De-Stressing Swimwear Shopping - A Collection of Cute Suits!

Okay ladies, bust out your inhalers, Tylenol, and the sweetest text message from your boyfriend, because you're going to need it. It's swimsuit season.

Yes, land of the dreaded fitting room lighting, awful rectangular mirrors that stretch you in impossible places, and colors that are...regrettable. No, it's not that bad – I'm here to help! I promise, if we just hold hands and stick together, nobody's self-esteem will plummet too much. I wanted to put together some of my favorite bathing suits in all the different categories: One-piece, retro, triangle, and bandeau, in hopes that it might make bathing suit shopping easier. I'm going to include suits from all different places and price ranges, so hold on to your straw hats and SPF, here we go!

1. Classic triangle tops - While I personally shy away from triangle top bathing suits, there are loads of cute designs out there from girls who do like them. Here are a few of my personal faves!

a. I started my search at the superstore of sexy swimsuits - Victoria's Secret. In the mix-and-match section, I found this really cute spotted suit top for around $20.  victoriassecret.com

I love the color and the pattern! I think it's a pretty universally flattering top.

b. I also like this top from Hollister. It's white, with a little bit of ruffle accent in the corner, for $20. hollisterco.com

White can be a really knockout color on really tan skin (of course, wear your SPF and self-tan!) So I think this is a good choice as well.

2. Bandeau tops - I think these kinds of bathing suit tops are the most flattering in general. Whereas triangle tops can make you look a little ungainly, bandeau tops seem to be cut for a woman's natural curves, highlighting them instead of cutting them off at strange places.

a. While the bottoms are definitely to-die-for as well, this bandeau is my favorite. It's by Unique Vintage (which I featured in another article) for $58. The big bow is so cute, and the polka dots add a wonderful contrast. unique-vintage.com

3. One-piece - One-piece bathing suits can be really slimming, and that’s why I love them so much. They really skim over areas you don't want to highlight, and flaunt things like long legs, pretty arms, and waistlines.

a. Macy's really takes the cake with this sexy one-piece number for $89. It's black, an already flattering color, and features a super-awesome mesh inset. 1.macys.com

4. Retro Pieces - Being a little indie kid, I'm most taken with high-waisted bottoms and vintage-inspired swimwear. They're more modest, sure, but also show off assets like hips, legs, tummies, and midriffs.

a. This design from Nasty Gal has me swooning. Take a look.  nastygal.com The bottoms come as part of the entire set that includes the top. But the floral design is so classy, it's hard to ignore! The pastel color may be a bit hard to pull off on olive skin tones, but I'd think it would still be flattering because of the amazing cut. Just look at that adorable little bow! The suit prices at $155.

Well, these are just a few of my favorite swimsuits. I hope you enjoyed the list, and maybe found your bathing suit soulmate among them!