Shopping for swimsuits can be a stressful and self esteem-tanking experience — but according to actress and Summersalt investor-turned-designer Sara Foster, it doesn’t have to be.
“My number-one tip, honestly, is lighting, lighting, lighting,” Foster told Page Six Style. “Nothing good ever happens trying on swimwear in a dressing room with overhead lighting. It just accentuates and makes worse any imperfection that you think you have.”
Continued the star, “Every woman has cellulite in certain light. A supermodel has cellulite in certain light! But there’s something about the dressing room where I’m like, ‘My ankle has cellulite?’”
In lieu of struggling into suit after suit in a cramped fitting stall, Foster recommends ordering a range of options to try on in the comfort of your own home, and then returning or exchanging whatever doesn’t work.
She’s also a fan of enlisting the opinion of a trusted friend or family member if you’re on the fence about a potential purchase. “I always send pictures to my sister or my best girlfriend, because if they can’t be honest with you, who can?” she said.
On Wednesday, the “Barely Famous” star launched her second collection for Summersalt, following up her cotton candy-colored capsule of suits for the whole family with a range of beach-ready pieces in bright blue.
“I think electric blue is flattering on everybody. It just looks good on all skin tones,” she said of her color choice for the new designs, which include a dress, a cover-up and an activewear set in addition to swimsuits.
“Sara has a great eye and a very clear point of view, so it was great to work with her when designing the collection; she has a great pulse on design trends and colors,” Summersalt co-founder Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin told us.
Foster also knows that the perfect fit is a matter of personal preference.
“I have girlfriends who have the most gorgeous bodies — like, double-D boobs that I would die for — and all they’re looking for are swimsuits that mask their gorgeous boobs,” she told us.
“And I’m looking at them going, ‘Are you crazy? Do you know how many people would need to have your chest?’ And they’re like, ‘I hate it. I just want it covered.’ That makes no sense to me! But for them, that’s what they want. So it really is so personal.”
The mom of two told us she typically gravitates toward high-cut suits, which “really [do] make your legs look longer,” along with styles that offer a little extra coverage.
“I’m proud of my body; I’ve had two kids. Things do change,” she told us. “And I love bikinis, but I definitely do feel more confident in a one-piece.”
And don’t expect her to take the Kardashian-beloved thong suit for a spin anytime soon.
“I’m so sorry, when did we normalize G-strings?” Foster asked with a laugh. “It looks great on Kendall Jenner, but now I’m seeing it on friends of mine and I’m like, ‘You have three children.” There’s nothing wrong with it — like, everyone should live, I shouldn’t be judging — but you’re not going to find me in a G-string. It’s just not happening.”
