black suit, left | black suit, right | towel
Hey, hey, HEY!! It’s 2018, and time for a seriously cool suit. Swimsuit, that is. There’s been a resurgence of one-piece suits in the last few years, and this new crop is not just for Mama (or Grandmama). These one-pieces have been completely reinvented, and more of us are making one-pieces our swimwear of choice.
To help wade through the vast amount of swimsuit options, we’ve come up with this handy little guide. We’re focusing on all of our favorite swimwear trends: boho crochet, girl-next-door stripes (or gingham!), ruffled one-pieces that look like works of art, pale pastels – just to name of few. And of course, we have a whole section dedicated to black one-pieces that are anything but boring.
As always, many of our swimsuit recommendations are based on the emails and rave reviews of our readers over the years – so a huge thank-you to those of you who have written in, left comments, or sent in pics.
The 2018 Swimsuit Guide
Simple Black Stunners
Year after year, we’ve noticed that many of you choose a black one-piece as your default, go-to swimsuit. But the ones that really get are readers excited? They’re the simple, black, one-piece….elevated with cool details, or sexy cut-outs. Here are our hands-down favs….
Cute Crochet
These suits only look daring. They’re actually really easy to wear (yet super sexy).
Striped Swimmers
Can there be anything more flushed-cheeks, girl-next-door sexy than a striped suit? I think not. (And stripes can sometimes help distract from a pooch. Strange but true.)
Pretty, Pale Pastels
One swimwear trend I’m excited about are pale pastel suits. Obviously they look amazing with dark skin and/or a tan….but they also manage to look pretty good with pale skin, too.
Girl-Next-Door Gingham
Pair with cut-offs and and old-school flipflops….or go for a retro vibe with red lips. Both work.
Ruffled Beauties
These suits are both sexy and sweet.
Swimsuits That Look Like a Shirt
This trend has been coming on for a couple of years now….and it feels really fresh and modern. I like the beach-to-restaurant possibilities.
Color-Blocked Suits
Color-blocking is a genius trick. The darker bottom camouflages a softer stomach, and a high-rise dark bottom will make your legs look miles long.
Mixed Prints
These are just tons of fun. (And the Maaji ones will always stay put, no matter how active you are.)
Wear a Rainbow
These suits are just playful, fun, and….happy.
Wrap Suits
There’s an inherent 70’s vibe to the wrap suit….and it’s also insanely flattering.
Belted Swimsuits
If I had to predict that one trend would blow up this summer, it’s the belted suit. A close cousin of the wrap suit, this one is giving off some serious 70’s vibes.
The Best Swimsuits for Post-Partum
The best suits for post-partum tend to have tummy control or ruching, a color-block situation (with the darker color over the tummy), and/or a front-zip. Those sporty front-zip swimsuits are shockingly good post-partum! If you want to see a few different types of suits on a post-partum body, I covered this years ago….and then Julieta bravely re-created it, and added a few suggestions of her own (it’s awesome).
There are plenty of suits featured above that would, in fact, work great for stylish post-partum Mamas. So please don’t feel limited to this list below. If, however, you want a go-to suit that will just….suck it all in, then try one of these tried-and-true reader and TME team favorites.
Our Favorite Plus-Size Swim
In years past, we’ve gotten requests to round-up plus-size suits. These are gorgeous.
Blouson Suits
These suits can be good at hiding a post-partum pooch….until they get wet. Just sayin.
Surf Suits
Surfing, waterskiing, playing in the waves without fear….I find that I’m more inclined to play when I’m dressed for it. Since I’m always cold, my preferred method is to don a Spring Suit (aka a lightweight wetsuit with shorts) over my bikini. You can see the original article here.