How to Feel Confident in a Bathing Suit

Co-authored by Hannah Park

Last Updated: May 25, 2022 References

Feeling confident in a bathing suit isn’t really about losing that extra weight or having a supermodel body. Confidence comes from wearing clothes that fit you, and feeling good about who you are. The only thing that's necessary to feel confident in your bikini is choosing the right swimsuit for you, and developing self-confidence.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Choosing the Right Swimsuit

1
Find a swimsuit that fits you. This means try on lots and lots of swimsuits until you find the bathing suit that’s exactly the right match for your body - no matter what it might be. It should be the right size for you - no cutting straps or pinching elastic. But it’s also about finding a suit that fits your personality.^{[1]
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- Pick out the cuts and colors that make you feel most confident, and don’t worry about what’s the current trend or fashion.
- Mix and match with tankini suits, bikini tops and surfer bottoms, or any other combination that makes you feel happy about yourself.
- If you've got larger breasts, you may want to find a suit with underwire support. These suits are generally sized by cup size, like your bra.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Erin Micklow
  Professional Stylist
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2019.}
- If you have a smaller chest, you can choose to wear an off shoulder top.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Hannah Park
  Professional Stylist
  Expert Interview. 21 February 2019.}
- Sales clerks in lingerie departments and upper-end sales departments can often help you determine the best size swimsuit for you.
2
Shop online. You can often find a wider selection of suits online than in your local stores, and online stores usually allow you to return clothing that doesn't fit as long as you've not worn it. Good retailers often encourage you to call and chat, or instant message with any questions.
- Start by taking your measurements, and then carefully compare them to the measurements shown in the online sizing.
- It's a good idea to order two sizes of each suit you're ordering, so that you can select the one that fits you best.
- Ordering online allows you to try on the suit in ordinary lighting, the way you'll actually be seen in it. Try them on when you're in a good mood, feeling confident, and in the privacy of your own home.
- Move around in your suit before you buy it. After all, you want it to stay in place when you're actually wearing it.
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3
Think about where you'll wear the suit. If you're purchasing a bathing suit for lounging about the side of a pool, you might choose a string bikini or bandeau top that shows off your cleavage. But if you're planning on swimming laps at the gym, or wearing your bathing suit to dive in the surf with your friends, you might need something a little more secure.
- Remember that swimsuits will expand in the water, so you might want to pick a suit that's a little tighter than you'd like if you're planning to get it wet.
4
Accentuate the features you love. Maybe you have great collarbones, or you’re really proud of your muscular arms. Whatever you love about your body, you can find a bathing suit that’s made to flatter it.^{[4]
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- Vintage swimwear, for instance, often shows off a lot of cleavage while being cut low on the hip.
- If you’re proud of your legs, try a suit with high-cut thighs. Racer-back bathing suits will show off your strong arms.
- If you're more comfortable in a one-piece, go with a vintage reproduction for a silhouette that'll never go out of style!^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Erin Micklow
  Professional Stylist
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2019.}
- Wear a high-waisted bottom to accentuate the tiniest part of your waist and slim down your stomach.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Hannah Park
  Professional Stylist
  Expert Interview. 21 February 2019.}
5
Indulge in accessories. Wearing scarfs, sunglasses, broad-brimmed sun hats, colorful earrings or a new pair of wedge heels will help you bring your most glamorous self to the beach. If you’re feeling less than confident in your swimsuit, accessories might be what you need to feel great about yourself again.^{[7]
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- You’ll want to be realistic when accessorizing with your swimsuit. Attending a pool party, you can go high-glam, but tone it down for a mountain rafting trip.
- Don’t forget the lipstick! Not only does lipstick help you feel more confident, it usually protects your lips against UVA rays.
6
Try out different swimsuit coverups. You can have fun accessorizing with swimsuit cover-ups that will allow you to feel more confident in your bathing suit. You can find cover-ups that really bring out the parts of your body you might feel proud of, while hiding the parts you’re not quite comfortable with.^{[8]
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- If you don’t like showing your hips and thighs, for example, try wearing a colorful sarong wrap around your waist.^{[9]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Hannah Park
  Professional Stylist
  Expert Interview. 21 February 2019.}
- Sundresses or caftans that slip on over bikinis will flatter almost every body, and prevent you from getting sunburned as well.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Developing Self-Confidence

