Deciding on who I wanted to use to make a bikini was difficult. 

I trusted my trainer and went with CJ's Elite, who he highly recommended.

I have been told she is the best in the business.

For me, picking a fabric in an email was really tough. I had no idea what this little square would translate to in a full bikini. I had never designed a bikini before, let alone pick connectors to add to it. I picked things I liked and just prayed it would look good in the end.

Competition day I learned the woman who was doing my makeup also makes bikinis and is based out of Long Island. She said in the future I can come visit her and look at fabrics. This is awesome!! I am very visual and really like to see things in person before buying. Anyone in the NY/NJ/CT area looking to compete should reach out to her and actually see your bikini fabric before you order it as well as try on sample bikinis.

You can check out her suits here.

Some other options for buying bikinis are Amanda Louise Swimwear and Ravish Sands.

I chose to have my suit custom made for my first show because I wanted to be sure that it would fit.  If I wanted to cut cost I could have bought a suit from eBay or one that was pre-made.