Bikini is not Wellness with less glute, and it is not Figure. It is also not Fit Model with crystals added. Judges want a foundation of muscle that shapes the female body, full round glutes with a slight hamstring-glute separation, a little roundness in the delts, and a conditioned core. They do not want Figure density, squared glutes, Figure-style separation, graininess, or striations. They also score the overall look—hair, makeup, suit, and tan. The suit has to frame that physique without cutting it off or riding into a thong.

NPC, NPC Worldwide, and the IFBB Professional League have not authorized any company as an official bikini-suit maker. Confirm current rules on NPC News Online.

What does the suit rulebook actually require?

From the Bikini competitor rules used by NPC and IFBB:

Two-piece bikini and high heels.
The bottom must be V-shaped. Thongs are not permitted.
Competitors may wear an off-the-rack suit. Custom is not a federation requirement.
All suits must be in good taste. Bring two suits to check-in.
If the front of the bottom sits too low, or the back does not have enough coverage, the head judge can make you change. Refuse, and you can be disqualified.
Jewelry is allowed. The competitor number attaches to either side of the bikini bottom.

Crystals are allowed in Bikini. Fit Model is the class that bans stones, connectors, and side ties, and that requires a rounded front plus 50% glute coverage. Do not walk a crystal Bikini suit into Fit Model. If you are still choosing a class, read Fit Model vs. Bikini Division. For a larger lower body, see the sibling How to Choose a Wellness Competition Suit.

How is Bikini judged, and what should the suit do?

Judging is front and back poses in a group, then an individual routine of front and back poses (up to 20 seconds), then callouts in front and back turns. There is no side judging. The model walk is a front pose, a 180° turn to a back pose, a walk, a turn, and a walk back.

That means:

Front. The V should sit high on the hip so the leg line and the glute-hamstring tie-in stay readable. A front that drops lengthens the torso. That is the fault the rulebook names. Cups should hold without cutting a line across the bust. Connectors belong on the hip bone, not halfway down the glute.

Back. Enough fabric that the bottom is not a thong when you hit the pose. Anatomy changes how any named cut sits. A narrower pattern that rides on a rounder glute is a check-in problem, not a flex. Photograph the back in the pose, not at ease.

Walk. The suit has to stay put through a 180° turn and a walk. Adjustable sides help through peak week.

Crystals vs posing. Practice in a posing suit of similar coverage. Do not wear the crystal stage suit through daily posing. Stones pop, and tan product on uncured crystals lifts the layout.

If you have to yank the suit during comparisons, the table saw it. For what the scorecard actually weights, see What NPC Bikini Judges Look for in a Suit.

What coverage does Bikini actually require?

Makers catalog bottoms as Rio, moderate, pro cut, micro, classic, high-cut. Those names are not NPC language. The federations have not authorized an official suit maker or an official “Pro Cut.” That term was created by suit companies.

Official Bikini rules do not publish a back-width in inches. They require a V-shaped bottom, no thong, good taste, and enough coverage that the head judge does not send you to change.

On this site, custom Bikini PDPs list Micro-Cut, Pro-Cut, and Moderate Cut as order options. A high-cut full-crystal bikini is sold as a silhouette that elongates the leg. Ask how this maker’s named cut sits on your glutes, then confirm against current rules. Do not import another brand’s inch chart onto a different pattern.

Choose coverage that stays legal on your body in the back pose, then worry about how it photographs. Longer walk-through: Competition Bikini Coverage: Rio, Moderate, and Pro Cuts.

Color and crystals

Pick color against the tan, not against a locker-room mirror. Jewel tones and strong metallics hold up. Colors that sit next to the tan erase the outline of the physique from the table.

Crystals are allowed. Sparse rhinestones look like lint from the seats. Front and back both matter because the back pose is scored. Genuine Swarovski crystals have the clarity imitation stones do not under hard white light. That is a materials fact, not a placing. Fit Model is the class that bans stones. Bikini does not.

