Swimsuits are an unavoidable element of the summertime, although the vast majority of full-figured females feel daunted at the prospect of shopping for them. These women even consider wearing caftans by the pool or at the shore rather than looking unattractive. Designers and shopkeepers are finally beginning to recognize the unique fashion problems of the larger woman, and at last are now featuring an assortment of stylish bathing suit designs in larger sizes. When it is time to buy bathing suits there are a few things you need to consider. What will flatter your body the most at a time when you are wearing the least? Full figured women should look for support for the bust first.

Built in bras, and bras with underwire in plus sizes are available. These bras will provide support and therefore have a slimming effect. The makers of plus size swim wear will sometimes add both support and slenderizing effects. Buy your swim wear with the same considerations that you use when buying your bras and you will look good and feel great.

Think about what you like and then look at your body to help determine what type of suit looks best on you. Generally a one-piece is the most flattering, especially for a fuller-figured woman. A beautiful print accentuates the positive and at the same time conceals the negative. Everyone has something that needs concealed; luckily there are many styles out there to help do that. Two styles that are particularly suitable to plus size women are the tankini and the blouson style suit.

The tankini is a two-piece suit that looks like a tank top and boy cut shorts or bikini bottoms. Tankinis come in many different styles. This type of bathing suit camouflages the parts of a woman's body she does not want seen but it still has plenty of style and appeal. A woman can pull the top down so the two pieces meet and the suit then resembles a one-piece or she can wear it such that a small amount of skin is visible. The tankini can be purchased together or separately and you can mix and match color if you prefer.

Choose a swimsuit that accents the positive and conceals the negative. One that will balance your figure is the blouson swimsuit. For a woman wanting to camouflage her top half, this style of suit works wonders. Her legs are shown off while the pretty suit flatters her upper torso. This is a good option for modesty as well. You want to choose a swimsuit with straps that are wide enough and have a flattering cut at the leg line.

In general, the higher the cut of the leg, the longer and trimmer your legs will appear. If you have large thighs or short legs, stay away from suits with tiny skirts at the waist - though they're advertised to camouflage larger legs, they actually make you appear even wider. Additionally, they can be restrictive and uncomfortable.

Andrea writes about Plus Size Clothing. Visit us for plus size deals on a Plus Size Dress at http://plus-size.discountsonline.com