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.

As mentioned about a million times over the past few years, these days I’m all about the one-piece when it comes to swimwear.

The main purpose of this is to minimse the impact of my beachside wallowing on small children and animals. No one cares to be visually assaulted with a vast expanse of untanned skin when hitting the beach.

So when I was browsing through Zodee this morning, naturally this Miraclesuit Knockouts Camilla one piece jumped out at me: partially because of the name, and partially because of the promise that it can make me “look 10lbs lighter in 10 seconds”.

Of course, miracle swimsuits don’t come cheap, even when on sale (for $188). But if it can shave 5kg off you, then I think it pays for itself.

By Caroline Warnes

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

Beach season is finally here and while your body may still not be 100% ready to squeeze into last year’s swimsuit, you can still look good in a new pair of togs thanks to the Zodee online swimwear sale.

There are some pretty good savings here - up to 90% off in some cases - from leading brands including Seafolly, Tigerlily, Aztec Rose and Baku.

The catch is that most of these pieces are “last one left” so you’ll have to spend a while browsing through to find something you like in your size.

Pictured here is the Moontide reversible bikini tie top, which is available for $37.50 (that’s 40% off) in a size 8.

By Caroline Warnes

I have recently decided that this summer the move to one-piece swimwear can be avoided no longer and I am going to have to cough up the money for a new cossie before beach weather arrives.

Frankly I am getting a bit long in the tooth to be cavorting around the countryside in a two-piece these days and to be honest I’m pretty sure no one really wanted to see it even in my younger years.

The problem with buying a one-piece for many of us is that it’s hard to get the sizing correct for the upper and lower halves (very few of us are perfectly proportioned), so that’s why it’s easier to buy a two-piece - you can swap and match sizes.

I have my eye on the Baku Casablanca Glamour D Cup Maillot, which appeals to me because a) it’s black, b) it offers support upstairs and c) it’s black.

The Baku one-piece sells for $154.95 at OzResort.

By Caroline Warnes

I have to admit that I’ve always wanted to own a kaftan, for various reasons.

When I was in my teenage years, it was mainly because all my friends thought that the Led Zepplin Indian era was pretty much the be all and end all of cool.

Lately I want a kaftan so I can cover up at the beach and avoid scaring small children.

Camilla kaftans are pretty much the cream of the crop, and that is reflected in their price tags (hundreds and hundreds of dollars, but my God, so beautiful, and if anyone wants to buy me one for Christmas, I’ll love you forever).

This v-neck beaded kaftan dress from sleepwear guru is a much more affordable kaftan alternative at $99.

I love the decorative beading around the neckline, and you can also buy a black or cream slip to wear underneath (if you are going from the beach to somewhere with a dress code). I’d also recommend putting on some kind of pants as well because in my opinion it’s a wee bit too short to wear on its own away from the beach.

By Caroline Warnes

As the weather gets warmer, I always find that my choice in bags gets more and more casual.

By the height of summer, it’s always nice to have a tote bag you can just throw everything into and go. Macrame handbags are always a popular choice in summer, especially when you’re heading to the beach. Yes, the sand gets in easier, but it also shakes out easier.

This leather tote from Helen Kaminski is the very high-end of macrame bags, retailing for $450. Yes, that’s considerably more than the average hand woven hippy macrame bag you’d find at your local markets.

That’s because this bag wasn’t made by your local hippy - it was designed in collaboration with a specialist workshop in southern India, using traditional techniques to craft the leather.

If you are going to carry a macrame bag, it goes without saying that you should leave any embarrassing items that you usually lug around with you, as well as your dirty scrunched up hanky, at home.

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