We spent the last several weeks pulling together our favorite one-piece swimsuits for The Mom Edit’s 2023 Swim Shop. It’s something I look forward to every year — I seriously can’t believe how freaking cool one-piece swimsuits have become. The list is so good that you could basically throw a dart at it, and whatever suit you hit would be a good one.

That analogy is a little rough, perhaps, but true.

And it’s actually a pretty accurate depiction of how I arrived at the collection of suits I’m trying on in this article. There’s no rhyme or reason to this list, neither is it what I would call comprehensive. I basically ordered a few suits based on whim (I consider this March try-on a “warmup” to actual swimsuit shopping…neveryoumind that I’m keeping more than one) and…yeah. It’s a lot of skin for March, that’s all I’m saying.

Anything But Basic: One-Piece Swimsuits For The Modest & The Cheeky (Try-On)

My swimsuit whims this year include a few cheeky suits (why not? life’s too short!), a few swimsuits I would consider oddly conservative for my usual taste (spoiler: I LOVE two of them), and a couple of in-between, not quiiiite cheeky, but not not cheeky swimsuits.

The brands include my usual suspects: J.Crew (I’ve been wearing its affordable and high-quality bathing suits since high school, and they come in sizes XXS to 3X, plus long-torso options), Agua Bendita, a Colombian-based brand Julieta turned me on to, Toteme, and L*Space.

1. The *Not* Cheeky One-Piece Swimsuits

I’ll be honest: Most “modest” swimsuits are not for me. I’m not a fan of Summersalt, and I find that many of J.Crew’s one-pieces have too much coverage for my comfort (I’ve been wearing its string bikinis for decades). I’ve always been a bikini girl at heart, so if I’m going for a one-piece bathing suit, it’s gotta be pretty special. That said, I managed to find a couple suits that were shockingly modest, yet still made me feel like…myself. These two suits have two very different vibes, however, so let’s get into it.

1a. A Great, All-Around Mom Swimsuit: J.Crew’s Cap-Sleeve One-Piece

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These photos do NOT do this J.Crew swimsuit justice. This suit is wildly cute and stays put in alltheplaces. It’s the most covered up I’ve ever been in a swimsuit, but I actually love that it’s unapologetically modest…yet gives zero triathlete vibes. Would look especially cute with cutoffs in the summer. Surprisingly, my husband (who typically prefers the cheekier suits) really liked this one too.

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1b. A Sneaky-Sexy Mom Swimsuit: Toteme High-Neck One-Piece

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Toteme is a fashion brand started by someone I have a bit of style crush on, Elin King. This high-neck one-piece is a pretty good example of why her brand is so special. It’s conservative, sure, but the lines of the suit are *exactly* right. The leg lines hint at a retro cut without feeling mired in it, and the top is cut perfectly, so it’s sexy, not squeezy.

But the key? The back (and, again, these photos do not do this suit justice).

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My issue with most conservative (not-cheeky) suits is that there’s simply too much fabric back there. Even swimsuits with an open or strappy back are more covered up than I’d like. THIS swimsuit, however, dips low enough to hint at bum cleavage (without actually showing any — although I wouldn’t be opposed to that). This suit is wildly, confusingly, very sexy. In the most understated, sneaky way. This was another suit Mike loved.

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1c. The One That’s Too Conservative: J.Crew Cutout Tie-Back One-Piece

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This J.Crew bathing suit is great — stays put, looks cute, can be worn strapless (or not), has an interesting back, and comes in some really great colors. It’s just a little too conservative for me.

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1d. The One That’s Too Squeezy: J.Crew Textured Swimsuit With Cutouts

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Cute, right? I love the color, adore the texture, and the cutouts, in theory, are great. My only issue with this darn bathing suit is that the hem of the cutouts squeezed unnecessarily (the rest of the suit fit great), creating rolls and itching. You can see the squeezing under my arm and on my side. At 47, my skin is not nearly as, uh, taut as it used to be, and it seems like this — otherwise adorable one-shoulder swimsuit — highlights that fact.

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2. One-Piece Swimsuits That Are *Almost* Cheeky

Most of these suits are listed as “medium” coverage online…which I’ve found usually means that they’re somewhere in between a cheeky swimsuit that’s going to ride riiiight on up as you walk and complete bottom coverage.

2a. The Best Sporty Swimsuit: J.Crew Striped Racerback One-Piece

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This racerback swimsuit from J.Crew is a fun one to wear — classic stripes, sporty vibes, and an almost vintage ’80s feel. I love it. It’s fully lined in nude fabric, doesn’t squeeze or itch anywhere, and would be easy to romp in around a pool. That said, there’s zero bust support. If you’d like to see this suit in action, I did a reel, trying to decide which suit to take to Park City for spring break.

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2b. If You Love a Good Back: L*Space Classic Black One-Piece

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The reason this classic swimsuit from L*Space stands out — from the sea of black one-pieces with interesting backs — is two-fold: First, the fabric. There’s a slight texture to this swimsuit that makes it more flattering and comfortable to wear. Second (and most important), the straps are adjustable, so you really can get a pretty darn perfect fit. L*Space suits do run a bit small, however, so size up.

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This swimsuit is not *technically* cheeky…but it’s close. The result is that it feels updated and modern to wear, yet I don’t feel overly exposed.

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3. Cheeky Swimsuits (Or As Cheeky As I’ll Comfortably Go)

These cheeky swimsuits are on the edge of what I’d feel comfortable wearing around other people I know. If Mike and I were at a resort alone somewhere, zero qualms. But at the shore, surrounded by our friends? Well. I’d probably wear it anyway, but it *may* raise some eyebrows.

Eh, whatever.

3a. The Easy Winner: Agua Bendita Nocturno Swimsuit

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Agua Bendita swimsuits are really, really special. They’re easily the most well-made suits I’ve ever had the pleasure to try on. The fabric is a dream (so soft, SO comfortable), and the prints are beyond gorgeous. This particular dark-floral pattern and style is such an easy win — tropical, stunning and flattering.

This is the suit I wore in Mont Tremblant, and as it turns out — yup — it does get cheekier as you walk.

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Size Small Vs. Size Medium

Both the small and medium sizes technically fit, but the medium is a bit more full coverage. So much so that I was worried there might be gaping at the bust if I went with the medium. In general, I find that Agua Bendita suits fit very true to size.

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The medium has a little more fabric in the bum area too. In general, these suits fit incredibly well.

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This exact same style comes in other prints too. All are gorgeous.

3a. Same Cut But A Different Print: Agua Bendita Atardecer Swimsuit

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Lastly, for fun, all Agua Bendita swimsuits come in a cloth bag, which is a really nice touch.

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Oof. Like I said, that’s a lot of skin for early March. In any case, which swimsuits are you loving? I was bummed to see that Andie Swim didn’t bring back my beloved Paloma (although this one looks similar), but I’m pretty thrilled that J.Crew has stepped up its game with some really fresh styles. That said, if you prefer J.Crew’s more classic styles, Scotti rocked the hell outta this one last year.

Cheers to playing hard this summer and feeling good in your suit — birthday or otherwise. 😉

xo,

S