Considering your lifestyle, your budget, and your body type, where would you shop for a bikini most often—at an online store or in a retail shop at the mall?

I'm curious to know how other women and girls go shopping for their bikinis and swimwear. We all know that we need swimsuits for the summer season and when we go on vacation or a holiday getaway. Yet, for me, shopping for a bikini is usually not one of the most top priority items on my list of things to do.

I'd rather shop online because there always seems to be more styles, colors, and sizes available than when I take off of work for three or four hours to go to the mall, or spend my precious weekend hours trying to find "just the right suit," and end up getting disappointed and coming home with nothing.

Is your body ready for bikini season?

Although I've just turned 30 years old, I don't consider myself too old to wear a tiny bikini, yet I can never seem to find one at a local store that fits my body the way I want it to.

That's when I started shopping online. I was determined to find a place where they carried name brands, weren't priced out of my budget, and where I could buy mix-and-match bikini tops and bottoms, not in the same size. I also wanted to possibly find an online shop that would custom make a bikini for me.

I know that sounds like a tall order, but the designers and manufacturers of women's swimwear and clothing do not have standard sizes like with men's clothes and swim trunks.

So, I'm curious, and that's why I've created this hub. Where do you shop for bikinis, and would you recommend that other women shop online for the best fit, styles, and prices, or do you recommend that women should go from store to store until they find a bikini that fits?