5 Tricks To Hide Your Tummy With The Right Swimsuit This Summer

After months spent laying on the sofa and watching TV, springtime finally knocks on our doors reminding us that it’s time to get fit and improve our overall well-being just in case we want to look good in our swimsuits when the beach season comes around.

But what if we have a stubborn menopause belly that just keeps peaking out?

Last-minute weight loss plans very rarely work out as the reduction of female hormones leads to the redistribution of body fat, particularly to the abdominal area. So, women over 50 need to find other solutions.

There is no miracle cream or formula to help you to look thinner in a bathing suit. It’s basically a matter of styling tricks by cleverly directing the attention away from those areas you want to conceal.

CrunchyTales has put together a list of useful tips to help you find the flattering pieces you deserve.

Don’t fall for trends

Investing in timeless cuts, prints, and colour palettes is a foolproof way to ensure that the next time a situation calls for swimwear—whether it be a summer beach day or a tropical getaway during winter—you’ll have a mainstay to slip into with ease.

One-piece swimsuits, in particular, continue to be a staple that’s well worth having in your arsenal. Not only they are extremely flattering on practically every body type, but they can also be worn as a cute top when layered under your favourite skirts and pants.

Brittany Kozerski Freeney, owner and designer of JADE Swim, says she founded her brand on the principle that swimwear can and should be styled beyond the beach setting. “Our collections are always designed with multifunctional versatility in mind,” she says. “We offer styles that can be worn as swim or ready-to-wear—as bodysuits and as layering pieces mixed and matched with shorts, jeans, and skirts.” 

Similarly, some brands, like Shea Marie’s SAME swim and Castamira are intentionally making pieces that inherently double as ready-to-wear, swimsuits that look like they should be a part of your regular outfit rotation thanks to small details like ruching.

Opt for high-quality material

Of course, everybody is a beach body, but there’s no shame in preferring the shaping effect of a tummy control swimsuit over a basic bathing suit. 

Investing in swimsuits made out of quality materials is often the best option and a surefire way to elongate the life of your swimsuit. 

Michaela Leitz, a plus-size fashion stylist and size-inclusive fashion expert based in Germany, recommends opting for spandex, a spandex blend or high-quality Lycra, “The latter dries faster and is a thicker material that provides more support“, she says. 

From Spanx’s Classic Swim One Piece to tankinis like Summersalt’s The Oasis Tankini Top and bottoms like Swimsuits For All Shirred High Waist Swim Brief, there are options for all body types and needs. 

For those with larger busts, Leitz says don’t skip the underwire tops. “They provide extra support, especially if you are swimming,” she notes. She also would invest in a high-waisted bottom swimsuit because “it holds everything in and cinch your waist for balance.”

Find the right swimsuit model

As a rule of thumb, a skirted one-piece swimsuit can help to hide the tummy area, but you can also feel more comfortable on the beach by simply wearing a pareo, sarong or kaftan to conceal parts of your body you don’t want to show. 

Swimsuits with ruching and plunging necklines are also very flattering on a range of body types.  The first ones which might have pleated, fluted, or gathered together fabric to create a ripple-like effect work very well to hide the tummy area. The latter might have a slimming effect because they tend to draw attention towards the centre of your body which creates the illusion of a slimmer figure.

But you can even look for pieces that have cut-outs which can add a hint of sexiness to your ensemble, drawing the eye up and away from less flattering areas or even opt for the modern and flattering tankini.

Enjoy bold colours and patterns

Don’t stick to black swimwear just because of its well-known slimming effect. Stripes or zig-zags and tropical motifs might be clever choices too as they create an illusion and can mask the problem areas that you don’t wish to highlight. Busy prints with smaller patterns, in particular, deflect attention away from any area you don’t want to be the focal point making you appear thinner effortlessly.

Last but not least

Looking good is fine. But the idea of covering some areas of your body in summer shouldn’t become such an obsession to prevent you from fully enjoying your free time during that well-deserved cruise or at the pool.

A healthy body image means accepting how you look most of the time and ensuring negative thoughts about your body aren’t holding you back from engaging fully with other aspects of your life and the beach life. 

Like this post? Support Us or Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox!