IT’s summer time once again, and what could be any better than stepping into a pool for an invigorating soak after a hard day’s work? Those luckier still, could even be planning an extended holiday at some beachside resort, if only to burn out those extra calories and get the body back into shape.

Significantly, it is this new consciousness about fitness and recreation that accounts for the growing popularity of sports and leisure wear in India. Designers of swimsuits, in particular, have moved in quick with increasingly bold and some very innovative styles in order to catch up with this fast emerging trend.

But then, before you decide upon the style that suits you best, take a good and hard look at yourself in the mirror. Your swimsuit must make the most of your positive features and cleverly camouflage all those parts of the body you’d wish were not yours.

So for starters, make sure your skin is in perfect condition. Apart from the soup-’n’-salad regimen, subject yourself to regular waxing — particularly, at those awkward parts around your bikini bottom. Use an exfoliating scrub to get rid of all dead skin and moisturise till your complexion gleams in good health.

Also paint your nails the colour that matches best with that of the swimsuit you want to wear. Now this could be the tricky part. For the colour you choose would largely depend upon your complexion, height and physical characteristics. The cut and styling of your swimsuit would also depend upon these factors.

Check if your legs are your best features or worst. Do you have an ample bosom that you must play down or a tiny one, which needs to be accentuated. Can your waist cope with the demands of a bikini? What about your skin — moles, scars, birthmarks...

Answer these questions honestly and you would realise that half the difficulty of decision-making is over. Of course, if you have a well-proportioned, hour-glass figure and long limbs, any and every swimsuit style will look good on you.

But if, like most Indian women, you have an ample bosom and broad hips, you will best be served with dark colours. Choose navy, black, burgundy or dark brown and steer clear of white, beige and other pastel shades, which would only emphasise your curves.

Do not opt for high necks as these will make your torso look all the more heavy. Rather, go for a low-cut neck, which will draw attention away from your breasts. Likewise, a heavy bottom means that a swimsuit cut high on the hips is out. Opt for a more conservative cut instead.

In any event, the safest bet is a dark-coloured swimsuit cut deep on the top and kept low on the bottom. If your bosom needs support, go for a swimsuit with an in-built bra. If your waist needs tucking in, choose a lycra fabric, which will keep the embarrassing flab under check.

In the days gone by, women with big bottoms used to wear short frilly skirts (over the swimsuit) which sat coyly on the hips. This is the last thing you should do. Far from camouflaging the big hips, the skirts would only draw attention and make them look even bigger!

As for prints, avoid large florals if you are of a heavier build. Instead, go for smaller patterns or better still, vertical stripes, which create the happy illusion of making you look thinner than you really are. Unless you are very slim and lean, do not even think about horizontal stripes.

If you are top-heavy and bottom-light, choose a two-piece swimsuit, which has vertical stripes on top and horizontal lines at the bottom — and vice-versa, if you are bottom-heavy and top-light.

A floral bikini top adds fullness to your breasts and may be combined with a plain bikini bottom.

A boob tube only works on women who are less than well-endowed, while a halter style looks great on an ample bosom. But don’t even get within buying distance of a two-piece suit if you have a problem waist. A one-piece swimsuit is always the safest bet. It can hide a million flaws! (MF)