Shop your shape: Pear

Shop you shape: Pear

You are a pear shape if you carry your weight around your hips and bottom. You have a beautifully defined waist and narrow shoulders. 


If your hips are your trouble zone - you're not alone. The pear shape is one of the most common body types. There are plenty of stylish suits that will help accentuate your slender upper body.

When shopping for a suit:

- Choose a top that's a lighter colour than the bottom, or has some noticeable, standout feature. 

- Contrary to popular belief, a boy short will only bring attention to a larger booty! Look for a high cut bottom since this will give the illusion of a longer, leaner leg.

- Embellishments such as ruffles or rhinestones, placed on the top half of your swimsuit, will help to balance out pear shaped proportions.  Padded tops are also a good choice for balancing a pear shaped figure.

- Halter tops are a great choice to draw attention to your lovely shoulders. 

- If you want to go for fun prints, make sure the print is a good size. If the print is too small, it will make you look large in comparison. Bigger prints do a better job at camouflaging, and tricking the eye.

Pic Glamour Magazine

Pic Miss Posh

Pic Forever 21

Shop your shape: Apple

Shop you shape: Apple

You are an apple shape if you carry your weight around your middle have no defined waist but lovely slim legs and arms and narrow hips. Your bust could be large or small.


If your tummy is your trouble-zone, more so than your hips - you're not alone. Thankfully, there are plenty of stylish suits that offer some camouflage & help to create the illusion of a more defined waist. Side-detailing, wrap styles, and ruching all help to make the middle look slimmer.

When shopping for a suit, keep an eye out for:

- Swimwear that provides support for the stomach. Many of today's styles offer some sort of built in tummy control lining that can reduce the appearance of the stomach and help to create a more slender silhouette.

- Ruching or shirring at the sides and middle gives the appearance of definition to the waistline.

- A swim suit with built in bust support is important. These built in bras can either be soft cup or underwire.

- Halter tops and suits with a deep V or plunging neckline are also a great option for an apple shape. They help by creating length and bringing the eye up towards the face and neck.

- Wrap tops are also great options since they not only draw attention to the bust, but help in creating the appearance of definition to the waist.

Lane Bryant

Sorella Swim

Swimsuits for All

Next up: Shop your shape - Pear

It's that time again...swimsuit season!

Pic Malia Mills

All right ladies. Let's do this! The weather is finally getting warmer, & summer is right around the corner which means now is the time to get out there and find the perfect suit. Courage my loves - it can be done!

No matter what our size may be, most women have moments of anxiety when exposing so much skin.

Here are my top tips to get yourself prepared to brave the beach in comfort and style.

1. Plan Ahead
Don't just haphazardly walk into a store and decide to buy a swimsuit, and don't leave it to the last minute and buy the first suit you see.  Please, do yourself a favour and don’t buy a suit that is too small and tell yourself you will lose weight by summer. Or conversely, select one that is a size too big and may fall off when splashing around in the water. And if you're one size on top and another on the bottom—like most women—look for stores where they sell separates.

2. Go Alone
I think it is less stressful to go alone when it comes to a buying a swimsuit. What matters is that you feel good in the suit. That trumps everything and everyone else. If you try on a bathing suit, and feel good in it, then go with it. You will no doubt hit the beach with confidence.

3. Ignore the Lighting
I remember standing in a dressing room wearing, what I felt was a great bikini, when I saw dimples on my legs that I had never seen before. I was furious - but I tried to keep my cool.  The suit fit me well. It highlighted my best features and it also fit my personality. Dimples or no dimples, this suit suited me. When I got home, I tried it on again, far away from the harsh unflattering, want to crawl under a rock lighting of the dressing room, and I was happy with what I saw. Phew.

4. Fit & Function
Think about comfort and fit rather than trends. Like when shopping for clothes, pick a suit that is YOU. Some swim suits can be plain and simple while others can be bold & bright, choosing one that highlights your personality will make you feel good all the time. Equally important is function. If you are going to be running around chasing after your kids, the two piece string bikini may be out of the question!  So be sure to pick a style that is appropriate for the setting.

5. Accessorize
Buying a cute cover up, sunglasses, hat, and sandals will make your outfit more complete. Instead of hiding behind an oversized shirt, buy a pretty sarong that will make you feel beautiful and self assured.

6. Own It! 
Once you've made your choice, own it. Wear that new suit confidently.  There is nothing more attractive than confidence, so embrace that beautiful body of yours and have a good time wherever you are.


Do you have your own tips for surviving buying a new swimsuit? If so, please share them!

Next up - Shop your shape. Styles that suit your body type.

Swimsuit season....

I have always had a love/hate relationship with swimsuit season.  What I love? I love being around the water. I love the warm breezes, the sounds of the waves, the feeling of sand between my toes. Shedding some clothing to take in, and cool down, in the summer heat.  However, what I hate is vastly different. It has, and I am sure will continue to, revolve around I feel about my body.  I know I am not alone in this. I know, because I see it with my clients, and my friends.  We, women especially, although it is happening to more and more men, are EXTREMELY body conscious.  We expect perfection. We compare. We put pressure and high demands on ourselves. And of course, this trickles into every aspect of our lives - not just getting "bikini ready".

Last summer, when we went to the local beach as a family, I wore the same swimsuit that I wore when I was pregnant with Andy. Last summer, Andy was 16 months old. I felt embarrassed that I was wearing that suit, but just didn't feel I was ready to try on another one or two or three!  Later that night, my husband put his arm around me, gave me loving little squeeze, and told me, ever so sweetly that I was better than that suit. That I didn't need to cover up my body. That I was beautiful.  I always knew I married a smart man!  This propelled me to get out there, brave the stores, and try on some more flattering, body and age appropriate swimsuits.

For the rest of the summer, I happily, confidently, fashionably took to the beach in my bright pink bikini!!  So what changed? Why did I go from supreme coverage, to a bikini?  I knew, deep down that my husband my right. But I let my imperfections stop me. Imperfections, that through my eyes, were terrible and warranted being covered up. The funny thing is, I experience this all the time with my clients. They look at their bodies in such a way, that they can't see ALL the good - only the "bad". My job then, is to break them free of that. To show them that they can wear that pencil skirt. That their legs should be shown off. That of course they can wear a sleeveless top!  These are what I call BREAKTHROUGHS. These breakthroughs are moments of empowerment. Little realizations that - 'hey, my body isn't so bad after all'! I LOVE these moments, and thanks to my husband, I was able to have one those breakthroughs too.

So what changed? I looked at my body in a different way. I no longer looked at it with the memory of my body in my early 20's! I looked at my body - after having my two beautiful girls - as an incredible machine. I looked at all the areas that I love. Areas that I was proud to highlight, and I went from there.
So what if my body wasn't what I deemed "perfect". Honestly, it never will. But it's my body; it's strong, it's unique, it's powerful. I wrote a post called body beautiful that I would suggest you check out and make a list of your own. It's a great exercise to get your mind, not just your body, ready for swimsuit season.  I know that I will be going over it again, as I get myself prepared for my pink bikini!

Last summer - in my pink bikini.