Suit yourself: Swimwear trends for 2006

Booking my recent trip to the Caribbean was easy; shopping for a swimsuit wasn't. I'll be honest; winter hasn't been kind to my physique. (Is there a sane person in this city who wants to go jogging during a 35-day stretch of drizzle?) So, my golden retriever and I put on a few pounds, and come March, I was desperate for a swimsuit that would give me a nip-tuck effect-and a little glam. With the Virgin Islands on my mind, I searched the city for the perfect itsy-bitsy – no yellow polka-dots, thank you – bikini.

Ladies, grab the suntan lotion — here's what I found:

If you're a jewelry and accessory fanatic like me, you'll be pleased about a new trend in swimwear. Sorry, chandelier earrings still don't qualify as beachwear, but nowadays you can find everything from jewels, rings, and sequins to figure-flattering belts (with buckles!) on swimsuits.

Belts, says Angela Bruders, supervisor of Seattle's locally owned Sylvia's Swimwear, are particularly popular. They can provide shape definition and a slimming effect, she says. You'll find belts-and sequins and beads, too-in the Vix ($50-60 per piece) line, available at Sylvia's.

Fremont's darling bikini boutique, Tininha's, carries elegant and exotic swimwear. Store clerk Michelle Moore recommends the Salinas line. With their gold details, "They're elegant and vintage-looking," she says.

"My favorite colors this year are the mango and coral colors," says Bruders. "We're also seeing a lot of browns and purples." In fact, Bruders has her eye on a brown and purple number by the hipster line Vitamin A ($50-70 per piece). "They're more of a Brazilian cut," she says.

Moore recommends suits with bold patterns, too. "Stripes are really big this season," she says, pointing out Tininha's selection of Andres Stardust, swimwear from Barcelona (prices start at $170).

The old standby Nordstrom also has a wide selection of showstoppers. Shoshana's belted stripe bikini ($70 for bottom, $62 for top) and Juicy Couture's beach metallic stripe halter ($79 for top, $73 for bottom) are both good options.

Christy Pudduck, co-owner of the ultra hip boutique Coastal Surf near Alki Beach, suggests the old-school-turned-new-again brand OP ($70-90 per bikini set). "They've revamped their line with great color combinations and retro styling," she says, pointing out a hip orange and white striped suit with tiger print on the bottom.

Five years ago, most women would have shuddered at the thought of donning a one-piece. The dreadful get-up made many of us look like walking torsos... so why are the runways filled with them this spring?

Vogue recently sung the praises of Louise Vitton's edgy one-pieces and other brands with plunging necklines (think of Jennifer Lopez's legendary green deep-plunge Versace dress). Your best bet for one-pieces, say experts, are unique shapes, such as triangle-shaped tops, or the figure-flattering "monokinis." Their dramatic side cutaways lend themselves to a bikini look, without baring too much skin. Nordstrom carries several hot-off-the-runway varieties.

One part tank top, one part bikini

Perhaps one of the most popular new innovations in swimwear fashion is the "tankini." Mixing a bikini bottom, with a tank- or halter-style top, these suits flatter most figures and are nice alternatives to a one-piece. Tininha's and Sylvia's both carry Vix tankinis. "They're very 'Sex in the City,'" says Moore. "You can even wear them with jeans."

"People come in and say, 'I'm leaving for a cruise in a week, and I need the perfect suit,'" says Sylvia's supervisor Bruders. If they're shape-conscious, she recommends the Miracle Suit line. "They make you look like you've lost 10 pounds in 10 seconds," she notes. "It's a girdle you can swim in."

Miracle Suit tankinis have gotten a fair amount of press in recent years for their slimming abilities. Coastal Surf carries a chocolate brown and fuchsia Billabong tankini ($70-80) that store owner Pudduck recommends to customers who are new moms (and chasing after toddlers), and may want more coverage "without feeling boring."

Cover-ups, says Bruders, are sometimes misunderstood. "A lot of people think they're for old ladies." But they're all over the runways this spring, and Amy King, assistant manager of Swim In, in the Northgate Mall, says they're all the rage with her customers. Swim skirts, A-line skirts with built-in briefs for swimming ease, "give the appearance of slimmer thighs and hips," explains King.

Check out Swim In's Jag, Perry Ellis, and Swim System lines. They all start at $45 and offer a variety of colors and cuts. If you're a sportier gal, board shorts are another cover-up option. Coastal Surf carries Roxy and O'Neill shorts ($40-50). With their running-shorts style cuts and elastic waistbands, they provide coverage and athletic movement for your inner surfer girl.