Goks Bare Essentials, Daily Mail, You Magazine, 8th June 2008.

We’ve all got an inner beach babe, says How to Look Good Naked presenter Gok Wan – and it’s time you learned how to work her! Here he shows you how the right swimwear – and attitude – can big up your best bits and disguise those little imperfections By Gok Wan TucanoBeach is the place for the "Sexy Broad" and her Huit bikini and many other brands.

Daily Mail, You Magazine, 8th June 2008

When you’re used to being covered up, the idea of exposing parts of your body that are under wraps for most of the year is bound to make you anxious. You are real women – not airbrushed models – so you’ll have curves and lumps and bumps, asymmetrical breasts and stretch marks. You know what? That’s normal – and it’s fine. You are absolutely not on your own: more than 90 per cent of British women say that they dislike everything to do with their bodies (and that includes the models).

In fact, every body is naturally beautiful: it’s just a case of dressing up the good bits and diverting attention from the rest. You’ve worked hard all year for this holiday and you are going to enjoy it. The key is to develop the confidence to carry an entire look – and the word is gorgeous! Value yourself, hold your head high and you’re going to get all the compliments you deserve. This new attitude probably won’t happen overnight – like any great relationship, the one between you and your body will take time to perfect.

Here’s what I prescribe…

Set up a mirror moment. Find a long looking glass, shut the door, strip off and get to know yourself. Take a really good long look. If you haven’t done this in a while, it’s better to get the shock over now, under controlled conditions, rather than when you get to the beach. Remember: it will only look really bad once. Keep looking around your body, and the iffy bits (boobs, bum, tum, thighs, for most women) won’t be so bad as you get used to them.

Here’s the deal: for every negative thought you have about an aspect of your body, you have to balance it with something positive – lovely legs, arms, neat waist, gorgeous hair, pretty feet… If you find it hard to praise yourself, ask three people who know and love you what your best bits are. Then do the same for them in return.

Acknowledge the bits you don’t love and focus on the bits that you do. Those are the ones you are going to dress up. Then, forget it all – and only ever see your body as a whole, beautiful image.

Stand up straight: good posture will give the impression that you’re slimmer. So, shoulders back, chin up, tummy in, walk as tall as you can – but be relaxed and self-confident! Think feline: it’s not called the ‘catwalk’ for nothing. A good tip is to point your second biggest toe in front, to get your body walking straight.

Go shopping. Once you’ve pinpointed your body shape, look at the ideas below, then set aside a lunch hour or weekend afternoon to look for the swimsuits that suit you best. Buy the items that make you feel fantastic, but don’t take the labels off until you’ve tried them on at home, too. Once you know you love them, have an ‘un-dress rehearsal’ to make them your own. Wear them round the house and get used to the feel of them before you hit the pool or beach.

Give yourself a glow for evenings. The stars’ best friend – and soon to be yours – is shimmering body oil. It reflects the light in an incredibly soft, flattering way, giving a sheen to your skin, and I swear it makes your limbs look slimmer.

THE PEAR SHAPE applies to 60 per cent of women in the West. There is something so graceful about this silhouette, which combines femininity and sensuality.

* Steer clear of ruching, draping and pleating, but a gentle frill can be flattering because it doesn’t cling.

* Boost your boobs to balance your body. Look for swimwear with detail on the top half.

* Emphasise your top half with jewellery or a hat.

* Tie a sarong with the ends drifting down one side of your body to narrow your bottom half.

* Divert attention from your hips and bottom with a waist detail.

* Pear shapes tend to look shorter-legged, so wear built-up sandals for sashaying round the pool.

* Girls with no curves need liposuction in a garment! Look for a basque-type one-piece with prints and cut-out details that will ‘create’ a waist.

* Choose bottoms with a high leg cut to flatter thighs, and a top with thin straps and sweetheart-shaped cups.

* Stick to dark colours and wear pattern with caution: stripes or diagonal bands are your best option.

* Waistline details – and pretty decoration – can trick the eye into seeing curves.

* Divert attention from your body shape with earrings, big bracelets, flower barrettes and sunglasses.
Cleavage diva

A BIG BOSOM needs the motto ‘up, up, up!’ The average bra size in the UK is 36C – up from 34B a decade ago – and an estimated 40 per cent of women take a D cup or above.

* A top with good support is vital for spreading your bust out width-wise – pushing your boobs away from each other makes them appear smaller. Never try to flatten them, it’s very unflattering.

* Underwired cups with wide – and wide-apart – straps are great for support.

* With two-pieces, look for sexy but substantial briefs to emphasise your derrière and balance your boobs.

* Dark or bright colours will flatter. Avoid pale shades
on top.

* Bottoms with details divert attention from your top half.

* Glam accessories below the waist will draw the eye away from your top half.

Petite woman

SMALL packages usually contain the most gorgeous
things (and I’m not just talking about those turquoise
Tiffany boxes!). When you’re around, the rest of us feel
like galumphing giants. And, of course, fellas feel super-chivalrous around shorter women.

* Go for a half-cup padded bra, with angled cups, plunging down the V to maximise your boobs and give the illusion of cleavage, with low-slung high-legged briefs.

* A triangle bikini, with string ties on the low-slung briefs, adds width.

* Look for a small, subtle pattern to give depth.

* Lots of gorgeous bracelets draw attention to your arms, giving you a wider outline.

* Keep hats small – you want to avoid the mushroom look.

* Small sunglasses with wide arms are more flattering for your little features.

Bellyssimo babe
A ROUNDED TUMMY is a big turn-on for most guys – seriously! There’s a reason why the world’s oldest dance form is belly dancing. So look at your tummy with love!

* You can optically lessen the depth of your tummy by emphasising your bust, pushing it up and forwards.

* Look for swimwear with lots of Lycra to smooth out your silhouette and flatten your tum.

* Go for a long-line top and built-in bra, plus clever draping across the body.

* If you choose a tankini, look for plain fabric with little details round the neckline/bust.

* Choose eye-catching accessories that distract from your tummy – such as white-rimmed shades and a beach basket or bag.

* For extra cover – and added sun protection – wear a floaty kaftan.

Sexy Broad
A BOXY SHAPE needs to have curves ‘created’ by a swimsuit that sculpts the body, with a sexy flare here, a ruched detail there, and sensational accessories.

* Girls with no curves need liposuction in a garment! Look for a basque-type one-piece with prints and cut-out details that will ‘create’ a waist.

* Choose bottoms with a high leg cut to flatter thighs, and a top with thin straps and sweetheart-shaped cups.

* Stick to dark colours and wear pattern with caution: stripes or diagonal bands are your best option.

* Waistline details – and pretty decoration – can trick the eye into seeing curves.

* Divert attention from your body shape with earrings, big bracelets, flower barrettes and sunglasses.

SWIMSUIT, £70, Huit,
from Tucano Beach,
tel: 01243 513757

TALL AND SLIM is the shape that most women want to be, but so many skinny girls don’t feel sexy and feminine. So let’s forget skinny, and just say ‘slender’.

* Be bold! You can wear anything: so draw attention to your body with splashy prints, bright colours and cut-out details.

* Big hair, hat, jewellery and Jackie O shades look fabulous.

* Look for swimwear that emphasises your little waist and gives you a curvier shape. A patterned fabric, draped, ruffled or pleated, will do the trick.

* A halter-neck style will accentuate your cleavage, and makes your breasts look bigger. Clever!

* You can opt for string straps, as you don’t need support.

Sign up for our newsletter.