1
Learn to love your own body. Focusing on what you need to improve before you’ll allow yourself to feel confident is a losing game. Once you realize that your body is perfect, just the way it is, you’ll feel a lot better about putting on any kind of bathing suit.^{[10]
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- It will help to remember that you’re probably the only one focussing on your perceived flaws. Other people are more aware of whether or not you’re having fun, or appear to be down in the dumps.
- If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, force your attention onto something positive. For example, follow the negative thought, “I hate how large my thighs are,” with the positive twist, “but my collarbones are gorgeous.”
2
Smile. The simple act of smiling communicates self-confidence and friendliness. When you smile, people are more likely to smile back at you. You’ll likely return the smile, and feel more confident.^{[11]
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- When you’re smiling, your voice will sound friendlier and more pleasant to listen to.^{[12]
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  Trustworthy Source
  Michigan State University Extension
  Extension program of Michigan State University focused on community outreach, education, and engagement
  Go to source}
- Smiling releases endorphins, which bring about good feelings and greater confidence.
- Laughing is good for your body as well. It stretches your muscles, and helps your release tension.
3
Don’t spend time with complainers. If your friends are always complaining about their own bodies, chances are you’ll be tempted to join in with them. This won’t do your confidence any favors. Instead, make an effort to hang out with friends who are proud of who they are. Confidence is contagious!^{[13]
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- Remember, the more you complain about your own perceived flaws, the more you’re likely to start to believe they’re real.
- If your friends start criticizing their bodies, disengage. Change the subject, laugh it off, and don’t allow yourself to start the cycle of complaining.
4
Use mindfulness to increase self-esteem. Set the timer for 5-10 minutes, and take that time to meditate on self-compassionate loving thoughts. Deciding to refrain from negative self-judgment is a discipline that needs to be actively practiced and honed over time.^{[14]
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- An example of a positive meditation that you can focus on might be: “I am loved,” or simply the word “love”.
- Concentrate on the feeling of your breath. If you start to notice self-judgments entering your consciousness, let them go.
5
Practice vulnerability. Try wearing clothing that draws attention, such as animal prints, bright colors, or revealing necklines. If you pay attention to how you feel when you wear these “forbidden” clothes, you’ll build courage slowly over time.^{[15]
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- Wearing clothing that feels revealing to you, like short skirts or low-cut tops, is a way to get used to feeling brave about your clothing choices.
- It may seem hard at first, but gradually you’ll come to realize that you deserve to be noticed and to be seen.
6
Notice how you look at others. If you find yourself being hyper-critical of others, chances are you’re being too hard on yourself as well. Instead, try focusing on what you admire about others in their swimsuits. Practice turning your negativity in a new, positive, direction.^{[16]
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- Try to avoid using this as an opportunity for comparison with yourself. Your goal is to improve your overall kindness, so that you’re more likely to be kind to yourself.
- This is a way to realize that no 2 bodies are exactly the same: everyone’s body is differently beautiful. This includes your own!

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Treating Your Body Well

1
Avoid crash diets. Crash diets usually involve severely restricting your caloric intake for a period of time, with the goal of losing a lot of weight quickly. Sometimes the 500 or 1000 calories-per-day are supplemented with juice "cleanses," diet pills, or diuretics. While the diet might seem to be working at first, most of this weight loss is due to water loss. Meanwhile, your body's metabolism is actually slowing down, burning fewer calories.^{[17]
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- You won't be able to get a healthy nutritional balance for most crash diets.
- Crash diets also have a negative consequence on your mental health. Not getting enough calories is likely to make you irritable, tired, and lethargic.
- You're unlikely to feel more confident when you're not getting the daily nutrition you need.
2
Don't skip meals. Skipping meals increases the amount of fat stored around the midsection, or belly fat. Eating smaller meals throughout the day, rather than skipping meals, is more likely to result in weight loss, according to clinical research.
- Skipping one meal leads to being hungrier for later meals, and can result in eating more calories later in the day. This can set off a cycle of overeating, followed by fasting, that can lead to a host of health concerns.
- Going for extended periods of time without eating will send your body into survival mode: your body will turn to muscle mass for fuel in order to preserve its fat supplies. Clearly, this is the opposite of what you'd like as you prepare for bathing suit season!
3
Include moderate exercise daily. If you're trying to lose weight to gain confidence in your swimsuit, remember that both diet and exercise have a part to play. Each week, aim for at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous activity, or a combination of the two.
- For teens, the amount of exercise recommended is about an hour per day.
- Choose exercise routines that you can sustain over time, which means doing activities that you like., finding the mix that works best for your body will lead to feelings of confidence, whether it's biking, jogging, swimming, biking, dance classes, or a combination.
- Include muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days per week. Muscle-strengthening activities include weight lifting, resistance training, sit-ups and push-ups, and many yoga classes.
4
Eat healthily. A healthy diet includes plenty of vegetables and fruits, and a good amount of whole grains. Make sure to include lean meats and other proteins, such as fish, beans, eggs and nuts. Avoid trans fats and saturated fats, but include small portions of healthy fats from vegetable oils, made from olive, sunflower, peanut, canola, and others.^{[18]
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- Avoid drinking sugary drinks, including sodas, energy drinks, sweetened coffee drinks. Limit juice to one serving a day.
- Alcoholic beverages, including wine, beer, and liquor, are high in sugar content as well. Limit alcoholic drinks to one per day if you're trying to lose weight.
5
Stand up straight. Acting confident on the outside will often result in the feelings of confidence inside. In addition, when you sit or stand straight, you’ll improve your blood flow to the brain. You’ll receive more oxygen, which will result in sharper attention and you’ll feel more energetic.^{[19]
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- Check and see how you are holding your hands. Hands held with palms facing outward are a sign of insecurity.
- Poor posture, or slouching, presents an impression of poor self-confidence and insecurity. It also makes your muscles work harder, since they’re being held in an unnatural position, and can result in health difficulties over time.

Community Q&A

Question

I'm 11 and am going to be wearing my first bikini soon. I'm not a person who feels good in my body, and I don't really want to attract attention. How do I not attract this weird type of attention?

Tom De Backer

Top Answerer

Getting attention is outside of your control, so it's and for that reason also not on your 'list of things to worry about'. You're alive and on planet earth with a few billion others; whatever you wear, wherever you go, whatever you say or do, you'll always attract some measure of attention. Just remember if someone stares at your body, they are wrong, not you. So look forward to wearing your first bikini, it's a lot of fun, and focus on that. Enjoy your friends, the sun, the pool, and don't worry too much about the others.
Question

I'm going with my friends to the pool. I don't feel comfortable wearing a bikini because I'm not as slim as them. What do I do?

Community Answer

Wear a one-piece. Find a cute one that you feel good in and rock it. You can also add accessories like a purse and sunglasses.
Question

I'm a girl who is extremely uncomfortable in regular girls swimsuits because I think they're too skimpy. Is it okay for me to wear boy swim trunks and a swim shirt?

Community Answer

You can wear whatever you want. But if you're going out with friends, try swapping the swim shirt with a tankini, to seem less tomboy (if you aren't). But if you like the look, then go for it. Your skin will thank you for the added protection too.