The famous humorist Erma Bombeck had this to say about finding the best bathing suit for your body type, “People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you will feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Truth be told, finding the best bathing suit for your body type can leave the most confident woman filled with despair. However, if you know how to find swimwear that flatters and matches your own body type--whether you choose plus size swimwearor bikinis for petites--you can feel free to swim with the bathing suit models and feel sexy and beautiful.

Here are a few tips to help you draw attention to your best areas and divert any glances away from flabby tummies, wide hips and sagging breasts.

Although it may take a few shopping trips for you to find the best bathing suit for your body type, the sexy confidence that you will exude will make the endless try-ons worth the wait.

As long as a swimsuit fits your body type properly to display all of your wonderful assets, bare legs, arms and necks are certainly more beautiful.

Accentuate your waistline. Select styles that wrap around your midsection to flatter your waits. Use dark-side insets and side-shirring panels to flatter your waistline.

Draw the eye upward using halter necklines and deep v-necks to streamline your shape. Favor all over patterns, diagonals and chevron patterns to boost your swimwear’s curve appeal.

What types of bathing suits should the curvy woman avoid? Any suit that does not support an ample bosom or a curvy bottom, does not maintain enough support around the neckline or draws attention to your hips must be eliminated from consideration.

Use vertical lines, diagonal patters and chevron details to elongate the body. Shop for wider straps and straps that fall mid-shoulder on your body. To lengthen your torso wear scoop and v-neckline swimwear options.

A woman with broad shoulders should avoid halter-tops and racerback necklines.

Have underwire cups in the bra and additional support for your bosom. Choose fabrics with high Lycra content. Favor straps that have wider pieces of fabric on the top of the bathing suit. Draw the eye downward using ruffles and draping below the bust.

Avoid any suits with belts at the waist, unless you have a long torso and a small waist.

Boost your small breasts with triangle bikini tops and string bikinis. Choose an underwire top, a push-up swim top or a lightly padded bra. Wear bold prints, bright colors and shirring to create the illusion of a larger bosom in your bathing suit. Select lower necklines and v-necks to help with a small bust.

Avoid tankinis, one-piece bathing suits without a neckline and any suits that reveal obvious signs of padding.

Add vertical lines to your bathing suit using stripes, piping, patterns and seams. Select swimwear with dark side panels that curve into your waist. If you are wearing two-piece bikinis or tankinis, choose bikini bottoms in a dark color with a high waistband.

Find swimwear with a high Lycra content. Look for slimming bathing suits like the Miraclesuit that use hidden-control panels to reduce tummy bulges.

If you have a flabby tummy avoid suits whose bottoms dig into your stomach, resist wearing tankinis or any swimwear with belts, bows or ties around your waistline.

Have more detail at the bustline. A woman with an ample rear end should use v-necks and vertical stripes to lengthen her torso. Choose a halter styled- bathing suit with a light colored top and a darker bottom.

A strapless bathing suit is perfect for the pear shaped woman because it balances the figure by creating a firm horizontal line across the body. Wear empire-wasted swimwear and suits with an ombre pattern to take a few inches off your hips.

The worst bathing suits for bottom-heavy women include skirted swimwear and too-tight bottoms that dig into your flesh.

• Wear darker colors on areas that you would like to reduce or slim.
• Prints and patterns with darker backgrounds are more slimming.
• Reflective and shiny suits add pounds to even the smallest frames. If you like shimmery fabrics select a matte suit with shiny details.
• Lots of fabric on a swimsuit makes the woman appear larger: not smaller.