This is a battle that doesn't discriminate. Whether you're long and lean, or petite and curvy, swimsuit wars are inevitable. It's almost as if they're mocking us ... being as stretchy as they are, tucking us in like we're sausages, and—as if that weren't enough to ridicule us—running smaller in size than our usual clothes, causing us to feel like we've gained inches even though we haven't. I knew I wasn't alone in this aggravation, so I reached out to the iVillage community for support. Their words comforted me:

"Ummm ... Yeah. Me in a swimsuit is always a horror story! LOL." — debbh24

"I was just going to say the mere thought of me in a swimsuit is what horror shows are made of." —twilightapple

"The only mishap I can recall is when I put the darn thing on and looked in the mirror! Ack! LOL." —neverstopping

Well at least we can all laugh about it.

Next, I propose a defensive line of attack. It's you versus your swimsuit. Here, women confess their battles, and our fashion coaches reveal how to win the swimwear war.

"I'm a cantaloupe on toothpicks."

by Ysolt Usigan

For years I have struggled with swimwear. I am a petite woman, who has a short torso and a big bust. I often look like a cantaloupe on toothpicks even when I'm not wearing skin-tight wrapping.

As a 20-something, wanting desperately to be able to wear a two-piece. I knew a bikini was out of the question—all of my internal organs have such a tight space to fit into that my belly has always stuck out even when I was in terrific shape. I bought a retro-inspired two-piece. Women don't always have to have perfectly flat tummies; this suit would cover me up just enough that I'd still be cute. It had a bandeau type top and a skirted bottom. Unfortunately, the bottom half came almost all the way up to my bust line, making my 20-something breasts look like they hung lower than they're meant to. Ugh.

Then, I tried a suit that had "tummy control." I bought one from a catalog—a tankini to be specific. When the suit arrived I tried to put it on. It felt like being squeezed into a sausage casing. My husband had to help me get it up my torso by hoisting me up by the straps—he actually picked me up off the floor and shook me to try to get the suit past my bust. Once I was in it, there was no getting out. I looked like an unripe cantaloupe on toothpicks.

—Erin deWard, a public relations director

Attack the Problem: It's all about finding the perfect fit.

Women can feel more comfortable in a swimsuit by wearing the right ones, says Jacqui Stafford, Shape magazine's executive style expert. "The right swimwear for your body type can shave inches off your waist and make you look longer and leaner," she points out. "The key is to make sure that the fit is perfect."

After Erin's trials and tribulations with two-pieces and tummy-controlled tankinis, she has found that the swim dress is more her style. "Shopping for swimwear is like buying jeans—you have to try on several before you find that perfect fit," Stafford explains. "And, don't worry about the size on the label. Getting the right style and fit is crucial."

NEXT : "I thought I could get away with wearing my underwear." next