Swimsuit Season!

Spring is here! Well, sort of. Anyone who's privy the whether around here knows that spring is a timid and fleeting friend; ever welcomed, rarely there to receive our hospitality. But I'm not going to rail against the whether or speak of rash petitions against the sun, or the seedy government agents who plot the courses and contents of contrails...

No, instead I'm going to talk about the one thing that almost all girls enjoy with the coming of sunny rays: swimsuits!

Some use 'em for tanning, some just like to swim in 'em, but whatever the reason the approaching end of the school year means it's time to start shopping! But what makes a good swimsuit? Better yet, how do you find the perfect swimsuit for you? Well, I've been mulling over this question and have decided to respond with a diagram:

I hope you can read all those. That took me about ten minutes :)

1. You definitely should get a one piece. Try going for something with mid to low-cut hips. Then style it up with ruching, metal rings on the straps or at the neckline, cute patterns, or a sweetheart neckline. Cover up with a flouncy sarong skirt, cute board shorts, or a matching swim mini.
2. A well fitted one piece can be adorable, but they're a pain when you have to make a run to the ladies room. The solution? A tankini of course! It's just a like a one piece, but it's split at the waist and allows for a little midriff display. These can be really cute because they come with so much variety. You can style up the tops with fun necklines, gathers, rings, or other types of structure. As for bottoms, you can try boy shorts, sarongs, mini-skirt bottoms, bikini bottoms, high cut, low cut, the sky is the limit. You can do it all and still stay relatively covered. Once the midriff display exceeds four inches you're moving in to bikini territory, which is fine as long as you're comfortable.
3. You're all about being sexy, and that's great! But remember that there is a fine line between sexy and skanky. Feel free to experiment and try every type of cut out there. But make sure to bring a good (honest) girlfriend to help sign off on a new bikini purchase. Remember, you can only take cut-outs so far (beware of weird tan lines). Keep track of the message you're sending (you want to be able to have conversations with guys too). And be aware of the sensitivities of the general public. Thong bikinis in public are an ABSOLUTE NO-NO.
   
4. Get a one piece. With all that swimming you're doing there's a chance that the adorable triangle top you just bought is going to come undone. At the very least get something with straps and support (avoid anything that has to be tied) so that with all that racing around in the water you can be sure it's your speed, and not your wardrobe malfunction, that elicits 'wows' and whistles.
5. Whatever is comfortable is right for you. But make sure that you're covered. Dance around in your swimsuit a little when you first get it. Check yourself out from every angle, and make sure nothing is going to slip around the bottom or neckline. It's most important that you're comfortable and can move freely.
   
6. Hey, if lets you get wet wear whatever the heck you want!