225BatonRouge.com

Long before those glorious moments lounging poolside with an icy drink, the fresh iPod downloads or that great paperback, women must endure the daunting task of shopping for a swimsuit.

It’s No. 1 on a woman’s short list of dreaded shopping trips.

The unforgiving glare of fluorescent lights is enough to whip anyone into a cellulite-induced, cover-up buying frenzy. Slip into a series of unflattering swimsuits and stepping out of the dressing room can become a serious test of will. Some women even say having a root canal would be more pleasant than baring so much skin.

Dr. Lisa Perez thought swimsuit shopping was bad, then she gave birth. Until she shaped up and lost her post-pregnancy pounds, it was rough.

“I used to dread swimsuit shopping a lot more. This is the first time ever that I’m not dreading it. It’s a nice feeling,” says Perez.

Rather than diving headfirst into the embarrassing, frustrating or just plain awkward task of swimsuit shopping, you can tackle it with some strategy and planning.

Erika Hurtado, who works at a local boutique, suggests looking for a few swimsuits of varying prices. “I buy one nice swimsuit, and then get a couple Target or Old Navy ones to mix and match for the beach or pool,” she says. “Those are great because they fit me really well.”

Swimsuit shopping does require trying on different brands and sizes to find the best fit, but knowing which styles and brands work for your figure can eliminate the guesswork. For example, brands like Shoshanna range in cup size from A to DDD, and bottoms run from petite to large. Similarly, most brands can be purchased as separates.

So how do you know if a suit’s right for you, especially if you’re alone? For a quick “is-this-suit-flattering” check, try this: close your eyes and face the mirror. When you open them, focus on the first thing you see on the swimsuit. Is that an area you want to accentuate? If so, you’ve got a winner. If not, keep shopping.

But finding the right suit is so much more involved than that.

So to help ease your dressing room woes, 225 picked the brain of Katie Jacob, owner of Stella Boutique in Baton Rouge. Her best advice? Avoid some of that post-winter, pale-skin shock with a mystic, spray-on tan. “A little color definitely helps,” says Jacob. “When you’re tan, you feel slimmer.”

Another tip: don’t go swimsuit shopping right after eating lunch.

“It’s good when people come in with an open mind, but also an idea of what they like,” Jacob says. “It’s easy to look at someone’s shape and know exactly what will work on them.”

Jacob explains how six suits from her racks at Stella Boutique will have you (amply) covered. So plunge in—whatever your style or figure concerns.