FENWICK ISLAND, Del. — Bathing suit shopping can be a chore, even for those who wouldn’t compare their body shape to a fruit, but a store on Fenwick Island specializes in finding the best suit for every body.
When it comes to bathing suits, Nancy Ruppert knows it’s about the last thing you want to try on.
“Except for young teens who can wear anything, no one gets excited about coming to get a new bathing suit. The average person, it’s what they dread,” Ruppert said.
She has owned Body Double for 31 years and while she no longer makes custom suits, she has been doing this long enough to know what looks good and, most importantly, she listens to what customers want.
“It doesn’t just have to do with what is most flattering on somebody. It has to do with their sense of style, their color choices. I mean, some people will only wear solids. Some people hate prints … Some like preppy, some like animal. So we’ve got to get an idea of their taste,” she said.
Once you try one, Ruppert said her team knows the inventory and starts bringing you suits to try.
“People are so appreciative when they come in because I’ll be here and hear them say, ‘Oh, thank you so much for helping me because I never would have bought this unless you showed me that style,'” said Pat Wood, a regular shopper.
Wood is one of many shoppers who left the store with something she might never have tried on, had it not been for Ruppert’s suggestion.
“I have a halter, whereas before, I always wore the straps on the shoulder. So they give you something that you think, ‘Oh, that’s not my comfort zone’ and then once you put it on, it’s great,” Wood said.
Suits range from $60 for junior separates to $150 for the top lines. Suit-hunters can find the pale yellow building at 1010 Coastal Highway.
