I heard a recent line from a movie that cracked me up. A personal trainer was trying to motivate her client through a tough workout. When her client wanted to give up, her trainer asked her…”what is the most dreaded phrase in the English language?” Her client responded, “pool party.” and immediately started moving again. It’s true, so many of us dread bearing our bodies in a bathing suit in front of friends or complete strangers for that matter. I myself just berated a friend who put unflattering pictures of me in a bikini up on Facebook! Yup, she broke an unspoken rule among girls. But I digress…Buying new swimwear can be a positive experience if you know what to look for. Here are a few tips all women should know.

Today we will explore and discuss the different styles of bikini tops. These days most of us do our shopping on line, which means no dressing rooms. Here are some general rules to help you figure out what style might work best for you.

The halter top style bikini top is always a good way to go. It flatters both larger breasted women and smaller breasted women. It holds you in place and looks great if you are surfing, playing beach volleyball, or just lounging on a towel drinking a cocktail. It also flatters a pear shaped body because a little more fabric up top makes you look more proportionate to your lower half than a teeny tiny string or bandeau top is going to. Trust me, as a surfer, I have tested every suit out there! The halter top is fantastic.

The triangle string bikini top. I see this mistake made time and time again. Women with very small breasts feel this is the best option for them because it contains the least amount of fabric. NOT FLATTERING. A saggy piece of triangle material over a small chest only makes it look smaller. If you are less than amply endowed in this area, go for an under-wire or halter style top with a little bit of lining or padding. You will feel supported and look fabulous. If you are small chested and really like this style, just make sure you buy one that fits tight around your breasts and is not saggy. The same rule applies to very large breasted women. The string top does not offer much support, so instead of stretching the strings around your neck to within an inch of their life, wear something that is going to give your girls the lifting and staying power they need to endure a long day in the surf and sand. DO wear the triangle string top if you have medium side breasts (B to C) and are not planning on any rigorous water sports. They can be very flattering, sexy, and adjustable which is always a plus. They also work pretty well on the surgically enhanced chest that comes with its own staying power, if you know what I mean.

The Bandeau top. I’d like to preface this one of by saying that I have specifically designed my bandeau top to avoid most of the problems I am about to list. So hope is not lost. Ok ladies, I know none of us like to have tan lines. They suck. But we are here to discuss what looks good and what doesn’t, so I have got to tell you, the bandeau top can be very unflattering. It is the equivalent to wearing horizontal stripes. If you are Eva Langoria, or my brother’s teeny, tiny Italian fiancé, you can pull this off, but that’s about it. The first thing the bandeau top does to offend is make you look wider. It pulls the eye Horizontally, so unless you are petite or narrow, which is about 20% of the female population, this in not going to flatter. It is also very unsupportive. Even the kind with the boning on the sides only keeps the fabric across your chest expanded so you don’t get the mush boob effect, but offers very little support. If your boobs are large, the bandeau will eventually creep down to your belly button and take your girls with it. And you can forget trying to play paddleball, or body surfing. So if you must go for this style make sure you find one with straps around the neck from the center point, and possibly some extra lining to keep the frame of the suit from collapsing. Check out the bandeau in the Bikini Thief collection. It is the only way to wear the bandeau.

The last general rule I have is that lining or a little padding in the bathing suit top is never a bad idea. It just adds a bit more support for bigger chests and a bit more curve to smaller ones. And if it’s a little chilly in the water, you won’t be high beaming for all the male population on the beach to see, unless you are into that, which some women are.

I think that pretty much covers the bikini top. Stayed tuned for my next addition about bikini bottoms!