bathing suit advice

Summer is upon us and the wonderful joy of going to the beach can sometimes be harmed by a bathing suit dilemma. This is when your body is totally out in the open with no dresses or winter coats to mask any insecurities, but there are choices to make your body appear more proportionate and make you feel better about yourself.
To begin with I do not recommend one piece bathing suits (there are many available for tall and long torsoed females), these just draw attention to one long expansive piece of body. However the kind with most of the material being cut out would be fine.

For the top half, a bandeau with or without straps is good, another option is a halter and generally anything with a plunging V neckline. Also two-tone suits, one color on top and another on the bottom, counteract the length of the torso and make the waist look shorter. Make sure the lighter color is on top, and the patterns must go on top as well, to draw the attention upward. Up top you can have the polka dots, the horizontal stripes, the ornaments and embellishments but keep the bottom simple. Tankini's are also fine, but don't have them meet the bottom half, as it looks like a one piece, anyway if you buy your tankini  from a regular place (not designated for tall ladies) it will show a nice strip of bare skin, which is good.

For the bottom half, boy-shorts are entirely taboo as they shorten the legs in the extreme, and low-rise bikini bottoms, the kind that only just cover your private region, are not good either as the torso appears even longer. Instead choose bottoms in a high-waist style, the waist band reaching the hip bones or higher, or somewhere in that region. Also bare in mind that a high-cut style in the leg holes, will lengthen as well, sort of like those crazy 1980s bathing suits pulled way up high, but don't quite wear them like that of course. If you are brave enough, go in a thong, that way the legs will reach even further up!
Another great tip is to simply wear a scarf type cover-up tied at the waist. When you are swimming or lying down do take it off, but when you are strolling about or playing beach games have the scarf tied around your bottom half, in particular at the waist (not at the hips) and that way, the true length of the torso is hidden.

Covering your body in self tanner, and in particular the legs, will make them appear slimmer, and consequently longer.

Shown above are varations with of the halter neck and high rise bikini style.
Check out these darling retro inspired two piece bathing suits at Mod Cloth.
Photos via Victoria's Secrete, JCrew, Lands End, and Target.