I didn’t have a need to purchase much this year! 🙂 The good thing is – I still love the ones I have and they’ve lasted now through 1-2 seasons of heavy wear!!
J. CREW FAVORITES
Who doesn’t love a good blue and white stripe? Ok, maybe it’s just me. 😉 But I can’t get enough of them, and this suit immediately caught my eye as I was browsing. I even added it to the cart, and then realized I already own a blue and white striped two-piece, so I decided I probably didn’t need this one. 😉 (Which means someone else better snag it and let me know if you love it!)
This one-piece is probably one of the most favorite suits I own. In fact, if I had to claim a swimsuit uniform, this would totally be it. Blue and white (duh) super easy to wear (due to perfect ruching), and no tan lines. You’ll see me in this constantly all summer long (as long as I’m not being pulled behind a boat. 😉 Then give me something with straps! lol).
Truth: I don’t own this suit. Also truth: I wish I needed it. I LOVE this pattern, and I know I’d love the style (hello again ruching)…And it comes in TALLS!! I love J.Crew suits SO much b/c of their inclusive sizes, including talls and petites. They run TONS of sales, so if it’s not on sale, wait a week or so. 😉 I know I snagged a couple of suits at 50% off last year.
NANI FAVORITES
Nani is the Hawaiian word for beautiful. Their suits are colorful, have lots of patterns, are modest, and are the kind that stays put through any activity! Though I’m not always all about tons of colorful patterns, I’ve found a few I love here, and this has been a great place to find a suit for my 14-year-old daughter too!
- Textured Coastal Midkini – I don’t have this, but I have a top like this in a similar texture and love it!
- Palaka Ruched High Rise Bottom – Their high-rise ruched bottoms are my fav! So comfy and easy to wear.
- Gingham Avant Crop – Love this suit. I have it in blue and my daughter has it in pink. (I promised we’d never wear them at the same time!)
- Midnight Floral Cascade One Piece – I don’t own this but thought it was super cute!
ALBION FIT FAVORITES
I’ve had great luck with Albion suits. Sometimes I need to play around with sizing a bit, but I’ve always found something that works for me.
I have this suit in another pattern. It works great for long torsos, is very flattering, and I loved this delicate pink pattern.
I got this suit for our trip to Florida with my in-laws this year. I just wanted a suit that was super modest and I could do anything in. We walked miles on the beach every day and I was thankful I was wearing something that didn’t need any adjustments as I moved! 😉
I don’t have this pattern but I do have this style. Both the top and bottom are really comfy! Every style has lots of patterns and they often just update patterns each season, so when you find a style that works, you easily know what will fit well if you want a new pattern down the road.
SUMMERSALT FAVORITES:
I had my first go-round with summersalt last year before we went to the Dominican. I loved their sweet, feminine style which really matched my own.
I don’t have this particular style, but I LOVE Rifle Co. and LOVE even MORE that they partnered with Summersalt to make some adorable suits! I thought this one was super cute!
I don’t have this suit but I love the look of it if you have an average/short torso. I’d be afraid with my long torso that it would come about halfway up my chest and those straps would NOT be enough for me to feel comfortable! 😂But for the right person I think it would be really cute!
This is another suit that was made in collaboration with Rifle Co. I’ll be honest, I think the bow is cute but maybe not super practical? I keep thinking about tan lines with that thing, or it flopping around when I’m running after my kids… but I love the look of it! (and I’m sure some of you do NOT love the look of it! 😉 ha! But I personally love the feminine detail.
ATHLETA FAVORITES:
I used to ALWAYS shop for my swimsuit each year at Athleta. I’m not only a loyal shopper, but my personality lends itself to routine and simplicity, so when I find something good, I just stick with it. I actually hate to shop and love having a few “go-to” places so I don’t have to search long for what I’m looking for. Obviously, my swimsuit stores have expanded, but Athleta will ALWAYS be a go-to for me b/c their suits are high quality!
Here are a few I thought were cute! I don’t have any of them but I loved the solid color options they had this year. Check out their site for other options too!
