Swimsuit season has officially hit the northern hemisphere. And I want to make sure you step into all the pool parties and beach days the warm weather ushers in with complete confidence. We can all agree, bathing suit shopping is the HARDEST. But with this ultimate guide to the most flattering swimsuit styles for every body type, it’s about to get a whole lot easier and more enjoyable. Read on to discover exactly how to highlight your favorite assets, hide the features you’re less comfortable flaunting, create perfect proportions, and balance that beautiful body of yours — in the cutest bathing suit styles this season has to offer!

For starters, let’s look at a few simple ways to balance your body’s shape. If you’re wider on top (inverted triangle shaped) or bottom (pear-shaped), have a defined (hourglass) or undefined (rectangular) waist, or want to emphasize your body’s natural silhouette, this first section is for you.

As a general rule, to widen an area of your body, you’ll want to add layers and volume, draw the eye out with horizontal lines, and wear lighter colors. To narrow an area of your body, do the opposite. Use diagonal or vertical lines to break up the space. Wear dark colors.

Save, screenshot, or pin the images below as a quick cheatsheet to execute these ideas! It’s all about balancing your figure from top-to-bottom AND calling attention to the areas of your body that you love the most. 

Another important factor to think about when choosing the most flattering swimsuit styles for you is your body’s proportions. The key here is balancing the appearance of your upper and lower body. So where you’re on the short side (think short-waisted, short in the rise, or your legs), visually lengthen and where you have extra length, optically shorten. Keep scrolling for plenty of examples to get you started!

Bathing suit season tends to bring all our insecurities to the surface, doesn’t it? Rest assured, we each have areas of our bodies we feel more or less comfortable with. I can’t say what these are for you. But I’ve provided tricks to help you highlight and hide some of the most common areas of warm weather exposure: your arms, chest, stomach, and thighs. Whether you love to bare it all or would rather keep things under wraps, here are a few chic ways to cater to your own level of self-confidence this summer.

Okay, friend. This is literally everything you need to shop for new swimsuits with like a total pro. I packed this article full of flawless examples to help you balance your body’s shape and proportions, highlight your favorite features, and downplay the rest. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest.

And let me know in the comments what you found most helpful! I have no doubt you’ll score the most flattering bathing suits for your body type this season. Happy shopping!