By Jennifer Cermak
With many retailers and media markets focused on the junior and surf brand lifestyle swimwear it is no surprise that people over the age of 20 are struggling to find the a suit they feel good in.
Most swimsuit shopper’s head to the mall, where customer service generally isn’t all that helpful. Here they find an assortment selected by buyers that are trend focused, and honestly fringe just looks funny on my 32-year-old self. Sizing is different in each brand, and styles are unrecognizable on a hanger. At this point, most people just settle on the first suit that stays on or they pick a color they want to wear and go. The result? Ill-fitting suits that do not flatter and make the consumer hate swimwear just a bit more.
This summer I did a few on-the-spot makeovers to prove my point and share some style secrets. Being in Minnesota, the land of lakes and conservative swimwear, I set out to a local pool to makeover some unsuspecting ladies. (Click images below to see the makeover videos).
Her suit lowered her bust line, accentuated the shoulders, hid the waist, and gave the illusion of a belly. Not to mention it was faded and saggy in the rear. When I offered a makeover she admitted she knew her suit was bad. Having gone to the Mall of America the day before in search of a new suit, she left empty handed. I grabbed one suit, a red Lenny one piece, and told her to try it on. The Lenny suit transformed her into a fashion forward mom with a perky bust, a great waist, the perfect fitting rear, and a color tone that warmed her skin!
She was walking with her kids and I approached and asked her “Why did you buy that suit?” Harsh, I know. She “liked the idea of a strapless suit and thought the color blocking stripes were trendy”. Her old suit was two sizes to big and the color stripes lowered her bust line, adding awareness to her tummy. The leg line was also too low. Poor girl, she really needed my help. I just about forced her into my fitting room promising her my Tommy Bahama suit would be a much better fit. And boy was it! The new suit lifted and supported her bust, while the light tummy control smoothed her silhouette and the pattern shaped her curves. She looked like she lost 20 pounds. She wrote me a thank you note a few days later saying the new suit is so flattering she actually wore it again the next day and the next!
This is where boutique shopping for swimwear can make such an impact in a women’s perception of her personal body in swimwear. It is an amazing transformation in attitude and body posture when a customer tries on a suit that actually works.
