Sheer Swimsuits

If tan lines really bother you, you're going to love sheer swimsuits.

Sheer swimsuits, also known as tan-through swimwear, provide the opportunity to get plenty of sun exposure without creating highly visible tan lines that can ruin the look of other fashions you may wear.

The secret to these suits lies in the materials used to make them. Although most of these suits look completely normal at first glance, look a bit closer. You'll find that the material is permeated with thousands of nearly invisible holes that allow the sun to shine through and expose your entire body to tanning. Lycra and Spandex weaves are the materials of choice used by most manufacturers, but mesh is also very popular.

Depending on the style you choose, sheer swimsuits do not look anymore transparent wet than they do when they're dry. They also tend to dry out quicker than a standard swimsuit, something many people consider an added bonus.

Sheer swimsuits are mainly available in a few standard swimwear styles including, one pieces and bikinis for women, and speedos and trunks for men. Plus sized sheer swimwear is also available, but it is more difficult to find.

The degree of sheerness will vary with the materials used to construct the suit. Most sheer swimwear provides the highest levels of sun exposure through the shoulders, midriff and bottom regions with extra protective lining added to the immediate breast and crotch areas. However, some of these suits fall into the extremely sexy category, and they are so sheer that the entire body receives maximum exposure. You may need to limit wearing such a suit to strictly adult locales/beaches.

Lighter colors and prints are mainly used when producing sheer bathing suits because they filter out less sunlight than darker colors and solids. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and some of the more sexy, lingerie-type of sheer bathing suits are available in your basic black as well.

Due to the way the material is manufactured, tan-through sheer swimsuits do provide a bit of UV protection to the areas under the suit. So, if you are hoping to achieve a somewhat even tan, you will need to use sunscreen on the rest of your fully exposed skin in an attempt to match the protection level provided by your suit. This will likely be a system of trial and error, but if you start out with an SPF factor in the 10-15 range, you should be somewhere near the mark.

If you select an ultra-sheer suit, it's a very good precaution to use sunscreen on your entire body, even beneath the suit.

As mentioned above, these swimsuits do have a few drawbacks.

• Although not completely transparent, some styles, especially mesh suits, can be quite revealing. So, they may not be appropriate for family type outings and public beaches. In these cases, save them for private/clothing optional beaches and your own backyard.
• Sunburns are a possibility, especially if you ignore our tanning tips. You could potentially suffer a burn in areas you've never dreamed of before.

So, does a sheer swimsuit sound like a good option for you? If so, all you can do is give one a try. Just remember, don't skimp on the sunscreen until you have a chance to see just how much sun exposure your new suit will allow.

Here are two sources for men and women's sheer swimwear.

• Shop4Swimwear.com
• CosmicOutfitters.com

Now you know everything you need to know about sheer swimwear.

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