Swimsuit Choices For The Plus Size Woman

The summer season is nearly here and a bathing suit is a hot weather necessity. If you haven't looked at swimsuits in several years because you were disappointed at the options for plus sized women, be prepared for a treat this season!

Plus sized women have a number of bathing suit options that are quite different from traditional swimsuits. Here are a few ideas for nontraditional bathing suits for the plus sized woman.

The Tankini
The tank suit top combined with a bikini bottom is a tankini. You can look it up in the new dictionary. "Tankini" was a new inclusion this year.

This bathing suit is designed for the woman with longer legs. It is easy way to camouflage a body that has slimmer legs and bottom. It is also easy to understand why this suit so popular with plus sized women when you see how the swimsuit fits. The bottom allows coverage, while still having style. The top can be pulled down over the top of the bikini or it can be bunched to allow a small space between the bottom and the tank. The emphasis on the waist can be avoided in this suit.

The tankini has an advantage to women who are dieting, since the top and bikini bottoms are sold separately. One size can be purchased for the top and another size for the bottom of the suit.

The Skirted Tankini
Take a basic tankini and add a small skirt to cover the front of the bikini and you have a skirted tankini. This bathing suit is the perfect nontraditional suit for a woman who wants to emphasize her rear look. Reverse the skirt, and the legs from the front can be featured.

The Skirtini
The skirtini combines the bikini with the tank suit top and an attached skirt. The skirt is usually longer than the attached skirt, so the hips can be covered in full. This is the perfect suit for a woman who wishes to emphasize the lower legs and upper thigh.

Women who wish to feature the bust line will find the skirtini a perfect nontraditional suit. String bikini tops or halters can be worn on the top with the skirt covering the waist and lower hip section.

The Two-toned Skirt Suit
This suit is a modification of a traditional suit, with an important twist. The two-toned suit is really two pieces that can be placed together with a skirt cover. It has options for a light color on either the top or bottom. If you wish to emphasize the top part of the body, select a dark color for the bottom of the suit and a light color on top. Anyone wishing to emphasize the bottom of the body reverse the location of the dark color.

The Blouson
The blouson bathing suit allows great coverage for the woman who wishes to cover more of the bust line and feature her legs. It is also an easy way to balance the top and bottom of the body by adding emphasis to the shoulders with straps and small cap sleeves.

The Sarong Cover Up
The sarong is more traditional to cover up for legs, but the new cuts in sarongs can emphasize one leg while covering the bottom portion of the body. The new sarongs, with leg openings, are cut mid-calf length.

Full sarongs can cover the bust line and open at the waist. Color can be used to draw the eye to the top or bottom of the body, depending on the design and color balance. A solid color draws the eye to other designs. Elaborate patterns draw the eye to the design.

A full length sarong with a pattern on top and a solid color on the bottom emphasizes the top of the body. A sarong with a patterned fabric on the bottom and a dark solid color on the top will draw the eye to the bottom of the garment.

Top with Bra Insert
Another variation of a traditional swimsuit with a twist, the top with bra insert is placed into such nontraditional swimsuit options as the halter and bikini top. The bra insert allows lift and structure that a simple suit cannot.

Summer is a time for swimming and water sports. Plus-sized women now have nontraditional choice in bathing suits that open wardrobe choices to new levels.

How to Shop Online for Plus Size Formal Occasion Dresses

Special Occasion Dress Shopping Has Never Been Easier for the Plus Size Woman

It could be a known fact that more than 66% of women in the USA today wear a size 12 or larger. It is terribly frustrating to have an idea of what you would like to wear to that office or holiday function, or any special occasion for the matter, and not be able to find the dress that you truly want in the local stores or boutiques. When you do set your eyes on that special dress, you cannot find your size as all the dresses are either a size 6, 8, or 10 and you are definitely NOT one of those.

Well, have you ever thought about the ease and convenience of online shopping? Certainly, you have bought gift baskets or a set of dishes on the internet but a formal occasion dress? That must be truly beyond your comprehension and a new frontier for you but stress no longer, as you can successfully purchase a plus size formal gown online.

These are the rules:

1. Have an idea about fabrics, their textures, and quality. Every good clothing website will state the type of fabric used on the description summary of the dress. Special occasion dresses are usually made of synthetic fabrics nowadays, due to lower costs and their ability to be wrinkle-free. Visit stores and boutiques in your area and very soon, you will be a fabric expert!

2. Also visit physical stores to see what colors and styles fit your shape and figure and have an idea what you would like or not like on you. Are the styles on the racks too dowdy or are they just plain revealing? Are the colors too loud and bold or are they just plain boring? You will choose the style and color basing on what is socially acceptable for that special event and what will look great on you.

3. Basing on previous shopping experiences and yes, mistakes of the past, you will also have a clear idea of what is becoming on you and to you.

4. Buy or borrow a tape measure (the vinyl or cloth type), if you do not have one already. This is the best tool to obtain your body measurements accurately. Measure over your undergarments, your chest, waist, and hips. Place the tape measure snugly and firmly over your body and not too tightly. Write these numbers down in inches.

5. Now for the best shopping online experience ever, ensure that you select a dress size basing on these body measurements of yours. Remember that every manufacturer size their dresses differently, especially special occasion dresses. There is no standard American size chart for women's clothing. What is normally a size 16 to you, is probably not the same when it comes to formal wear.

6. When selecting a size, please choose the size that corresponds to your widest body part, if your body measurements are not ideally proportionate. Social occasion dresses are not everyday clothing and are highly tailored and constructed. You may have to follow the rule-"easier to take it in, than to let it out".

7. Visit the various online boutiques out there. If you do not have a website name in mind, do a "search" in Yahoo!, Google, MSN, or AOL for "special occasion dresses", "formal dresses", or "evening gowns", to give you a few examples. All the specialty stores selling these dresses will be in the search results. It is now up to you to visit them and see what they have to offer. Online stores usually have great prices and selections.

8. Remember to allow ample time between the time you shop and the special event because oftentimes, plus size social occasion dresses are special ordered and require a waiting period.

9. If you follow the above rules, your online shopping experience for your plus size formal occasion dress, will be a pleasant one and you will definitely do it again the next time around. Happy Shopping!