SHOPPING TIPS Point of no return

Since it's forbidden to return most bathing suits, it's important to get it right the first time. Before you embark on your swimsuit-athon, here are five shopping tips:
Dollar signs: Price doesn't always guarantee better quality. Compare features carefully. Opt for a name brand that offers a quality guarantee.
Size it up: Having the ability to choose which style top gets paired with which style bottom helps make the swimwear buying experience less hellish. Concentrate on what fits best.
Light up your life: Remember, lighting in department stores' fitting rooms is often better than at painfully hip stores. Step outside in the shop's natural light if you can. Fluorescent beams will give it to you straight.
Sale away: In "freezing" January, when you see a sale and a suit that makes you look fabulous, snatch it up.
Take a breath: Swimsuit shopping is like buying the right pair of jeans. Trial and error, trial and error. Prep yourself for an all-day affair.
To look your best, cut down on breads and sweets three days before. Do at least 100 sit-ups and floor exercises like leg lifts. Or, there's always, um, swimming.