With beach season just around the corner, one of the most common questions is how can I look thinner in a swimsuit? Since swimsuits don't cover much of your body, it's crucial to find the right style to make you look slimmer. The best swimsuits to make you look slim without losing weight should draw attention away from the areas where you carry weight, such as a fat stomach, wide hips, or thick thighs. Below are the tried-and-true swimsuits that will make you look slimmer and have been recommended by our readers:
One-piece with plunging neckline
One of my favourite tricks to looking slimmer in a one-piece swimsuit is choosing a plunging neckline. Believe it or not, it's a natural-style hack. A plunging neckline is slimming because it draws the eye and attention to the body's centre, creating the illusion of a slimmer figure. It's also a way to show a bit of skin in a one-piece suit, which flatters the figure.
Swimsuits with ruffles
If you're looking for a way to conceal your midsection, swimsuits with ruffles should be your new best friend in this area. If you're not familiar with wrinkles, they are a gathered overlay of strips of fabric that are pleated, ruffled or gathered to create a ruffled effect.
Draped swimwear
Like ruffles, draped swimsuits are another design that can conceal a fat belly and make you look slimmer. The draping on the top of the swimsuit draws the eye away from your heavy midsection, making you appear thinner. Below is our selection of draped swimsuits from Macy's for the new season.
Colourful prints
Black and dark colours may be known for their slimming effects, but that's not the only option for swimwear. Instead, bright, bold prints are a great choice if you want to look slimmer in a swimsuit. And why? Colourful prints draw attention away from the areas you don't want to focus on. This tip also applies to one or two-piece swimsuits!
Swim Dress
If you have too much weight on your buttocks and thighs (a typical feature of the pear shape), then a swim dress is one of your slimmest options. The reason is that the skirt is flared below the waist, completely concealing your concerns in the hip area. If you are aware of your thick thighs, you should choose a longer swim dress so that it can cover the widest part of your thighs.
black swimsuits
This is one of the most slimming swimsuits we all know. We know that black is slimming, so wearing a black swimsuit, whether a one-piece, bikini or tankini, will make you look slimmer than similar swimsuits in lighter colours.Even though black is traditionally considered the most slimming colour, this doesn't only apply to black swimsuits. You can also wear other dark solid colours, such as navy blue, dark brown and so on.
Swimwear with vertical stripes
Say yes to vertical lines! They are a great way to elongate and slim your body shape in swimwear. It doesn't have to be the traditional bold vertical lines if that's not your style. Any swimsuit with vertical lines incorporated into the print/colour will subtly give that effect.
Bikini bottoms with skirts
Similar to the swim dress, a bikini bottom with a skirt can hide a heavier lower half, making you appear slimmer. It can make your buttocks and thighs appear smaller, as these areas are not directly "exposed" like traditional swimsuits.You can choose the right length according to your body shape. Here are our favourites from Nordstrom for the new season.
High Waisted Tankini or Bikini
Bikinis or tankinis can seem intimidating, especially if you want to look slimmer in a swimsuit. However, they can be just as slimming as one-pieces.The key is to opt for bikinis that offer a little more coverage than traditional string bikinis. High-waisted swimsuits, tankinis, etc., are all options that give you the ease and style of a bikini while providing a little more coverage that flatters your figure.
Swimsuits with integrated shapewear
This is a big win in the swimsuit realm - built-in shapewear! Who would have thought? As you know, shapewear is an easy way to smooth your figure and create a subtle slimming effect. For this reason, you should pay attention to them when buying swimsuits. There are more and more options that take this aspect into account, so you can still have fun with your swimwear.
Colour blocking swimwear
Colour blocking is another one of my favourite ways to flatter your figure, especially in swimwear subtly. Look for swimsuits with colour blocking that accentuates your figure. For example, if you want your midsection to appear slimmer, choose a swimsuit with a darker colour in the bottom half and a slightly lighter or more cheerful colour in the top half. This will visually slim down the area you want while drawing attention away from it to another site.However, this is not the only way to use colour blocking. Swimwear with colour blocking on the sides can also create this elongated, slimming effect. If you want to try this option, look for a one-piece that has a "stripey" block on the sides in a contrasting colour to the rest of the suit.
Below are our best pictures of coloured swimsuits from Macy's, a great way to look slimmer.
Swimsuits with belt
I often talk about the benefits of a defined waist in special occasions and everyday clothing, but this can help with swimwear too. Any time you wear something that accentuates your waistline, it gives the illusion of a slimmer shape and waist. Whether you naturally have a defined waist or not, this is a trick you should try. Look for one-piece swimsuits that have a defined waist built into the suit. But this doesn't just apply to one-piece swimsuits; high-waisted bikinis also provide a defined waist.
One-piece swimsuit with corset
This type of swimsuit is so slimming because it has a structure that holds everything in place. The corset is traditionally worn to shape the upper body into the desired body shape, usually a slimmer waist and enormous butt (such as the hourglass). When the swimsuit has the structure of a corset, it creates the illusion of a smaller waist and round bottom, making the eye believe you are thinner than you are.
Unlike other shapewear models, the one-piece swimsuit with a corset is usually quite comfortable as long as it has enough stretch.
Bra size swimsuit
Most women who would like to look slimmer have a plump body with a total bust. If the swimsuit well lifts the bust, your posture will improve and naturally look slimmer.
Therefore, you should choose swimsuits with cup sizes from A to ZZ instead of the traditional swimsuits in sizes S to L. Swimsuits in bra sizes offer more accurate sizing, a great advantage for women who need larger cups and more lift.
Below are some brands that offer swimwear in bra sizes, like Ann Nicole and Coco Reef, and these are our favourites from Macy's for the new season:
Well-fitting swimwear
The fit of swimwear, as with any other clothing, is one of the most critical factors in flattering the figure. Even with swimsuits, this is often overlooked. If you want to look slimmer in your swimsuit, pay close attention to how it fits on your body.Avoid anything too loose or tight r a perfect fit; it should be right in the middle. Garments that are too tight will pinch and squeeze your body in an unflattering way that does the opposite of slim. It's not uncommon to order a size or two larger for swimwear, so keep that in mind when you try something on. Ignore the label's sizing and pay attention to how the garment fits on your body and flatters your figure.