21 Types of Swimsuits: A Breakdown of Swimsuit Styles

There are many different types of swimsuits—leisurewear made of breathable, quick-drying material. Intended for wear while swimming or performing activities near water, bathing suits are prevalent at pools or beaches. Swimsuits break down into two main categories: one-piece and two-piece swimsuits (also called bikinis). Within these two principal groups, you’ll find a multitude of different styles for every body type and fashion sense.

Your perfect swimsuit depends on a number of factors, including specific styling preferences. This can help you determine whether you want to wear a one-piece suit, swim bottoms, a swim top, or any combination thereof.

You can wear swimsuits poolside, at the beach, or in other situations where they might be appropriate. If you choose to wear a swimsuit while tanning, it’s worth noting that any tan lines you develop will reflect the particular style of suit you’ve chosen. For example, side-tie bikini bottoms will expose more of your legs than hipster-style swimsuit bottoms, which offer greater coverage.

You can find a swimsuit that’s sporty or a strappy one with ruffles and ruching; a retro, classic bikini or a chic, modern swim dress; a flirty, color-block swimsuit or a muted, flounce swimwear set.

One-piece swimsuits generally provide full coverage for your entire midsection and varying degrees of coverage for your upper body and lower body. Here are eight different one-piece styles:

1. 1. Cover-up: You will mostly wear cover-ups out of the water—for example, at the beach or poolside—rather than in it. However, cover-ups are usually made from loose, flowy fabric that is breathable and nonabsorbent, so if you do wear one into the water, it will dry quickly.
2. 2. Long-sleeve: One-piece swimsuits with long sleeves cover your arms in addition to your entire midsection.
3. 3. Monokini: Monokinis are a hybrid of one-piece swimsuits and bikinis. The top and bottom sections connect, but they still leave most of your midsection bare.
4. 4. One-shoulder: One-shoulder swimsuits connect over a single shoulder rather than behind the neck.
5. 5. Strapless: A strapless one-piece covers your torso and rises to just below the collar bone, omitting any straps or sleeves that would otherwise go over your shoulders.
6. 6. Swim dress: Swim dresses are swimsuits designed to look and feel like dresses made with nonabsorbent, moisture-wicking materials.
7. 7. V-neck: V-neck swimsuits vary in terms of how deeply the neckline plunges, so you will see some with lower necklines and others with higher necklines.
8. 8. Wetsuit: A wetsuit is a good option if you plan to swim in cold waters since it fits closely, acting like a second skin to help you retain warmth. Many wetsuits have long sleeves and cover a person’s entire legs, while others might have short sleeves and shorts or high-cut bottoms. Some surfers wear a rash guard—a special kind of top designed to prevent chafing—under their wetsuit, too.

Swimsuit tops offer varying amounts of coverage for your upper body. A bikini top is perhaps the most popular type of swim top, although not all swimsuit tops are bikinis. Here are several different kinds of common swimsuit tops:

1. 1. Bandeau top: A bandeau bikini top is form-fitting and strapless, sometimes covering just the top part of the chest and sometimes expanding further, similar to a crop top.
2. 2. Cutout: These bikini tops stretch across your chest with a cutout section somewhere in the middle. Some cutout swim tops double as underwire bikinis.
3. 3. Halter top: A halter bikini top has ties that extend from the front of your chest around the back of your neck.
4. 4. Longline: Longline bikini tops extend farther down your torso than other bikini tops and can therefore be a middle ground between one-piece and two-piece swimsuits.
5. 5. Tankini: Similar to a tank top, a tankini top extends down to your swim bottoms. This style of swim top can offer a great deal of coverage while still being part of a two-piece set.
6. 6. Triangle top: Many people deem triangle bikini tops to be the most classic style of bikini top. It comprises two triangular pieces of fabric for your chest, which attach with string ties.

You can choose from a multitude of swimsuit bottoms, including:

1. 1. Cheeky: Cheeky swim bottoms feature a medium cut between your legs and glutes that will cover more of your backside than a thong but less than shorts.
2. 2. High-waist: High-waisted bikini bottoms can sometimes rise as high as your belly button. You can pair these bottoms with a high-neck swim top, such as a high-neck tankini, for fuller coverage.
3. 3. Jammers: Jammers are tight-fitting swim bottoms that stretch down to your mid-thighs. These are a good option if you’re planning to do high-speed or competitive swimming.
4. 4. Shorts: Swim shorts have a low cut between your legs and glutes, covering your entire backside.
5. 5. Swim briefs: Swim briefs are tight-fitting, underwear-like beachwear that hug your hips and leave your thighs bare.
6. 6. Thong: Thong bikini bottoms are the same as thong underwear but designed specifically for the water. These are often string bikinis.
7. 7. Trunks: Swim trunks are a casual and loose-fitting bathing suit option for the swimming pool or the beach. These breathable shorts sometimes come with inner mesh linings.

Get a MasterClass Annual Membership and let Tan France be your very own style maestro. Queer Eye’s fashion guru spills everything he knows about building a capsule collection, finding a signature look, understanding proportions, and more (including why it’s important to wear underwear to bed)—all in a soothing British accent, no less.