Yonkers, NY — For most women, shopping for bathing suits is not a very fun experience. Most suits are too tight, too small, too big, too expensive, or look too cheap. Or all of the above! The July 2011 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports¸ wants to help you find the most flattering suit that you’ll at least look forward to wearing.

“We all know bathing suit shopping can be a nightmare,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. “But we learned that if you do your research and know what works for you— it might actually be enjoyable.

The company’s ‘Icon’, The ‘Jantzen Diving Girl’ was born when the image of a diving girl in a red Jantzen swimsuit was featured on the cover of the company’s 1920 catalog. The Diving Girl gained popularity and became the company’s logo. Frank and Florenz Clark, who designed many of Jantzen’s ad campaigns of the era, created the iconic Diving Girl image. (Carolyn Murphy is dressed as the Diving Girl in the ad up top).

After the highs of the 20s and early 30s, Jantzen experienced some tougher times. The Great Depression and WWII meant less swimwear sales. The founders pivoted their focus and went back to designing knits, undergarments and active wear. They also produced military goods during the war.

Post-war, demand for swimwear shot back up, and Jantzen and the Zehntbauers built a second production facility in South Carolina. They expanded their offerings and outsourced swimwear and active wear production. They licensed the Jantzen Inc. name to various manufacturers the world over, realizing that that route was more manageable and affordable. They continued in this direction from the 1960s through to 1980, when the company was sold to Blue Bell, a North Carolina-based apparel manufacturer. Blue Bell was bought in 1986 by VF Corporation, who repositioned the company as a heritage women’s swimwear brand in the mid 90s.  Perry Ellis bought the brand again in 2002, where it remains today. Last year, the brand celebrated its 100th year in business.

Why else would Spanx offer swimwear with built-in slimming support in sizes as small as 4?

At a fashion show in New York a few years ago, I chatted backstage with a 6-foot-tall model with ballet dancer’s legs, who had just strolled the runway in two flimsy pieces of white Piqué. She jokingly said she took only shallow breaths for fear her pancake-flat belly would pooch out.

Swimsuit anxiety, it seems, afflicts everyone — well, everyone but that girl on the yogurt commercial who joyfully eats nothing but Yoplait in anticipation of sliding into her bikini.

All-yogurt diets aside, the perfect suit — or at least one that doesn’t make you want to hide under a towel — shouldn’t be that elusive. Every year brings new design trends, but the same body-flattering basics are universal. Here’s a look at what’s new, and what’s tried and true, for the 2011 swimsuit season.

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