My 5-Step Guide to Empowered Swimwear Shopping
Empowered Swimwear Shopping
One of the reasons I started Show Your Shells was the knowledge that many women found shopping for swimsuits intimidating. My desire was, and is, to help make the process more accessible, easier and dare I say fun by offering information and inspiration. At the heart of all of this is using knowledge and inspiration to empower you to create a Shorely Beautiful Swim Wardrobe You Love to Wear.
To that end, I created my 5-Step Guide to Empowered Swimwear Shopping. What you’ll find below are simple suggestions to help you keep yourself – your needs and your wants – at the center of the shopping experience. Ultimately these steps help make shopping for swimwear an easier, fun process that’s all about you, resulting in a swimsuit you love to wear!
1. Be Honest with Yourself
Empowerment begins with knowing yourself. Shopping for a garment as unique and special as a swimsuit also requires you to be honest with yourself. To find the swimsuit(s) that are the best fit for you, literally and figuratively, I suggest asking yourself these two questions:
🐚 What do you need in a swimsuit? (budget, activities, support, coverage, sun protection, etc.)
🐚 What kind of swimsuit will you feel good wearing? (supporting BIPOC brands, wearing your favorite color, choosing recycled fabrics, etc.)
These questions can only be answered by you.
If writing things down helps you, list out exactly what you’re looking for. If you prefer visuals, create a Pinterest vision board of the things you need and want. If talking it out is helpful, choose a trusted friend (more on that in Step 5!) to chat with. Having trouble thinking of what you want? Start with what you don’t want and work your way backwards.
Be as specific as possible! If you can articulate that you want a red one-piece suit with ruffles that you can really swim in on your vacation, with full-booty coverage, a shelf bra, that draws attention to your bust and waist, that’s made out of recycled materials, is made by people making a living wage, and will support a woman-owned business for under $150, it’s much more helpful than saying you want a “flattering red one-piece swimsuit”.
2. Do Your Research
Based on what you’re looking for, start exploring swimwear brands and suits.
I know – this can be the hardest part! After all, if you knew where to find the best swimsuit for you, chances are you wouldn’t be on my blog reading this guide!
“Research” can mean a lot of different things. My suggestion is to start with what will be fun and interesting to you. Are specific values important to you? Start by searching for brands that support values or causes you want to support and check out what they offer. Do you love social media? Search specific influencers or hashtags that reflect your needs and wants. Prefer to work with someone directly? You’ve hit the sunken treasure chest! Use my other Swimwear 101 posts and Swim Capsules as a starting point or consider scheduling a personalized Swim Consult where I’ll do the research for you.
Once you have a few swimsuit options, be sure to read the garment description carefully and look at all of the pictures. It can be helpful to search the swimsuit brand and style name(s) to find alternate retailers that may have more information about the garment(s) such as model measurements, alternative views, etc. Have the pictures of the swimsuit clearly been edited with a filter? Check out the brand or vendor’s Instagram account and click on the section of their profile where you can see photos other users have tagged. Chances are you’ll see some pictures of the suits in different settings. Not sure about the care instructions? Send the brand an inquiry about their garment.
When you make a purchase you are making an investment, no matter how much you are spending. You want to have as much information as you can before making your decision.
3. Shop with Trusted REtailers
Choosing trusted retailers means you’ll have secure and smooth customer service, purchase, and if necessary, return, processes, while keeping you at the center of the experience.
Trust your instincts, especially when shopping online, when exploring new vendors or brands. Always check for the proper security protocols and be weary of sharing too much personal information. You know when something isn’t right, or seems too good to be true.
Before you decide to purchase from a brand or vendor, be sure you know how to return the garment if you need to. Especially if you are buying online and have not had a chance to try the garment on before purchase, you want a retailer that has a clear return policy that will work for you. Some retailers offer smart-label, in-store, or free returns. Unless you are 100% sure of your size and that the suit will fit, again literally and figuratively, do not buy a suit on final sale!
The best brands and retailers will have clear policies for
customer service, payment, and returns, in addition to making it easy for you to communicate with them throughout the process.
4. Try Multiple sizes
Even if you are awesome at measuring yourself and generally know your size, try on multiple sizes! A lot of factors affect the fit of a suit – the fabric, seams, cut, one-piece or two-piece, torso length, etc. and sometimes the size you think you are isn’t what will give you the best fit. Maybe your usual size Medium fits, but the size Large feels better on your body and will be more comfortable to wear.
If you are shopping in person, grab the size you think you are and the next size up or down, depending on how your measurements fall. If you are shopping online and can afford it, purchase multiple sizes and return the one that isn’t your best fit. (This presumes you’re shopping with a brand/vendor that has a great return policy!)
You want to give yourself options to ensure you find the right fit for you.
5. Invite Trusted Opinions Only
This suggestion is related to being honest with yourself. We all have those friends or loved ones that may have the best of intentions but don’t necessarily have opinions that reflect or support who we are or how we want to love our bodies. When you’re shopping for swimwear it’s important to listen to yourself first, then invite other voices that will lift you up. Also consider who you shop in person with, and who you share your home try-on sessions with. Just a friendly reminder that you don’t need to invite anyone else’s opinion into your swimwear shopping experience. As is true with every other aspect of life, the opinion that matters most is your own. You are shopping for you!
Final Thoughts
Shopping for swimwear can be intimidating, but don’t give the garments more power than they deserve. I think it’s helpful to remember the Marc Jacobs quote I shared in this post. “Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.” You’re in choice when shopping for swimwear! By empowering yourself at every step of the shopping process you are ensuring you will end up with a swimsuit you will love to wear. And that is a shorely beautiful thing!
What are your favorite empowering tips for shopping for swimwear? Share with me below!
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