Shopping for a swimsuit can be sink or swim. Unfortunately, for most women, the process is more "sink" and less "swim."

But don't send out an SOS just yet. A handful of Utah companies have come to the rescue with swimwear lines that are well fitting, cute and modest. There are one-piece designs to chose from, as well as modest tops and bottoms that go together, well, swimmingly. Here's a look at five of the companies fully immersed in the business of modest swimwear. Go ahead, dive in:

Modbe Swim 2007 by Modbe Clothing

Inspiration: Modbe Swim is back for the second year in a row, with fresh styles, designs and solutions for the "problem areas" that every woman has, says founder Trish Wilhite.

"Your body is going to look the best that it can look," said Wilhite, who custom designed the swimsuit prints and colors. "The fit, the fabric, the cut and the support are going to make you feel so comfortable when you're out in public."

Every Modbe swimsuit has full bra support and double lining. The bikini bottoms fold up for extra support -- to "smooth you out and hold you in," Wilhite says -- but can also be folded down for embellishment.

"Our tankinis are more modest than a normal one-piece," Wilhite said. "They have more of a back and come up higher on the chest. They've also got the length, so you can bend over and you're still not going to be exposed."

Debut: Spring 2006

Options: Five top styles, three bottom styles, one one-piece, with more than 100 mix-and-match options. Prints and solid colors.

Features: Lined front and back in top and bottoms, with full-support bra. Ruching, lace-up ties, embellishments on some styles.

Sizes: XXS to 2XL. Can mix and match sizes.

Price: $68 for one-piece and $74 for top-and-bottom set.

Available: Online at www.modbeclothing.com.

Divinita Sole Swim Collection by Diviine ModesTee

Inspiration: Four years ago, Diviine ModesTee owner Chantelle Thomson became alarmed at the number of teenagers she saw wearing cute -- but immodest -- bikinis. Confused by the apparent disregard for modesty, Thomson started to do her homework and realized that there were few attractive and modest options available.

"I had a hunger to create and design modest swimwear that teenagers would choose over wearing a bikini," Thomson said.

So she sketched designs and worked for years to perfect the Divinita Sole Swim Collection, a line of swimwear designed to fit mother and daughter.

"We have taken 10 different body shapes, analyzed them and then customized swimsuits for these body types," Thomson said. "We get e-mails every day from people who couldn't typically find a fit that flattered them that love these suits."

Debut: March 2007

Options: Four top styles and four bottom styles with 13 mix-and-match options. Prints and solid colors.

Features: Double-lined front and back, with full bra support. Piping, ruching and other embellishments on select suits.

Sizes: XXS to XL. Can mix and match sizes.

Price: $77 for top-and-bottom set, $25 for tennis skirt.

Available: Online at www.diviinemodestee.com and through home consultants.

Shade Swim by Shade Clothing

Inspiration: Like many women, Shade founder Chelsea Rippy has always disliked shopping for swimwear.

"I've always had a hard time finding a swimsuit," Rippy said. "Usually, if the cut was decent I thought the pattern was cheesy."

On the rare occasion Rippy managed to find something she thought was cute, the swimsuit usually wasn't modest. Realizing she wasn't the only woman with such a dilemma, Rippy created a line of limited-edition swimwear to complement Shade's already popular clothing line.

"I believe our prints are very unique to what you can currently find," Rippy said. "They're not your typical hibiscus-floral print. They are very modern, very contemporary. They have an artist vibe."

They're also very modest, with a four-inch overlap between the top and bottom to keep the suits functional, said Rippy.

"It really helps with the midsection and love handles," said Rippy. "I also considered the fact that when you're at the pool, you're typically not just sitting in a lawn chair."

Debut: Spring 2007

Options: Three top styles and one bottom style, with eight colors and four prints.

Features: Lined, with removable soft-cup bra. Ruching and halter ties on some suits.

Sizes: XS to XL. Can mix and match sizes.

Price: $54 to $62 for top-and-bottom set.

Available: Online at www.shadeclothing.com, at the Shade Store in American Fork, 50 N. Center Street, or through Shade personal shoppers.

The Mod Bod Swimwear Collection

Inspiration: Like the company name suggests, The Mod Bod Swimwear Collection focuses on modest but stylish swimwear, says Daniel Thompson, operations officer for The Mod Bod.

"We have a whole bunch of customers who were fed up with the way society has gone towards swimwear that is very revealing," Thompson said. "They love our suits, so they have sold like wildfire."

The Mod Bod swimsuits have high necklines and backs, with high waists on the tankini bottoms.

"The tankini top is not a tight, pressing-body fit," Thompson said. "It's more of a loose fit that doesn't suck the body so you feel like you're hanging out everywhere. It's a great feature for people who don't want a killer tight swimsuit."

Debut: Spring 2006

Options: One-piece, tankini and swim skirt styles. Prints and coordinating solids.

Features: Lined, with soft cup bra support. Halters and scalloped edges on some suits.

Sizes: XS to 2XL.

Price: $48 for one-piece, $56 for tankini set.

Available: Online at www.thmodbod.com, through home consultants and at The Mod Bod stores in Orem, 910 S. State Street, and Pleasant Grove, 274 S. 700 West.

LAYERS Clothing Swimwear

Inspiration: LAYERS swimwear is custom designed but not custom priced. Each color, print and design is a custom creation by LAYERS founder Michelle Boley.

"The fabric is custom blended, dyed and woven," said Laura Tobler, marketing director for LAYERS. "It is a lengthy process to get the look Michelle wants."

This year, that look is definitively retro, with prints, colors and designs inspired by the early 1950s and 1960s. There are 13 different swim styles to choose from, with options for women of all ages and sizes.

"We thought of every single body style out there and designed a swimsuit for that body," Tobler said.

Debut: Spring 2006

Options: 10 tankini styles and three one-piece styles. Prints.

Features: Fully lined with bra pads. Ruching, halter ties and embellishments on some suits.

Sizes: XS to XL.

Prices: $60 for tankinis and one-piece swimsuits.

Available: Online at www.layersclothing.com and through home consultants.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.