Buying women’s swimwear, whether your customer is looking for a one piece swimsuit or a bikini, could be the one thing that hovers darkly over her as summertime or a vacation draws near. Many refuse to shop for women’s swimsuits (especially women’s plus size swimwear) resorting to just a t-shirt and shorts, or avoiding pool or beach time completely. Trying on a two piece swimsuit in a store is just too scary for some, and ordering online is just too risky for others. As a business owner offering women's swimwear you can make a big difference in the shopping experience for many of your customers by considering the following:

1. Women's plus size swimwear should be modeled by plus sized women.
2. Most women don't like triangle bikinis as they separate while swimming and usually have little to no support, however, most catalogs and online stores still mainly choose to show this style.
3. No two women have the same proportions (believe me, I'm an identical twin). But, the recent trend in swapping sizes and styles for tops and bottoms has greatly improved the women’s swimwear shopping experience.
4. A one piece bathing suit might not just be too small or too big for a woman, it could be too long, or too short. Or, it may even be too flat, or too forward-reaching in the bust. This points to some of the allure of the bikini, but that style has a whole different set of problems.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know your women's swimwear customer (and know that this is every woman)

Just because your women's swimwear is made for ladies with great bodies, doesn't mean it should be made for one body type. The same goes for any target consumer for a swimwear producer. Women's plus size swimwear isn't just for women with large chests, and it isn't just for women who want to cover everything up. Does your target consumer have to be tan? Does she have the option to hide a lot or to bare almost all, no matter what her body type? Is age a factor?

I recommend: Use different body types in your advertising. Create a system for finding the right fit for your two piece swimsuit and your one piece swimsuit, much like a bra sales team does. Check out the models for, say American Apparel and Roxy by Quicksilver, and compare them to those used by, say, Diesel or Luli Fama. Which seems friendlier? Sometimes the trade-off of sex selling your product is that women don't feel they can pull off the amount of sexiness implied. Some brands, like Speedo, have almost gotten rid of models altogether.

Make a splash by pairing other unique products to go with your women's swim apparel

Your accessories and original/name brand/designer/discount swimwear is what makes your products personal. Now you need to make that personality effervesce by creating solid relationships with your buyers, manufacturers, designers, sellers, and customers. Add a one of a kind product, like locally made skin care or original vintage designer women's beachwear.

I recommend: Buy wholesale only. This sounds obvious, but too many online stores have gone under trying to resell almost cheap clothing, so it needs to be repeated. Look around town for local manufacturers, and online for factory locations or wholesale eBay sellers. Usually, contacting a store directly works, or try checking sell-offers on sites like TradeKey.

Create something new in women's swimwear from something classic

Women's swim apparel might be one of the least changed areas in fashion since the invention of the bikini. But trends do change, and when they do in women's bathing suits, the change can potentially be devastating. Don't be the last one pushing high waists when boy cut shorts are back. Necklines will plunge and rise, bottoms and bellies will hide and emerge, and even love handles will try to peek out subtly from a one piece swimsuit. Because of the natural limitations of the swimsuit, swimwear distributors and swimwear manufacturers have to pay even closer attention to minute details. Keyholes, multiple straps, beads, and sheen are important, as well as cut and coverage.

I recommend: Look at a top designer to find out what a women’s swimwear wholesaler will end up wanting. Of course, the most popular designers of today will depend on what day it is, but you can rely on magazines like W, ZooZoom and Elle, or, for the younger girls, Vice and Teen Vogue, to keep a finger on the womens beachwear pulse.

To stay afloat with women's beachwear and swim apparel, you must accessorize

Every good bathing suit brand, store, wholesaler, distributor, manufacturer and carrier has a way of making their women's swim apparel stand out. Can you smell like the designer while you're on the beach? Is there a towel covered in label logos that you can sell with the matching bikinis? Would your customers want to collect charms that attach to, or sunglasses that go with, your store's women's swimsuits? One thing to beware of in this area again is overwhelming a shopper. I've gone into women's beachwear outlets that reek of coconut oil, and stores that have more saris, wraps, and tanning oils than swimsuits... and have immediately turned around and walked out.

I recommend: Pick a setting that reflects the people in your community. If that is online, it is completely up to you, considering that online means anyone. If it is in Chicago or Long Island, however, perhaps sailboats will sell more women’s swimsuits and accessories than palm trees will. Also, consider the economy. Can your customers afford to buy custom swimwear, like those made by Ashley Paige or Exelnt Designs? Or, would you be able to sell much in the way of extras, like parasols from Lace-Parasols, kaftans from Topshop, or sunglasses from Bluefly or Ray-Ban?

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep in mind that you're selling sex, but not lingerie. Swimwear is fun, active, and made for harsh environments, so it's not all about looking good almost naked.
• •  Sell resort wear during the colder seasons. Try to catch the eye of the upper tier, especially during the winter months, by printing ads in society magazines, like wine tasting and charity event pamphlets. Teachers and students also get non-summer vacations, so be sure to advertise in school newsletters and campus newspapers.
• •  Depending on your area and demographic, most swimsuit wearers buy only one beach outfit per year. That means it has to be perfect for them, and usually means it will be simple. Therefore, the majority of your women's swimsuits should probably not be too unusual or terribly expensive.