I Binge-Shopped Swimsuits at Forever 21 and Spent Less Than $100

I write about swimsuits a lot, from the must-have piece to guides on bikini bottoms. Naturally, one would assume that when it comes to shopping for a swimsuit, I know the exact item I want and at an affordable price, too. Sadly, that is not the case. I have the same struggles as all shoppers when it comes to looking for "the one," including fit (I have a long torso and small bust) and style (some one-pieces look so weird on me). As you can see, I have plenty of problems working against me, and I know I'm not alone. Finding the right swimsuit for your body type is f*cking hard!

It took me two months to find bathing suits I wanted to wear on vacation in Jamaica (there's a story here, I promise). And where I found the lovely pieces is the most surprising part. I bought them online from — drum roll, please — Forever 21! I had not forgotten about this fast-fashion retailer, but I had shied away from shopping there to refrain from impulse buys. But my search for bikinis inevitably led me back to the website, and I discovered an assortment of cute, affordable swim pieces. There were trend-driven styles like off-the-shoulder and solid colors like beige and black for minimalists. The only downside was that some swimsuits were final sale, which meant I would be stuck with my selections whether they fit or not.

I weighed the pros and cons, ultimately deciding to buy an off-the-shoulder floral set and tropical floral one-piece. I really love floral prints. I punched in my credit card information and prayed that when my package came, everything would fit. A week later, my fears were eased when both swimsuits I ordered turned out to fit exactly right and I had only spent $52.70 total. I immediately regretted my previous one-piece purchase from a different store and rushed to return the $114 "seersucker underwire" style. It had promised a long-torso fit but only left me with extra saggy fabric at the butt.

Long story short, my blast-from-the-past store, Forever 21, gave me swimsuits that I really love and I'll definitely wear again for Summer. As for all the money I saved? It paid for all those piña coladas I drank on the beach.