Helpful Hints for Choosing a Suit By Merry Christine

Davana Medina

I will start by telling a fitting story (no pun intended); I think it was around 1994, so fitness was in at this time, but a lot more female bodybuilders, and NO Figure competitors. I went to a local competition, for I had a few competitors in it. So I am sitting with a couple of friends, and we are just picking the posing suits apart. This guy sitting in the row in front of us turns around, completely irritated, and says, “This ain't no stupid fashion show you know!! No one is even looking at the suits!!”…………Heehee….Times have changed, would you not agree??

I feel that first and foremost, if you are preparing to compete in this category called Figure, that is only three “Pro” years old now, look good and hard in a mirror, and understand that as important as the suit is, your body is the first and foremost thing that needs to be right on. Forget about hiding scars, tattoos, or any physical flaw by changing the cut of a suit. The judges have made up their minds already on what they expect as far as the cut of the suit, and if you try to change that just to hide something, it can totally destroy your symmetry. There is a reason why they want the suits the way they do. Besides, the judges are not stupid. They see scars and tattoos all the time.

Latisha Wilder

Take a good look at online magazines, and regular magazines. Look at what the girls are wearing that place top five, or even better top three. I am sure that you will notice, not all the girls that place top three are in the same suits. That very rarely occurs. The suit is very important, but it is very hard to go wrong now that there are so many suit makers out there compared to just 10 years ago, at which time you could most likely count the number of us on your fingers. Take that back 20 years and you COULD count us on one hand….

Figure has opened the doors for many people out there to make competition suits. Who would have thought, eh? However, it makes it so much more confusing for the amateur competitor to pick out a suit. Of course every designer out there is the “best”, or “competes”, or “delivers on time”, or “uses ONLY AUSTRIAN crystal”, or “Believes that they have the absolute perfect fit”, or “Knows how to make a suit better than anyone else out there”……..AAUUGGHH!!!! IT GETS SO DANG CONFUSING!!!!

Chastity Sloan

Along with figuring out your budget for your suit, make sure you have figured EVERYTHING into your budget. Who is going to help you with your diet? Heck, how much is all the food and supplements you have to buy going to cost? Who is training you? What about shoes? How about your hair? That can be expensive also. Your skin care, along with your competition color is important. Make up is also a very important factor. Oh, gee, what if you have to fly to your contest and get a hotel? So at this point how much are you looking at? Obviously, in the thousands, so your suit MUST fit into the whole budget. I have seen so many figure girls zero right in on the suit they want before they consider everything else. And believe me, the suits, no matter how much you spend on them, are only as beautiful as the person that is wearing it. You can spend $2,000.00 on a suit, but if you are not tight, symmetrically correct, and completely polished, no suit is going to help you out. So all I am saying is; be realistic about how much you can afford for your suits. The suits are NOT going to win you a trophy. Only your whole package can do that.

Michelle Flake

I cannot express enough to understand that when you are looking at the “suits”, to understand that a certain style of suit that you like might not particularly look good on “you”. Someone might look at a Davana Medina suit, but has butt like Latisha Wilder. Now, look at those two butts together. They are both incredible, but COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER. However, they are the same cut bottoms. But because of the shape of their butts, the bottoms look totally different. Look for a competitor with your body type and see what they are wearing. If you don't like it then find another competitor with your body type then find out who made the suit. Just do the research. Now I am only suggesting this if you have the time and really want to put your best effort in.

Davana Medina

Don't get frustrated if the designer has no space to make you a suit. Try someone else. Ask your trainer, if you have one who they may suggest. Ask someone you know that competes if they know of someone. Then I would ask the designer, if you don't know more than a couple of people wearing those suits if you can contact a couple more of their clients. If they are legit, they will have no problem with this. You can also ask judges who they may suggest. And understand that this is not like buying a ball gown. This is the same as buying a real swimsuit or underwear. Once you wear your suit you cannot return it. It is illegal for it is considered undergarment since underwear is not worn with it. However, you can sell it used. Be kind and wash first.

Now I will leave you with a list of, what I feel are legitimate suit makers. Some have been in this business forever, and the judges know their suits the moment you walk on stage. But I think from looking at all of the following sights that you will be safe, especially in a regional show with any of these.

And if you want to have a suit that has been worn already by your favorite Pro competitor you can always go to www.fitnessandfigurecompetitionsuits.com . This is a site run by Lydia Haskell, a Pro Fitness AND Figure competitor and is extremely nice and helpful and fair.

Merry Christine

Here is a list of some suit makers. The first three are definitely the first in the business, for they have been making legitimate suits even before Fitness was a twinkle in a judges eye….

www.massmuscle.com
www.jagware-posingsuits.com
www.mcbodywear.com
www.dreamwearonline.com
www.michealmercadocollections.com
www.cryscorner.com
www.bikiniguru.com
www.suitsyouswimwear.com
www.competitionsuits.com

There are many more out there, but this is the few I saw that looked like decent sites. And some of them I know have decent product, but I am not going to favor one over the other. I have no place to do that. It is up to you to figure out your budget, and who you want to give a chance at creating the frame for your creation………. Your beautiful physique.

Keep Training!!

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