Shopping for and buying a swimsuit or bikini can be one of the worst, most depressing experiences for women. Contrary to what fashion magazines would suggest, not all women wear size four clothing and can easily slip into a sexy, thong bikini. Most women, in fact, regardless of the size they wear, feel a little self-conscious about their bodies. These women are hardly excited to begin parading their bodies around in skimpy swimsuits that are unforgiving to even small amounts of fat. For these women, each successive visit to the dressing room in the endless search for the perfect, wonderfully fitted swimsuit, is a further reminder of how far their bodies are from model perfect.

What many of these women do not know, however, is that the perfect swimsuit for them does exist, and it may not even be very difficult to find. There are women who feel wonderfully sexy and attractive in swimsuits. These women understand their bodies and know what styles will complement and flatter those bodies. All women, regardless of size or figure, can be properly flattered and displayed in the right swimsuit. As you enter the summer season, keep these figure guidelines in mind while shopping for the perfect swimsuit for you.

Plus Size: Let us begin this guide to swimsuit shopping with the women who often feel most rejected by swimsuit manufacturers. While all women feel somewhat self-conscious in a skin-baring swimsuit, women who wear plus sizes often feel that they will never find a good swimsuit fit for their unique bodies. However, these women often have the sexiest curves to show off in a swimsuit. In the 1950s, curves were in; in the current era, curves may be making a reentry into the vogue of swimsuit fashion. To accentuate and flatter curves in a plus size body, try pairing a light colored, waist-defining tankini top with more subdued bikini bottoms. Choosing a swimsuit with a high percentage of Lycra or spandex and a high-cut leg will actually shave 10 pounds off of your appearance. To slim and shape the stomach, make sure tankini tops and bottoms meet. This will prevent any unsightly stomach bulges.

Pear Shapes: Women with pear shapes often have an extremely challenging experience when buying a swimsuit. The combination of a relatively small upper body with large hips and thighs can look somewhat unflattering in the wrong swimsuit. Fortunately, plenty of flattering swimsuit options do exist for women with pear shapes. The number one secret to finding a sexy swimsuit for any type of body is to flatter and display appealing characteristics while drawing eyes away from less desirable characteristics. For women with pear shapes, the best swimsuit or bikini entails a flashy top with plenty of eye-grabbing detail combined with more subdued bottoms. Try a one-piece swimsuit or bikini with a halter-top to widen the shoulders. Pair this top with dark, high-spandex bottoms with high- cut legs. High-cut legs tend to slim the hips and thighs.

Short or Long Torso: Women with either short or long torsos often have a difficult time shopping for swimsuits, as well. Torso length is one of the most important factors to consider when finding the right fit in a swimsuit, and swimsuit manufacturers seem to (rather unfortunately) concentrate their efforts largely upon women with "normal" length torsos. To either lengthen or shorten the appearance of the torso in a swimming suit, the key is getting the right cut on the legs. For women with short torsos, try finding a bikini with low-rise bottoms that sit just on the hips. The low-rise bottoms will show as much midsection skin as possible. Legs that are cut too high will shorten the torso even more and give the appearance of stockiness. Conversely, women with long torsos should try a tankini with bottoms that sit a little higher on the hips. The tankini top will break up a long torso while the higher bottoms will lengthen the legs.

Large Busts: Women with large busts often have difficulty finding a swimsuit that offers enough support in the top. It seems that the swimsuits that do offer the appropriate amount of support often look too matronly. Thankfully, most swimsuit manufacturers now offer bra-style support in their swimsuits, an absolute must for minimizing and flattering large breasts. The key to finding an attractive swimsuit for a big bust is to look for a one-piece swimsuit or bikini top with a hidden underwire. An underwire will lift the bust, giving it the support it needs. Also, look for a suit with a straight across cut at the top and wide-set straps. To avoid looking matronly, find a bikini or swimsuit in a pretty, young, pastel color.

Small Busts: For women with small busts, the key to looking attractive in a swimsuit can also be found in bra-style support. Hidden underwires will lift and shape the busts. To add curves to the bust, try a bikini top with triangle-shaped cups or a tie-front. Triangle cups will add shape and curve to small breasts while a tie-front will lift and shape a small bust even more. In general, women with small busts should avoid bandeau-style bikini tops. Bandeau tops tend to minimize and flatten the breasts.

Boy Shapes: If you fear you have no shape to accentuate in a swimsuit at all, you may have a boy shape. To gain more Marilyn Monroe style curviness, try a one-piece swimsuit with a low, plunging neckline. The top of the suit should gather to add shape and curve to the bust and shoulders. To emphasize curves in the hips, try a high-cut leg that sits just above the hipbone. This type of cut will make the legs seem longer and curvier. However, if you would like to embrace your boy shape, try pairing triangle-shaped bikini cups with short boy shorts. Boy shorts are incredibly popular but look attractive on only a small percentage of women; women with boy shapes make up the majority of this small percentage.

While swimsuit shopping may seem too depressing and panic-inducing to even attempt, you should not sacrifice your summer fun for fear of the dreaded experience. Just remember that every woman, regardless of size and shape, has a perfect swimsuit laying in wait for her. All she need do is know where and what to look for.

Vanessa Lausch is a writer/editor for http://www.moreswimsuits.com/.