Not necessarily. The two pieces are separate garments with separate measurements. Check each against the chart on the product page rather than assuming one letter covers both.

Because stretch fabric stretches the print with it. A repeating pattern absorbs that distortion invisibly, while a single precise shape or small lettering reads differently as the fabric extends.

Ultraviolet light, chlorine and salt, in that order for most people. All three act on the dye, and chlorine also attacks the elastane, which is why old swimwear turns pale and loses its shape at the same time.

Rinse in cool fresh water before the chlorine or salt dries in. That one habit does more for the life of the print than anything you do later in the wash.

No. Heat destroys elastane and the garment will not recover its shape. Press the water out without wringing and dry flat in shade.

No. Those areas are under constant tension and folded, so any print applied there distorts and wears off first. They are left plain by design.

They fit a wider range of bodies and let you change the fit during the day. Fixed clasps give a more predictable shape with less tolerance. Which is better depends on how you prefer it to sit.