For the ladies who feel like a bikini would be unflattering for their figure, yet dislike the old-fashioned gymnast look one gets with a one-piece swimsuit, there is a solution. A happy compromise is found in the tankini, which is an item of women's wear that is pretty much what it sounds like- a tank top and bikini bottom ensemble that offers the best of both worlds.

Let's face it- bikinis were made to show off shapely stomachs, and "shapely" means flat, in the this case. The bikini just wasn't created with the average American, European, or plain human stomach in mind. That's why you only see models wearing them in ads. Besides, many people prefer something a bit more modest without resorting to the one-piece. The tankini covers up almost as much of the torso as a normal tank top, but is usually cut shorter so that the midriff can be seen now and then- perfect for a casual day at the beach. As an added bonus, going to the bathroom is still a breeze- no peeling off a whole one-piece bathing suit each time you have to do your business (an even bigger pain if you happen to have just gone for a swim).

This inconvenient feature of the one-piece, plus its tendency to make the wearer look like a senior citizen in many cases, makes the tankini a no-brainer in comparison.

So just who stands to benefit, fashion-wise, from the tankini? The truth is they can make just about any woman look good (at at least better than what the alternatives are capable of). It's fine and good to have bodies of all shapes and sizes, in fact, it's natural (within reason, of course). But still tankinis can do much to help you get the look you want with the body you have. The most obvious advantage tankinis offer is that they conceal flabby stomachs. It's not like you can hide a flabby stomach, but a tankini can help to arfully blend it in with the rest of your figure. A one-piece doesn't even do this as well because shape of the whole figure is seen, whereas the tank top has some overhang and won't follow every curve of your body with skin-tight precision.

Women with longer torsos would also do well to make friends with the tankini. If you have a long torso and wear a bikini with the hopes of looking like a bikini model, the reality may not match the desire. The tankini can help- it will not accentuate the torso in the way a bikini will.