Throughout this site we talk about getting really tan while living the tanning lifestyle of a celebrity. You owe it to yourself to look and feel your best. We have also talked about a variety of different swimsuit styles for women. The purpose of today's article is to look in depth at the different swimwear styles for women via pictures and images. The goal is to allow you to visualize, compare, and contrast the different styles to choose the best one for you. We hope this helps in your quest to look your best tanning at the pool, beach, resort, or anywhere!

1. Pictures of Women's Classic Bikini Swimsuits - A Staple of All Wardrobes

©iStockphoto.com – subman

©iStockphoto.com – Mlenny

A staple of every woman's summer season closet must be a classic bikini. You can see two images of classic women's bikinis, one to the left and one to the right. The key thing worth noting here is the bottom's are full coverage, especially in the picture on the left. While the picture on the left has approximately two inches of side coverage on the bottoms, the one on the right has roughly one inch. You will want to consider this versus some of the string and micro bikinis that we will show lower. Also worth considering when buying your classic bikini is the top. Depending on your needs, you may want to opt for a top that has underwire support versus a top that has less support. Of course, the classic bikini (and all other swimwear fashions on this article and site) come in a huge array of patterns - make sure to choose the one that best reflects your skin tone and personality.

2. Picture of Women's String Bikini - A Very Sexy Choice

©iStockphoto.com – JerryB7

To the right is an image of a women's string bikini. The main difference between the string bikini and the classic bikini is the string ties on the sides of the bottoms and the top. String bikinis are great for tanning and looking sexy because you show more skin. If you have been working out hard and tanning as much as possible to look your best, why not show it off with a string bikini?

3. Image of the Rio Back String Bikini For Women

©iStockphoto.com – 1001nights

The rio back string bikini is one of my personal favorite swimsuits. In the image on the left, you can see that the two ladies are wearing rio back bikinis. The key difference with a rio back is you get less coverage in the back, exposing more skin for tanning and of course looking your absolute best. If you have a great body and have been working hard to look your best, the rio back string bikini is a very trendy swimsuit to wear to the beach, pool, or on vacation.

Want even less coverage? The next step is considering a thong bottom swimsuit (not pictured). There are many different styles of thong bottom swimwear for women including the classic thong, the "y back" thong, the "t back" thong, and of course the string thong. (You can even get a thong one piece swimsuit.) These days, more and more people may be seen in thong bikinis, especially if you are considering taking a relaxing beach vacation in Europe.

4. Picture of Women's Halter Top String Bikini - A More Conservative String Bikini

©iStockphoto.com – Bluberries

To the right is a picture of the women's halter top string bikini. The important thing to note about this bikini style is you get more coverage and support on the top, while still having a string bikini on the bottom. Not all string bikinis need to be as revealing as the rio back bikini, thong string bikini, or classic string bikini. If you're looking for a more conservative style, the halter top string bikini allows you to show off by having a string bikini bottom with the coverage of the halter top, a super choice. If you will be working out on the beach, swimming in the pool or ocean, and participating in a more active lifestyle, this is a great choice. I really like this bikini because of the accompanying black belt and the flower on the top, two accessories that add a lot of style and class to this fashionable bikini.

5. Image of Women's Micro String Bikini - The Ultimate In Tanning and Showing Off

©iStockphoto.com – jacomstephens

In the image on the left, you will see yet another string bikini. What's the key difference here? We're now looking at a micro string bikini. The micro bikini takes the prior string bikinis and just shrinks the bottoms (and sometimes the top too). In this case, the top is the same as in prior pictures, but you can see that the bottoms are "micro". Another way of saying this is the string goes a longer distance with less fabric. I personally really like the micro bikini, but you have to have a really fit look to pull this style off. This style is all about showing off your super hard work in looking your absolute best. If you have been working out hard, go for it! As an added benefit of this style, you will expose more skin to the sun and improve you overall suntan.

So we're about half way done! There are certainly a huge array of styles in women's swimwear. With so many options available, there are at least several that will be perfect for you. Keep in mind during this picture-based article which styles you currently own and which styles you would like to consider buying. It's always a great idea to have a a variety of different swimsuits for different occasions. Variety is the spice of life, after all!

6. Images of Women's Strapless Top Bikini and Tube Top Bikini

©iStockphoto.com – nicolesy

©iStockphoto.com – Dphotographer

Not all bikinis have shoulder straps! The picture on the left is a great example of the women's strapless top bikini. The picture on the right portrays a strapless tube top bikini. When you're tanning, it's easy to get tan lines on the tops of your shoulders. A great way around this is to consider a strapless top bikini for your swimwear wardrobe. Of interest, the picture on the right shows that you can look super sexy while getting a conservative full coverage bikini. The tube top bikini also has an accompanying tube bottom with full coverage, but with a sexy unique look. Another great way to even out tan lines? Consider tanning indoors as well as tanning outdoors.

7. Pictures of Women's One Piece Swimsuits - Classic and Trendy

©iStockphoto.com – cdwheatley

©iStockphoto.com – emreogan

Let's now talk about women's one piece swimsuits. The picture on the left shows a classic one piece black swimsuit. This is a great swimsuit if you are looking for full coverage. You will not get as tan with a swimsuit like this, but it still looks great. The image on the right shows a trendy one piece swimsuit. During the last year or so, there have been a variety of one piece swimsuits that are very similar to bikinis in that they expose a lot of skin. They are very creative in design and barely cover any skin in the middle. I really like these trendy one piece swimsuits because they're something different and help you bring a little extra fashion to your swimwear wardrobe. You can see many celebrities wearing these swimwear fashions.

8. Picture of The Women's Racer Swimsuit - Go Fast!

©iStockphoto.com – technotr

The picture on the left portrays a woman getting ready to swim competitively in a racer one piece swimsuit. The main difference with this swimsuit versus the others in this article is it is built for performance. If you are looking to get in shape and swim laps or swim extensively in the ocean, this is the perfect swimsuit for you. Sometimes, performance is more important than fashion (when you are working out) and you may want one of these "racers" in your wardrobe!

I hope this article has helped you understand the various styles of women's swimsuits available, giving you some ideas to grow your personal swimwear wardrobe. You can never have too many styles, patterns, and variations so I say buy one of each! Want to see images of men's swimsuits too so you can coordinate with your significant other? You may want to check out our article on images of men's swimwear.

Note: Please do not reproduce the pictures and images on this site. They are all licensed specifically for use on our site via iStockPhoto.