SY Competition Suits (Suits You®) uses genuine Swarovski crystals on its crystal suits and states it holds an official U.S. Swarovski supplier contract. Treat that as the company’s supplier claim, not as proven uniqueness.

Do not put tanning product on the suit before the crystals have cured. Hand wash cold, lay flat, no machine, no iron. Care notes also live on the FAQ.

SY manufactures bikini suits in Clearwater, Florida. Lucy McCudden has built crystal stagewear here since 1996. SY says athletes who have worn its suits include Ms. Bikini Olympia Maureen Blanquisco, including the 2025 green Olympia suit. Treat those as the company’s own claims unless a third-party recap names the maker. Shop the bikini collection after you know the cut. The Maureen Olympia Green is a full-custom colorway; the Maureen Inspired Green is the Stage-Ready version of that color story.

How do you measure?

Guessing from street clothes is how bottoms slide and tops gape on show day. Use a soft tape, on skin. Do not suck in.

The size guide is the in-stock set:

Over bust — fullest part of the chest, tape parallel to the floor.
Under bust — ribcage where a band sits.
Waist — natural crease, usually an inch or two above the navel. Relax the stomach.
Hip bone — bony points on the front of the pelvis, where connectors sit. Higher than the glutes.
Lower hips (glutes) — feet together, widest fullest part. This is the coverage number.

Also send height (no heels), current weight, target stage weight, and recent front, back, and side check-in photos. The size guide says in-stock suits are adjusted to those numbers before they leave Clearwater.

Custom construction also uses torso length. The FAQ lists bust, waist, hips, and torso as the custom build set. Confirm the exact torso landmarks with the studio. Full walk-through: How to Measure for a Custom Competition Suit.

Custom, Stage-Ready, or in-stock?

Order against a real show date. Do not reverse-engineer a calendar from a “weeks” line. Published custom times on this site have not all been identical. Confirm with the studio what is actually possible before you pay. Call 727-784-0844.

In-stock. Ships the same day or next business day. The in-stock collection is already built; SY says those suits are then adjusted to your measurements. Unused in-stock may be returned or exchanged within 30 days. Sale items are not returnable.

Stage-Ready. A two-week build on a pre-engineered colorway and crystal pattern, still cut to your measurements. You skip design back-and-forth; that is what makes the two-week timeline possible. See the Stage-Ready collection.

Full custom. You choose fabric, color, cut, connectors, and crystal design. Built to your measurements in Clearwater. Custom is not returnable. Confirm the studio can meet the show date before you pay.

Bring two suits to check-in. That is in the rulebook.

FAQ

Is a Bikini suit the same as a Wellness suit?
No. The top follows the same standard. Wellness bottoms are traditionally all material, V-front, high on the hips, Bikini-standard back, no thongs or T-backs. Connectors are optional in Wellness. See How to Choose a Wellness Competition Suit.

Can you wear a Bikini crystal suit in Fit Model?
No. Fit Model bans crystals, connectors, and side ties, and requires at least 50% glute coverage with a rounded front.

Is “pro cut” an official NPC cut?
No. NPC and IFBB have not authorized any official suit maker or official “Pro Cut.” Confirm coverage against current rules, on your body, in a back pose.

How do you pick a suit color?
Choose a saturated color that contrasts your competition tan and the stage backdrop, not a color that matches either.

When should you order?
Give the studio the show date and ask which path still fits: in-stock, Stage-Ready, or full custom.

Do you need crystals?
Bikini allows them. They are not a written scoring item. Fit Model prohibits them.

How do you measure?
Soft tape, on skin, no sucking in. Over bust, under bust, waist, hip bone, and lower hips, plus height, weights, and photos. Custom also uses torso length. Use the size guide and confirm landmarks with the studio.

For figure-specific construction, see How to Choose a Figure Competition Suit. Questions on a specific body and show: FAQ, the bikini collection, or 727-784-0844.

How to Choose a Competition Bikini (NPC & IFBB)