How to Fake a Bikini Body This Summer

All of the sudden, it’s time to put on a bathing suit for vacation or summer get-togethers and you start thinking about how to get a bikini body fast! If you didn’t quite get in shape for a bikini–here’s how to fake a bikini body this summer.

Spring flew by and all of the sudden I had an invitation to a weekend pool party. Ack! I wasn’t ready to put on any bathing suit. However, because I still want to look great in any bathing suit situations, I came up with a list on how to fake a bikini body!

June 2023 Update: These days I believe every woman should wear whatever she wants! I have the same body as when I wrote this four years ago, but I’m not hanging out with the same people and I don’t have a pool.

No pool–no bathing suit body worries!

I’m leaving this post up though because sometimes we do want to feel more comfortable in social situations. I don’t want anyone staying home from a social event because they don’t think they look good in a bathing suit!

I hated how I looked in a bathing suit, so I didn’t wear one for over 20 years. Then I became a grandmother, lost weight, and moved somewhere that had a pool.

My granddaughters wanted a Grammy that would get in the pool with them! So I had to get over myself for them.

How to Fake a Bikini Body

No matter what shape you are, there are occasions where you’re going to want to go somewhere that requires a bathing suit. You get invited to a pool party. Friends want to go to the beach. Or if you are really lucky, maybe you get invited out on someone’s boat!

You just can’t show up in jeans and a sweatshirt!

However, you can look great this summer at all occasions, no matter what shape you are in. Here are tips to look great and and have fun without worrying about how you look.

The important thing is to create your own version of beach or pool wear that works for you if you aren’t comfortable running around in a bathing suit, much less a bikini.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the best part of feeling comfortable, is that you get to enjoy more things and with more people.

Recently, I was invited to a weekend with friends and most of the activities were centered around their new pool.

My friend who is in her 50’s and can still rock a bikini, thinks it’s perfectly natural to sit around her pool in a tiny little bathing suit.

For the rest of us—not so much.

However, this experience and others like it have taught me a few tricks on how to fake a bikini body. So, while I didn’t actually get a bikini body in time for summer, I was able to put together some looks that helped me feel great in the body I have, and participate in summer activities.

Your attitude about your body

You have to make up your mind that you want to look great. To me, confidence is the most attractive quality a woman can have. To help with this, taking some time and spending a little money on your appearance can really help.

I like to create an attitude of glamor for summer outdoor activities. In fact, summer is the easiest time to look wonderful and sexy because you have so many options for creating a look that is perfect for you.

Great sunglasses

If you’re going to be outside in the summer, sunglasses are a must for your eyes anyway. For those of you that can buy them anywhere, have fun picking out a pair that looks amazing on you.

Since I need prescription sunglasses, I had to spend a little more. But the good news is, that I picked such a good pair for me, that I have worn them for years and never get tired of them.

It took lots of trying on to find the right shape, color, and style that worked for me. I liked them so much, that when my prescription changed, I just changed out the lenses.

For those of you that wear contacts or don’t need a prescription, you can look at lots of other inexpensive options.

summer dresses and cute sandals

I live in a very hot city. During the summer, I like to wear as little as possible but still be covered up. Summer dresses and sandals are my summer uniform.

The great thing about summer dresses is that you have lots of inexpensive options out there. I usually hit up the discount stores and get two or three at the beginning of summer.

This year, I didn’t even do that. I am using the ones from last year. Find a couple of pairs of sandals that work with everything and you are all set.

Most people don’t pay attention to what you actually wear. They are more aware of “how you look.” If you look nice, that’s all they notice. I tend to wear the same things over and over and no one notices!

I got really lucky on sandals too. I had a pair that I found on sale a couple of years ago, but then the brand was discontinued. I found them on eBay for a fraction of their original price and bought three pairs in different colors.

Here’s the trick. Look for comfort, plus a little touch of glamour. My sandals have some gold detail that make them look nice rather than utilitarian. But they are comfortable enough I can use them for almost everything.

Honestly, a dress and sandals is so comfortable, you will hate to go back to regular clothes at the end of summer!

For evenings, get a nice wrap that you can toss over your shoulders and you will be all set.

Fake Tan

Some of you have beautiful color already. Or maybe you took better care of your skin when you were younger.

Having a little fake color on my skin is much like having a little make-up on my face. It covers little imperfections and evens out my color.

A few years ago, my daughter treated me to a fake spray tan before her wedding.

I had no idea how great a fake tan would make me feel! Searching around the city, I did find a place that had reasonable rates on certain days for spray tans.

Even though I loved the result, it was kind of a pain to go through all that and now I simply do some at home tanning, especially on my legs and arms.

The easiest way to get a little color is to buy a lotion that gradually builds up a tan. If you apply the lotion daily after your shower, you get a nice color that looks natural.

You won’t have a dark tan, but you won’t be too light either. Since I love to wear dresses during the summer, I like to give my legs a little help.

I am also a huge fan of getting a spray tan. I found a local place where I feel really comfortable and the results are great.

I grew up in the days when you went out all day in the sun without any sun protection. Maybe my love of tans comes from those days?

Swimsuit cover up

Back to my pool party situation. I look best in boy shorts bathing suits. So, I do have a pair of these and I found a top at Target that matched them. Bathing suit ready.

What every other woman had that I didn’t was a bathing suit cover up.

An amazing swimsuit coverup is the next thing I want to find because bathing suit cover ups look amazing on everyone!

They can be light and floating or a simple pull-over but they made every woman at the party, from ages 24 to 60 look fabulous, whether they were wearing an actual bikini or not.

In a swimsuit cover-up, you always look like you are ready to jump into the pool—but you don’t actually have to if you don’t want to.

Summer hat

I’ve never considered myself a “hat person” yet, because I spend more time outside than before, a hat became a necessity. Being out in the sun, makes having a hat an essential piece of your wardrobe.

Getting one with a good brim protects your face and neck and also can make you look and feel like a movie star.

How to Fake a Bikini Body

I am a huge believer in getting out of your comfort zone and making the most of what you’ve got. Being fit and healthy is the main goal, not having a body that fits someone else’s definition of being a bikini body.

In addition to the above, I do walk and workout and eat as healthy as I can. Those things make me feel better inside as well as providing the nutrition for a natural healthy look.

Putting together a few summer essentials at the beginning of summer, lets me be ready for whatever comes up whether it’s a pool party or meeting a friend for coffee without having to stress out about it.

Wishing you all a great summer!