SWIMWEAR Manufacturers are finally designing suits to fit and flatter real women this summer

Torso length and cup size play an important role in how swimsuits fit. BY ALLISON KAPLAN
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Every time swimwear manufacturers survey women, we tell them the same thing: Buying a new swimsuit is the absolute most dreaded shopping task. The humiliation and depression inflicted by trying on a swimsuit is so extreme that we'll wear the same one day after day on vacation when we'd never think of sporting the same outfit several nights in a row.
The average woman buys just one swimsuit every two years. Yet swim companies aren't doing a whole lot to get us buying more. Every swim department is dominated by halter styles, which are designed strictly for the flat-chested. The tankini seems like a nice way to get a bit more coverage without the constriction of a one-piece -- until that pesky roll of fat around your middle sneaks out. And underwire bikini tops are nearly impossible to find. Am I the only woman who would appreciate some support?
Peter Rubin, president of the Swim Association, has heard these complaints before. But what consumers want doesn't seem to matter as much as the bottom line. "Underwires are a costly material," says Rubin, who also produces the Mainstream and Caribbean Joe swim lines. "Retailers say they don't want a suit that sells for more than $80."
Hard to fathom that such a scant amount of material can add up to anywhere near $80. It's the fabric, Rubin says. The Lycra or spandex in a swimsuit is four times the weight of a bra.
Proper sizing
I'd be willing to pay -- if I could just find one that was designed for me. Manufacturers use a B-cup as their standard. The average American woman is now a C-cup, according to apparel sizing expert Lenda Jo Connell. Torso length is also key to a one-piece swimsuit fitting properly, and it's almost impossible to standardize. Which is why the two-piece tankinis with their longer tops and cropped bottoms have been a best seller for the past several seasons.
Most women don't fit into the same size on top and bottom. Yet you can't alter a swimsuit like you would a skirt or pants. Two-piece suits are sold separately at most department stores, but specialty stores seldom offer that flexibility.
"A small store like ours can't afford to sit with all the leftover pieces," says Latona Prochnow, swimwear buyer for Kiwi Beach at Mall of America. So once again, the consumer's needs are not the retailer's primary consideration.
Attention to details
But a better swimsuit fit may be in our future. Rubin says manufacturers are starting to introduce different torso lengths, the same way they offer various inseams in slacks. They're adding extra layers of lining for tummy control and getting more generous about actually covering the fanny.
"Most manufacturers are realizing that women are aging, they're having kids and even if they're taking care of their bodies, gravity plays its role," Rubin says.
In my recent swimwear-shopping ordeal, I found the best selection at Everything But Water (Mall of America or www.everythingbutwat-er.com). The store is set up so that it's nearly impossible to reach most suits without the help of a salesperson, which is annoying. But at least the employees are quite knowledgeable. I told them which body parts I wanted to emphasize or minimize, and they found the right fit. Plus, they sell a lot of separates and even have bikini tops that come sized like bras rather than just small, medium and large.
Better designed
Specialty retailers are starting to do a better job of designing suits to fit their target audience. Lane Bryant just introduced a swimwear collection for sizes 14 to 28 with skirted suits, tank suits and tankinis. Every style includes some support, design director Janice Pressley says.
Lands' End (www.landsend.com) is another full-service swimwear provider. You've got to love a Web site that categorizes its swimsuits by "anxiety zones" -- from small bust to big hips. It doesn't make trying on swimsuits any more pleasant, but at least they seem to feel our pain.