Many sun-seeking shoppers are thinking about tan-lines and prints when looking for swimwear – but don’t forget, the same rules of dressing to suit your body shape apply!

See our tips for matching the right swim piece to your body and how to throw that fashion item in the mix for the total beach beauty look.

Small on top

If you’re small on top, you can try your hand at the Brazilian style bikini. This style is cut to suit women with a smaller bust. You’re lucky to also be able to wear the bandeaux well and even luckier to get to bust out in frilly cute numbers.

Don’t forget there are a lot of bikini tops out there with padding, but make sure to go for the ones with just a touch to highlight your dainty bust line.

For a total look: try paring your bikini top with a cropped tea and long skirt for bohemian beach style that shows off your dainty torso!

Big on top

Try a halter bikini top for the ultimate support while still looking super sexy style. Other bikini tops that have band ties around the neck and midriff are great because they allow you to adjust support to suit your bust. Stay away from the bandeaux style.

One- piece bathing suits with a little structure (cups) inside the bust are a great way to play demure in style.

For total look: try paring your one piece with a soft and flowing shirt (worn open) and a floppy hat for casual beach glam.

If you haven’t yet heard about the hype surrounding Spanx support underwear, then you need to get yourself in the loop pronto.

I personally am yet to try the range (which is stocked in Australia at David Jones, otherwise your best bet is through online retailers), but have heard enough reports to know that these little beauties can shave kilos off your figure, especially worn underneath tight-fitting outfits and dresses.

What I’m more interested in is the newish range of swimwear that Spanx has released. While it may seem to be the wrong time to be thinking about swimwear (given the Arctic conditions we’re experiencing in Sydney today), I’m clinging onto hope that winter is about to break and we’ll all be back at the beach soon.

And God knows that this year I’m going to need figure shaping/slimming swimwear. So I’ll be purchasing this one-piece when the appropriate time arrives, which is available for US$119 through the US site.

It will be a worthy investment indeed.

By Caroline Warnes

Some exciting news this morning - you can now shop online for gear from Surf Dive N Ski (also known as Jetty Surf in some states) through Lasoo.

In case you can’t tell, I don’t go surfing much (at all, ever), but you don’t have to be a surfie to find something to buy here. As well as swimwear and bikinis, you’ll also find clothing and swimwear for men and women, including sunglasses.

In fact, some of the dresses are quite cute and are really affordable too. The dress pictured here is a great casual option and is only $79.95.

Shop online for Surf Dive N Ski

By Caroline Warnes

Zodee is having another one of its giant lingere and swimwear sales and it’s another good one, with some pieces reduced by up to 90%.

There are over 1000 pieces up for grabs in the sale and the good news is it isn’t just for women - you’ll also find undies and swimwear for men and kids.

I have pretty bad taste in swimwear so I can’t tell if this one is actually nice or not, but I quite like the Bond-Eye bikini top pictured here. It’s reduced by 50% to $32.48.

A lot of the heavily reduced stuff is so cheap because it’s only available in limited sizes, so you may have to spend some time browsing to find a bargain in your size. Otherwise you can shop by size for bras.

By Caroline Warnes

I’ve never given much though to Cotton On Body but I visited the store yesterday and had something of an epiphany.

The original Cotton On stores, which stock products for everyday wear, don’t do a whole lot for me, but Cotton On Body is a whole different story.

The Body stores stock all those odds and ends that don’t fit into the original stores: underwear and lingerie, swimwear, sleepwear, workout gear, towels and other odds and ends.

And oh my God, the prices! So so cheap. My visit yesterday only set me back $50 but I walked out with five individual items.

Some highlights include fashion underwear from $7.95 and the bikini pictured here which will only cost you $30.

See more of the Cotton On Body range and find a store near you here.

By Caroline Warnes

Winter is gradually coming to an end (very, very gradually) and it has just occurred to me that it’s almost beach season again.

Now I love going to the beach in summer however I don’t love the feeling I get at the end of winter when I realise I’ve spent three months eating, drinking, doing far less exercise than I should and… not much else.

Dieting is one of my least favourite things to do (I usually start experiencing ravenous hunger and headspins approximately one hour after my first diet breakfast) however I think it will make it all the more bearable if I give myself some inspiration - like this “Ocean Dusk” one-piece from Jets by Jessika Allen.

Jets is probably my all time favourite swimwear label. Each season features some really nice 1950s- and 60s-inspired designs (for example wider straps and one-pieces) that really appeal to me.

Plus, Jets is one of the best labels for anyone with a larger bust. Note to swimwear designers: if you have D-cup breasts, two flimsy pieces of string around your neck and back are NOT enough to keep a bikini top stable in the surf.

The Ocean Dusk one-piece is featured here in lychee, but it also comes in honeydew (presumably a green shade of some description) and pawpaw (orange).

By Caroline Warnes