We have officially made it to summer 2020! Summer is by far my favorite season. I live in Massachusetts and we only have warm weather from about June – September so I soak up every ounce of warmth and sunshine that I can!
All summer long, you can find me lounging by my pool or at the beach 🙂 My friends call my pool the “office” since I spend lots and lots of time there. With that being said, I have a bathing suit obsession. One would think that since I live somewhere that is not bathing suit weather year round, that I would not be buying bathing suits all year… but I indeed do buy them all year round!
Buying Swimsuits
I am constantly looking for bathing suits since they are always on sale in the “off-season” and I know I will go on vacation somewhere tropical during the winter and I will wear them come the summer months. Pro Tip – buy swimsuits in the fall & winter when they are ALWAYS on sale! Save them for an upcoming trip or the following summer!
Buying swimsuits is hard PERIOD. Over the years of trying on many suits at many different stores in many different sizes and many different styles, I have found the ones that fit my body the best.
I have a larger chest and tend to have a very hard time finding tops that have good support, look good & are not overly revealing. I cannot buy tops and bottoms in the same size as my top and bottom are not the same size.
What I look for in swimsuits
I am very specific in what types of swimsuits I buy & nowadays, I do not tend to stray from those specifics unless I try on a suit I did not think would fit and to my surprise, it does!
Here is what I look for in a swimsuit top –
- Good support – An underwire is always helpful but not all my suits have a wire
- Shoulder straps – I cannot cannot cannot buy suits that are strapless or go around my neck. Straps around my neck is so uncomfortable! I find ones that go over my shoulder are so much more supportive and comfortable.
- Removable pads – I like a removable pad so I can decide if I want to leave it in or not (some material is really thin and the pads are needed)
- Back tie – I find that suits that can be tied in the back are best so I can make it as loose or as tight as I want. A clasp does not give that for me. I tend to steer clear of clasps.
Here is what I look for in a swimsuit bottom –
- No side ties – For some reason, I do not like swim bottoms that have ties on the sides. They just do not look good on me.
- High waist – Bottoms do not have to be high waist, but I do like how chic & stylish they are. They also help hide the pizza baby I have once lunch comes around lol
- Full or cheeky – I hate the feeling of a wedgie so cheeky or full it is
Mix and Match
Since I buy all my swim tops and swim bottoms separate, I tend to mix and match all my tops and bottoms. I love pairing a patterned top with a solid bottom or pairing different color combinations in my top and bottom.
I often buy more solid colors in my suits so I can more easily mix and match. I always have a black top and black bottom that I can go to like an LBD. A black swimsuit is always chic and can be mixed & matched with just about anything. The same goes for a white suit although white suits are so hard to keep clean from sunblock, chlorine, the sun, you name it.
Where to Buy Swimsuits
My current favorite stores to buy swim at are –
- Target
- Aerie
- Becca Swimsuits – Found at Nordstrom, Macys & Everything But Water
Target Swim
Target is my go- to for swimsuits! They have such great prices, suits are often on sale and the variety of sizing and styles is unbeatable!
Here are a few of my current favorites that I bought for this summer –
Target Sizing
I find that Target swim runs pretty true to size.
I ALWAYS buy medium bottoms. I did find the tie dye swim bottoms to run really small.
In both tops, I got them in a size D/DD. They also have removable pads and a tie back (only the D sizes have the tie back and all sizes smaller than that have a clasp).
Aerie Swim
Aerie is another go-to for swimsuits! Their suits are typically always on sale and they have such a variety of swim styles, colors, and sizes.
Here are a few of my favorites that I bought for this summer –
Aerie Sizing
Aerie swim for me tends to run a bit big in tops. I wear a size medium in their tops which I can never fit into a medium elsewhere! Also, neither of these tops have a back tie which is a typical NEED for me. However, they fit great with no adjustment needed! I call that a win and they are suits I will buy over and over again!
In bottoms, I am still a medium.
Becca Swimsuits
I know this is not a store per say but I do love this brand of suits! They are great quality and have sizes that fit D cups. They are a little more pricey than Target and Aerie but I tend to buy at least one a summer as a splurge suit!
Here are the suits that are my favorite and I currently own –
Becca Sizing
I live for these bikini tops! They have such great support for my D/DD ladies! I get them in a D. The backs are adjustable and the material is so so soft and comfortable. Nothing digging in and the girls are held up nicely 🙂
I do not own any Becca bottoms. I have tried them on and they just did not fit me well.
In Becca one piece swim, I am a medium! I own both the black and the white in this suit and even though there is no wire, it has some good support. I will note that I do adjust anytime I get up just to make sure the girls do not fall out the middle.
I hope this is helpful and as always, feel free to reach out to me here, Instagram or email ([email protected]) with any questions!
xoxox Jess
