The Absolute Most Flattering Swimsuits for Women Who Carry Their Weight in Their Tummy, According to the Experts

Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, founder and creative director of Shoshanna, says, “Find a suit where the waistline begins just below the bust. This will give you more of an hourglass figure and distract from your midsection.” Andie’s Havana one-piece (above) is a perfect example, with the added bonus of subtle seaming down the front that also works to draw the eye inward to fake more of a waist. Empire styles work particularly well if you opt for a large-scale print or a solid hue that features ruching or a textured fabric.

2. Boden Corsica V-neck Swimsuit

There are plenty of solid color combos to choose from, but we’re partial to this cheery boho print. It might even make your community pool feel a bit more like Palm Springs.

3. Shoshanna Gingham Eyelet One-piece

Combine two of summer’s most iconic fabrics—eyelet lace and blue-and-white gingham—into one super-chic suit that will stay in style for years to come.

4. Swimsuits For All Tie-back Tankini Set

If you’re more of a two-piece kind of gal, try an Empire-waist tankini. The extra material of the top will flow beautifully over your figure, and on a practical note it’ll make hitting the restroom infinitely easier.

5. La Blanca Tides Keyhole One-piece

This deep-blue patterned swimsuit has a gorgeous open back with crisscrossed straps you can adjust to provide more or less support as needed. It also has a tummy-shaping panel in the bodice to smooth you out without feeling constrictive.

“Opt for slimming vertical stripes,” suggests Erin Collins-Rittling, director of Aerie styling. “Even better if they’re in a novel texture, like terry cloth.” While horizontal stripes typically aren’t that flattering, vertical lines will draw the eye in and up, even with a two-piece like this Lively bikini top and bottom. Another pro tip: Designs that feature stripes of multiple widths and those with thinner lines are less likely to look wonky or draw attention to bumps.

7. O'neill Baja Stripe Swimsuit

You don’t have to stick with just the usual nautical color options. This sunset-inspired combination is equally as fun. It also has an adjustable lace-up back that you can knot in lots of different ways, including by looping and knotting it in front like a belt, as seen above.

8. J.crew Plunge One-piece

Your stripes don’t have to be overt to give you all the same torso-lengthening benefits. The subtle seersucker material of this classic J.Crew swimsuit are every bit as flattering, but have a more timeless feel than, say, mismatched rainbow stripes.

9. Solid & Striped The Spencer One-piece

This suit has a lot going for it, starting with those flattering, colorful stripes. The colorblocking and removable belt will also help create an hourglass shape, making this one-piece (and you, in turn) a true triple-threat.

Using artfully placed seams, colorblocking or even Bond girl-style belts can help fake the illusion of a more hourglass silhouette. “High-waist bikini bottoms that can hold in the tummy and add support are a great and comfortable option,” says Cameron Armstrong, founder and CEO of Kitty & Vibe. But you don’t need to sport a two piece or even a multi-colored or ruched swimsuit to take advantage of this styling trick. Case in point, the Aerie wrap one-piece above, which has all the same waist-cinching power as a belted suit. So long as your suit features some kind of definition at your waistline, you should be good to go.

11. Evarae Cassandra Underwire Swimsuit

No need to futz with complicated buckles here, because the belt is sewn right onto the suit. Better than that, however, is the fact that the bust has a built-in underwire to give your gals maximum support.

12. Solid & Striped The Nina Belt One-piece

This belted suit is all at once retro and modern, thanks to that removable, ‘50s-inspired belt and the sexy Baywatch red. (P.S. The straps are also adjustable for a better overall fit.)

13. Andie The Mykonos Ribbed One-piece

“The Mykonos suit in ribbed fabric option provides compression, texture and belly support, but has a super-flattering middle seam that cinches at the waist,” says Michelle Copelman, vice president of design at Andie. As a bonus, it also comes in a Long Torso length.

“A lot of Kitty & Vibe customers love the High Hip Bottoms because they offer a tie right in front of the belly, which can add some distraction detail,” says Armstrong. As you may already know, not all high-waist bikinis are flattering on apple silhouettes, but those with some additional detailing—like a tie at the waist or to the side—adds interest and helps disguise any lumps or bumps you’d rather not have on display.

15. Cupshe Floral And Striped Bikini Set

There are so many reasons to love this suit (you know, other than simply because it’s adorable‚. The vertical stripe bottom and waist tie are great for minimizing your middle, but so is the mismatched print. Plus, now you can mix and match both separates with all your other favorite two pieces.

16. Calia Colorblock Twist Top And High-rise Bottom

OK, so this isn’t a true tie-waist design, however, the twisted waistband plus the colorblocking has all the same waist-cinching power as an actual knot.

17. Agua Bendita Lucile Top And Isabella Bottom

This vibrant tropical print will make any pool, lake or beach feel like a fabulous getaway. And the high-cut legs on the bottom are phenomenal both for lengthening your stems and for minimizing your belly.

Using blocks of color or pattern to distort your silhouette is a trick that can benefit literally every body type. For those who carry their weight in their middle, diagonal lines that cut across your midsection are most successful at minimizing the look of your tummy. Look for styles that feature three or more colors or patterns, like the above Marina suit from Summersalt, but be wary of striped patterns—some vertical designs will have a slimming effect but not all horizontal or diagonal patterns will be quite as flattering.

19. Beach Riot Carlie One-piece

Combine all the flattering effects of colorblocking with an adjustable belt and you’ve got yourself a total must-have suit.

20. Boden Portofino Bikini Top And High-waist Bottom

Darker colors are often more slimming than light, which is why navy panels at your hips with an off-white hue in the middle works so well for minimizing a wider middle. And a wide, contrasting belt only helps to emphasize your new hourglass figure.

21. Mara Hoffman Meli Top And Lydia Bottom

This neon two-piece is a fun, unexpected twist on the colorblocking trend. Plus, the high-waist bottom and thicker straps up top both offer lots of support so you can feel free to enjoy an active pool day.

You’ve likely heard it time and time again, but ruching is really a gal’s best friend when it comes to camouflaging bumps. “Any suit with shirring will also work well,” says Gruss, as will ribbed materials, terry cloth or other interesting textures. Doubly so if you opt for a print, like the floral J.Crew bandeau above. Plus, as an added bonus, these stretchy texture effects are often more comfortable than flat spandex.

23. Aerie Crinkle Cut-put Top And High-cut Bottom

This colorblocked bikini has such a fun ‘90s throwback vibe, and the pink-and-purple color combo fits right in with this summer’s Barbiecore trend.

24. L.l.bean Printed Tanksuit

A ruched bodice + an abstract print = our new favorite suit.

25. Venus Ruched One-piece

All the sex appeal of a Baywatch one-piece, just with a big more support and coverage. P.S. There is a power mesh panel built into the bodice to work in conjunction with the ruching for a supremely sleek overall effect.