Plenty of swimwear styles available; pick what suits you

Ah, the annual Battle of the Swimsuit. After months of layering up for cold, the hot weather hits, the pool opens and it's time to bare nearly everything.

It's almost enough to wish for a longer winter – but not quite.

Whether you're a size 6 or a size 16, local options abound for stylish swimsuits for women.

And, with many models on sale, the time might be finally right to step into the sunlight.

"Our suit business has been phenomenal this year," said Rhonda Lash, general manager at Macy's in Champaign. She attributes some of that to greater selection than in the past. "You have to have a lot of different styles and different colors ... to fit all different women."

From teeny bikinis ...

Last year's teeny string bikinis are still around, this time in new incarnations, like a nautically inclined Xhileration two-piece at Target, with anchors dotting the electric blue fabric and hot pink ties. Another boating-friendly find from SO at Kohl's used horizontal stripes in white and a glittered baby blue.

Both echo the models on the runway at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2009, where designers pushed fringe, beads, tiny ruffles, ruching and other accents on the bathing suits, dressing them up to be as wearable for chic poolside partywear as for actual swimming.

At Macy's, one suit sported colored beads threaded over bikini straps, while another sported white lifesaver-like rings on the bikini top.

At Body N' Sole in Savoy, even though classic Speedos and Tyr dominate the racks, Dolfin Uglies – with bright colors and mismatched patterns on straps and suit – have been selling out, said Jan Penwell. Though she finds mostly children and teens liking the pastel tones and whimsical designs, adults aren't shying away from color either.

"A lot of women like a pattern on the suits," Penwell said. "They say they're tired of the basic black or the navy blue."

... to suits that fit well

As important as form seems, function also has to matter. For people looking for something flattering for water aerobics or lap swimming, racer backs with lower-cut legs can help avoid pulling and tugging in inappropriate places, said Penwell, a former U.S.A. Swim official.

And no matter the size of the suit, she said that people should try it on before wearing it out, as some suits size differently and nylon and lycra can stretch, Penwell said. "The suit should fit kind of snug, because you don't want a saggy baggy."

To check if a woman's suit fits, she pulls up the shoulder straps on a suit. If the straps easily come more than an inch off the shoulder, the suit's probably too big – meaning when its wearer leans over, she might show far more than she wishes.

They also went back to the 1940s and '50s for some of their designs, like sweetheart necklines and center gathers. At Macy's this year, a modern take on the era took a front seat, with one deep V-necked red suit evoking Marilyn Monroe in her heyday. "The retro glam was really big," Lash said.

No matter the trend, though, she recommends fitting the suit to your personal wants and needs. Wishing for a bigger bust or more curves? A V-neck could help accentuate them, Lash said. Heavier on bottom? "That's where the skirt looks really great," Lash said. Want to shrink a bit all over? Lash points to the so-called "Miracle Suit," which has lycra and spandex to squeeze everything in.

While some of the suits cost more than $100, recent sales might ease the pinch. From Body N' Sole to Kohl's, Target and Macy's this week, sale signs hung above many swimsuits. Lash said prices on the Macy's swimsuits were cut specifically in time for this holiday week. "This is actually the biggest week of swim all year is Fourth of July," she said. "You can get a great swimsuit for $40."

Another hot trend is the monokini – a one-piece that often looks like a two-piece from the back – an Xhileration model at Target unites top and bottom by only a narrow hourglass shape of fabric.

Not sure you can handle anything with "kini" in it? Try adding board shorts, a sundress-like cover-up or a little swimskirt to the look.

"Skirts are always going to be popular – they hide a multitude of flaws," Lash said. "It's all about being comfortable on the beach."

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• Going back to school a nice option, sometimes a necessity
• New economic development chief well-versed in trade
• 50 years ago at Unity, 'It was a great time to be a kid'
• Examining events that led up to Toto Kaiyewu's death
• Obituaries

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