For a lucky few, summer is synonymous with fun in the sun. For others (most of us), summer stirs up a primal and nearly unequaled fear. I speak, of course, about swimsuit shopping. Luckily, there are secrets to buying figure-flattering swimwear, and tons of online retailers hopping on the helpful bandwagon.

Banish belly bulge: Muffin tops, love handles or spare tires -- whatever nickname we come up with, no one likes displaying their belly bulge. Fortunately, there are proven methods of camouflage: a halter neck draws attention up and showcases cleavage. Also, consider a tankini, which can provide looser, more forgiving coverage than a snug one-piece or a teeny bikini. Landsend.com lets you shop by anxiety zone and has a nice selection.

Boost a small bust: If you're in the "less endowed" camp and would like to emphasize what you've got up top, be free with ruffles, bright colors and other embellishments. Of course, a little (or a lot) of padding never hurts in the cleavage department. Target.com has a really nice array of flirty, frilly options.

Decrease your decolletage: If, however, your cup runneth over and you would like to de-emphasize what's going on up high, choose a top with a built-in bra for structure and support. Also, select tops with straps instead of strings for stability; the best are bralike tops that allow you to adjust strap length. Figleaves.com is a great site as it stocks sizes up to 56D.

Trim a long torso: If you're one of the lucky women blessed in the height department, chances are that blessing comes with a long torso. To break it up, choose a two-toned suit or a swimsuit with a belt. Also, look for one-piece suits in "long torso" lengths (available at many retailers) to ensure a proper fit and eliminate uncomfortable tugging. Cyberswim.com has a bevy of figure-friendly suits, including the miraculous Miraclesuit.

Thin thighs: Want to flaunt a set of up-to-there gams? Choose bathing suits with high-cut legs to help visually lengthen and slim thighs. Do yourself a favor and avoid boy shorts that cut straight across; they accentuate your widest part and make your legs look shorter. And who needs that? Victoriassecret.com reigns supreme in the land of high-cut bottoms.

So now that we've addressed those irksome anxiety areas, gather your new suit and your confidence and flaunt what you got.
Helen Malani is chief shopping expert for Shopzilla.com, an E.W. Scripps company and the largest comparison-shopping search engine on the Web. E-mail askhelen@shopzilla.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.