Updated for 2024
Figure Competition suits are a little bit different to your average bikini.
In this article I will show you what bikini style of bikini you should be wearing to compete in Body Fitness, Physique or Figure categories in the UK and advice on how to make sure it fits on show day.
FIGURE BIKINI STYLE
The Figure Competition Bikini is specifically designed to maximise the amount of body on show, whilst remaining decent.
The figure bikini has these specific features:
Two piece bikini
crossover back that attaches to the bottoms
V-shaped bottoms
The style of bikini top, and the glute (bum) coverage can vary across federations, so check the rules before you order your bikini.
FIGURE BIKINI BOTTOMS
The bottoms are shaped into a prominent V-shape front and back and should be worn to sit high on the hip or waist. This allows the legs to look longer and gives the judges the opportunity to see your muscle definition and striation in the upper legs and buttocks.
Figure Bottoms and Glute Coverage
Choose the cut that suits how much glute coverage you want.
This suit bottom should sit flat across the cheeks and not scrunch into the centre like a classic bikini. Many figure competitors use body tape or bikini bite to keep the suit bum in position.
For more information on how to stick your bikini so it doesn't move check out my related posts and find out how to stick your bikini down.
* Don't forget to check how much glute coverage is allowed for your federation, the UKBFF are in particular specify that the bottoms should cover half the glutes. For more information on glute coverage and why it matters check out the related posts and find out what glute coverage is and why it matters.
The back bottoms have hooks along the waistline to attach the top straps. Straps should be positioned somewhere mid back to avoid pulling the bottoms too much out of shape. You may need to find the perfect strap position through trial and error, as I have found that tensions across the figure suit can vary greatly between clients.
FIGURE BIKINI TOPS
The bikini top can be triangle, moulded triangle or cupped. Pick the best style to suit the size and shape of your breasts.
Classic Triangle Tops
The classic triangle top is adjustable and can slide along the under-band to shape around the breast as you desire. The top is lined, and padding can be placed inside this lining to accentuate size and shape.
This bikini top style gives very little support to large breasts, especially from the sides. This will be less of a problem for ladies with implants, but could be difficult for women with naturally large breasts.
Moulded Triangle Tops
Moulded triangle style tops are fixed in their front position and cannot be adjusted along the under-band. They provide excellent push up and shape provided they are tight to the body.
Cupped Tops
Choose moulded or cup shaped bikini tops to support large breasts that do not have implants, and keep the straps tight, but not so tight that they pull the bottoms up and give you a wedgie.
Large breasts with implants can look overwhelming in bra cup designs, so if you choose these make sure the underwire doesn't lift off your ribcage as you pose.
The best shape for smaller breasts is a triangle or moulded triangle, and use padding to help push up and give you shape.
The figure bikini top is finished with adjustable back straps that cross at the back and attach to the bottoms with
How to get the perfect fit
Getting a correctly fitting bikini depends very much on the accuracy of measurements and your overall body type. As you get nearer to your show day you will probably find that your bottoms will need adjusting to make them smaller at the sides, this is totally normal in the industry. If your bikini is completed more than a month before your show you should try it on again and arrange to have it altered if necessary.
If you choose to wear your bikini bottoms high on the waist you will also need some additional grip on the side of the bottoms with the use of bikini glue or tape. I also recommend that you don't have connectors on the bottoms as they are very difficult to keep high in the right position.
The figure bikini bikini gives little bust support due to the specific engineering of the bikini as a whole....but at such a low body fat it's likely that most of your natural boob will have reduced considerably compared to your off-season body.
If you have all natural large breasts and are competing in bodyfitness, toned figure or physique you will find that at such low bodyfat you have more skin than breast tissue.
What can we do to make the most of your boobs in the figure bikini?
I have 3 idea's for you that don't involve surgery:
1- STRAP IN!
Yes...you read that right! The easiest way is to use bodytape or a silicone tape to lift the upper part of the breast. For years celebrities have been using body tape to keep their boobs up and in garments...but beware this beauty accessory does not come without pain as removal of tape can literally take your skin off! Body tape is often used around the sides of the cups to keep it close to the body or on underwires to stop the cup lifting off the body.
2 - AVOID BRA CUPS (please note: figure bikini only)
Most competition bikinis are made from moulded bra cups and have absolutely no flexibility or give. Plus the bra straps are pulled down towards the bottoms denying you the ability to tighten up the back strap and provide support around the body. So when you do that cheeky side pose and twist on stage no amount of padding will fill the gap at the top of the bikini. If you have fake big boobs the more padding you put in the cup the further it will sit away from the body and you may need additional body tape to stop the cup lifting away from the rib cage while you pose.
3 - GO UP A SIZE AND USE INSERTS
If loose skin is a real problem you can hide it by going for a slightly bigger bra size that will cover you up and then use bra inserts to create shape. Even if you have big boobs the overall shape of your bikini will be improved with the addition of some simple triangle inserts. They will smooth the profile of the bikini and give it just enough shape so you can tighten up those back straps so the bikini is as tight to your body as possible and then tape down all three sides of the bikini around your breast skin and tissue.
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