Suit yourself

Yes, beach season has arrived. Here's how to look your best.

Tomorrow will be a day of reckoning for beach-going Bostonians, as bodies long hidden beneath clothes are furtively revealed to the sun's unflinching glare. The next day - for many of us - will include a trip to the mall for a new swimsuit, one that doesn't bunch or climb or sag, one that maximizes assets and minimizes the rest. We asked some experts for tips, so you'll look great no matter what style you choose.

There's plenty of room for vanity when considering a bathing suit, but not when it comes to the number on the label. "Bathing suits are generally two sizes different from your normal size. If [a woman's] a size 6, for example, you might be a size 8 or 10," says Laurie Mandato, a wardrobe and style consultant in Needham.

Some swimsuit tops, including many of those at Victoria's Secret, are exceptions, as they come in bra sizes. "As long as you know your bra size, you know what will fit," says Nicole Gibbons, a Victoria's Secret swimwear expert. "Though you'll still want to try them on to ensure the perfect fit."

Men are not exempt from the trying-on rule, says Doris Klietmann, senior partner and executive principal of Optimum International Center for Image Management in Boston. If considering boxers or board shorts, she says, a man should pay attention to the length of his upper leg, between the knee and hip. If that distance is small, wearing long shorts might make him "look like he's wearing his older brother's pants," Klietmann says. For these men, she recommends the four-inch boxer-style suit, designed to leave room above the knee. And, though it sounds obvious, men will want to try on suits to ensure they "drape well around the body and don't look like a miniskirt," Klietmann says.

The colors that flatter you in your everyday attire are the colors you should look for in a bathing suit. Furthermore, the right colors can work wonders on your figure.

Light colors advance and dark colors recede, so if there's a part of your body you want to camouflage, wear dark colors on that part. For parts you want to advance, use light colors.

For someone who's fond of pink and wants to downplay the lower half of her body, wearing a suit that's pink on top and black, navy, or brown on the bottom might be the way to go.

For an overall slimming effect, a woman might choose a monochromatic suit: "It's more slimming to wear a one-color suit and not break yourself into various color blocks," says Linda Lee, a Macy's group vice president who oversees the store's personal shopping service, Macy's By Appointment.

Though the slimming virtues of black are often touted, beauty and fashion maven Gretchen Monahan, owner of the Needham-based Gretta Enterprises, believes it's not always the best choice - particularly against obviously sunlight-deprived skin.

"I think pastels - aqua, pink, or lavender - are more flattering, because they don't create such a contrast," Monahan says, adding that self-tanning products can be a quick fix before a trip to the beach.

"Bronzing is one area that's tremendously improved in recent years," Monahan says. "Deepening your tan minimizes your veins and makes you look more toned."

Most of us know that vertical stripes elongate and horizontal stripes widen. But this doesn't mean one should always eschew horizontal lines. If you have wide hips, wearing horizontal lines on top and a solid color on the bottom can balance that out.

If there's a part of your body that you'd rather conceal altogether, you might go for diagonal stripes, which keep the eye moving.

Similarly, small, busy patterns are more effective than large geometric shapes at moving the eye along. Klietmann also recommends smaller designs, such as paisleys and thin lines, for men. "Smaller patterns are always more elegant," she says. "They always make you look a little more pulled together."

Patterns can be used in sneaky ways, to create a dual look of sexiness and innocence. "If you want to look sexy, but don't want people to know you're trying to look that way, you can wear a revealing suit in polka dots or another naive pattern," Lee says.

The vintage touches common in this year's suits work well in downplaying certain areas and enhancing others. Ruffles around the chest or the backside enhance curves, while ruching can draws in one's middle.

These days, there's no shortage of newfangled fibers that help you cheat nature. The Miraclesuit (made of a Lycra-intensive fabric called Miratex) promises to make wearers look 10 pounds lighter, while the Miracle Bra suit sold by Victoria's Secret enhances cleavage.

Here, a word about swimsuit care is in order. Leaving salt water or chlorine in a suit will slacken its shape and diminish its color.

"When you take the suit off, always wash it out in cold water, because hot water can undermine elasticity," Lee says. "Roll it in a towel to get the excess water out. Then hang it out in fresh air."

The cut of the fabric can also achieve distinct effects. A high cut on bottom will elongate the leg, while a plunging neckline will detract focus from a large chest. "[A plunging neckline] draws the eye up toward the face," Mandato says. "It will also make the waistline look smaller and take attention off of the tummy."

No matter what swimsuit style you choose - monokini, tankini, or an old-fashioned, skirted one-piece - you need to own it. The same goes for men, who are, in some ways, more at a suit's mercy than are women.

"Women have a big advantage," Klietmann says. "We can play around and cover up our flaws. With men, you get what you see. They can't cover up love handles; they're just there."

Designers like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have been stepping up their men's swimwear offerings, Klietmann says. And women perhaps have more options available now than they ever have, adds Lee.

"Typically, you'll have a year dominated by one-pieces or by bikinis," Lee says. "But there's such a variety of suits this year that there's something for everybody."