Swimwear for every body shape: choosing your cut freely

Swimwear for every body shape is not one design that suits everyone: it is the freedom to choose your cut according to what you want to show, cover or support. To find your way, three questions are enough: how much support up top, what rise and how high a leg cut for the bottoms, and one piece or two.

Start from what you want, not from rules

Advice along the lines of “this figure should wear that cut” dies hard. It forgets the essential point: a swimsuit is chosen to feel good, on the beach as by the pool. At atelier culotté, Chloé, the designer, puts it her own way:

“Petite, tall, slender, curvy, radiant or discreet: I design my creations for every woman. Each design is made to reveal, never to constrain.”

Rather than trying to correct a figure, ask yourself simple questions:

• Do you want support or freedom?
• Do you prefer bottoms that cover or that reveal?
• Do you like mixing and matching, or would you rather wear a single piece?

The answers point you towards a cut. Your body shape mainly helps you choose the size.

The top: triangle or soft top, depending on the support you want

The triangle, for every bust

It is often associated with small busts, wrongly so. The workshop’s product pages describe the triangle as a flattering cut “that enhances small busts without forgetting fuller ones”. The RHUM COCO, SOLEIL BLEU and SUNSET triangles have thin adjustable straps, and the BICHOCO triangle, in black and white gingham adorned with pearls, has adjustable straps.

The models' reference points show the range of body shapes:

• Audrey is a B cup and wears a size S in the SUNSET triangle.
• Marie and Chloé are a D cup and wear a size L in the BICHOCO triangle.
• Chloé also wears a size L in the RHUM COCO triangle.

The soft top, for a shaping fit

The soft top covers a little more and wraps the bust. The BICHOCO soft top and the RHUM COCO soft top are described as “ultra comfortable” and shaping, with pearls on the straps. Marie, a D cup, wears an L in the BICHOCO soft top; Audrey, a size 36/38, wears an S in the RHUM COCO soft top.

The bottoms: rise and leg cut

This is often where people hesitate most. Three cuts are on offer, from the most covering to the highest cut.

• High-waisted briefs: the SOLEIL BLEU high-waisted briefs come up to the waist, with a slightly high leg cut and adjustable ties at the side, for a gathered effect or not. Chloé, a size 40, wears them in L.
• Brazilian briefs: low-rise, they slightly reveal the buttocks. The RHUM COCO Brazilian briefs come in S to XXL.
• The tanga: high leg cut and a gathered centre back. The SUNSET tanga ties at the sides and its page calls it “ideal for making peace with high-cut shapes”. The BICHOCO tanga makes the same promise.

None of these cuts is reserved for one figure. A high waist is not an obligation for anyone self-conscious about their tummy, and a tanga is not reserved for slim bodies. The article Brazilian briefs or tanga compares these two cuts in detail.

One piece or two

The one-piece swimsuit

The RHUM COCO one-piece is in textured white fabric, with a stainless steel jewel, a moderately high leg cut and adjustable straps. It is fully lined, with no sheerness, and subtly reveals the bust. The DIABOLO FRAISE one-piece, in pink and blue waffle fabric, shares the same moderately high leg cut and full lining. Marie, a size 36/38, wears an M; Chloé, a size 40, wears an L in RHUM COCO.

The two-piece you put together

At atelier culotté, tops and bottoms are sold separately. That is a real advantage when your top and bottom are not the same size: you take each in its own. The designer encourages it on the page for the RHUM COCO Brazilian briefs: “Don’t hesitate to mix and match tops and bottoms, this design pairs easily.”

To decide between the two, the article one-piece or bikini weighs up the pros and cons.

Size: rely on the reference points

The tops and one-pieces come in S to XL, some swim bottoms up to XXL, and the tangas in S-M or L-XL. Each product page gives the size and measurements of the models: compare them with yours rather than guessing. If in doubt, the designer answers from the Contact page before you order.

This matters all the more because a swimsuit whose hygiene protection has been removed cannot be returned under the right of withdrawal, as the terms of sale point out. The whole range is gathered in the swimwear section.

Frequently asked questions

Which swimsuit should you choose with a full bust?

Both the triangle and the soft top work. On the product pages, Marie and Chloé, D cup, wear a size L in the BICHOCO triangle, and Marie wears an L in the BICHOCO soft top. Adjustable straps help fine-tune the support.

Which swimsuit to feel comfortable about your tummy?

The one you feel good in. If you like to cover up, the high-waisted briefs or the one-piece work well; if you like to reveal, nothing stops you from wearing Brazilian briefs or a tanga.

Can you take a top and bottoms in different sizes?

Yes. Swim tops and bottoms are sold separately, each in its own size. You can also mix two collections.

Is a white swimsuit see-through?

Not at atelier culotté: the RHUM COCO one-piece, Brazilian briefs and triangle are fully lined, with no sheerness, as their product pages state.