Is a skirted swimsuit best for chubby hips? (color, guys, girl)

[TabulaRasa]

Pear shapes are often flattered if they leave their widest section less exposed, but a skirt's only going to do so much. In general, longer legs fare better with skirted suits or board shorts over a suit.

[TabulaRasa]

Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf

Yep. When we were gearing up for Hawaii I kept thinking I was going to feel really out of place. I thought all the other people there would be these gorgeous knock-out surfer types and swimsuit models.

We got there and I realized how dumb my line of thinking was! Especially considering we were heading to such a touristy state! People come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. I relaxed right away and had an awesome time!

This was how I felt in Las Vegas...like "Wow, for every supermodel type you see strutting around here on an NBA player's arm, there are ten million people here who are more hopelessly dumpy than I'd ever be in nine lifetimes, and they seem to be having fun...so f*ck it! It's all good!"

[calipoppy]

Originally Posted by Townandcountrygal

Have always heard that a skirted swimsuit camoflages plump upper thighs and chubby hips--or does it just make legs appear shorter and stubbier? Which leg style is best for problem hips?

Try something like this with a very chic sarong

http://www.styleceo.com/images/stores/46/m/miraclesuit-plus-size-swimsuit-oceanus-one-piece-womens-swimsuit-2113063 (broken link)

[haggardhouseelf]

Of course the gorgeous tan and perfect hair help that lady in the blue suit, too! And waxing. Ouch.

And who the heck wears chunky gold jewelry to the beach anyway? Really?

Good one-piece, though. I like higher-cut legs for my body type but the rest is great.

[Aptor hours]

Originally Posted by Townandcountrygal

Have always heard that a skirted swimsuit camoflages plump upper thighs and chubby hips--or does it just make legs appear shorter and stubbier? Which leg style is best for problem hips?

Those skirted swimsuits are awful!

[Big-Bad-John]

Originally Posted by calipoppy

Try something like this with a very chic sarong

I think she looks nice like that. I'd rather see that^ than the other!

[miyu]

Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf

I just got back from Hawaii. It seemed like the women who wore those skirted bathingsuits kind of drew attention to themselves, which is I think the opposite of what they were trying to do. Especially to the area of their butts which I'm thinking is what those skirted swimsuits and board shorts and the like are supposed to cover up.

I hope you weren't talking about me because I wore this in a size Small to Hawaii! I thought it really did a good job of hiding my flabby ass/upper thighs... so I don't mind if there was indeed any extra attention to all the good parts... I thought this suit was pretty sexy and doesn't shorten the legs. I don't like the long skirts.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Aptor hours

Those skirted swimsuits are awful!

Agreed; a well-fitting tank suit is much more flattering than the skirted suits, which just call attention to your hips and butt. I also don't like all that wet fabric clinging to my legs as I get out of the water. Ugh.

[haggardhouseelf]

The top is cute, but again... especially with those slits and the gold... buttons? It draws attention to the area that the OP seems concerned about.

You want to draw the eye away from the area of your body that you don't feel confident about. So wearing just a regular swim bottom, preferably a dark color... and then a brightly colored and embellished top/tankini or some sort of swim top that draws the eye up... that would work better for what the OP seems to want to be doing.

Even a basic black one-piece swimsuit, and then wearing like a cute pink or brightly colored short-sleeved rash guard could be an option there. We saw a lot of women wearing rash guard tops over their swim suits in Hawaii, probably for modesty and for sun protection as well.

[Austinitegirl]

Originally Posted by Townandcountrygal

Have always heard that a skirted swimsuit camoflages plump upper thighs and chubby hips--or does it just make legs appear shorter and stubbier? Which leg style is best for problem hips?

So I have a pretty strong opinion about this because I went to Cancun last summer, and practically did some Ph.D.-level research on what type of swimsuit to buy for my bootylicious body type.

I have a sort of hourglass shape, with a few rollover minutes in the bottom section. I have a proportionately smaller waist, medium-large bust and whole lotta junk in the trunk, which by definition means I got them baby-makin' hips.

Pretty sure I'd rather walk down a public sidewalk wearing a tutu on fire than to subject beachgoers to my body in a true bikini/2-piece, so I was definitely on the one-piece bandwagon.

My bathingsuit strategy (after 6 months of self-loathing and throwing up after every meal) is to do some fashion tricks to draw attention to the good parts, while hiding/de-emphasizing the not-so-good parts. (I watch a lot of "What Not to Wear")

I focus on onepieces and/or 2-pieces that mimic a one piece. The strategy behind the "tankini" is to have the flexibility to purchase separate bottoms and tops to get the most perfect fit possible (Stacy and Clinton would totally have my back on this one).

Here's what I look for:

1. God wouldn't have given you maracas if He didn't want you to shake 'em - I definitely ALWAYS purchase a suit with a sweetheart neckline to bring the focus right to the girls, but of course I gotta be sure there's some good underwire support to keep the girls on their best behavior.

2. NOBODY is ready for this jelly - tummy revealing if you aren't well-toned and a size 6 or smaller is really not OK. No, it's not. That's awesome that you love yo belly, but I promise it's ruining someone else's beachgoing experience. No really, it is.

3. Ruching is a (curvy) girl's best friend - hides the tummy, and makes you look nipped and tucked in all the right places.

4. Only SI swimsuit models look good in high-cut thigh suits - and it was probably a dbag man who thought that was a good idea. Run away.

5. There is (literally) a BIG difference between catalog booties and real booties- before buying a skirt bottom - try it on and turn around to look at your butt.... for a really long time. I think it is more of a "HEY LOOK AT ME!!!" than a "You don't need to see my identification. These aren't the cheeks you're looking for" solution.

6. When in doubt - swimtrunks or boyshorts all the way - I find that is a much more effective camo solution than skirts (trust me - I've done the butt work on this one).