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As the weather has been warming up, I’ve been taking more and more virtual internet vacations where I wear blue-light glasses instead of sunglasses and scroll through sites to create my summer wardrobe. I swear, I can almost feel the warm sun on my skin when scrolling through the tropical pages of sandals and swimwear trends for 2022. This is the closest I’ll get to manifesting a summer getaway—and if it happens, I’ll know exactly which swimsuits to pack.
There are two rules I like to follow when shopping for swimsuits. The first is that I will never try on a swimsuit in a store dressing room. A swimsuit should make you feel as hot as a summer’s day, and I simply don’t get that positive energy in fluorescent dressing room lighting. When you will eventually be laying on a beach or lounging poolside, you’ll be relaxed, tan and confident. Put some self-tanner on in preparation for your swimsuit order’s arrival, blast some music and make the swimsuit try-on haul fun.
My second rule is that swimsuit trends are mostly just suggestions—at the end of the day, the only trend that really matters is feeling good in your own skin. If you want to wear a string bikini, wear it! Luckily, if that’s not what you feel best in (or if your grandparents are joining the family vacay), a lot of summer 2022’s swimwear trends provide more coverage.
The monokini and tankini are both making triumphant comebacks, and come in a variety of cut-out styles and cropped lengths. I’m looking forward to wearing these Y2K-inspired trends as a confident adult instead of desperately trying to emulate a cool-girl vibe as an early 2000s middle schooler in a Limited Too tankini.
Along with my confidence, another thing that has improved since middle school are the parties. If you are throwing a pool party, the micro-glitter swimwear trend is a must. And if you’re headed to the beach, a sleek long-sleeve wetsuit or halter bikini top will keep everything in place for water activities.
Below, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of every swimwear trend to consider before you book a flight—plus, the cute suits I can’t stop eyeing.
Ruffles are romantic and that’s pretty much all you need to know to determine if this swim style could be your summer vibe. Ruffles are a great way to emphasize your collarbones, waist line or desire for a summer fling. I predict that ruffles will be on the rise this summer especially after Gigi Hadid prominently featured them in her new collection with Frankies Bikinis. The style is reminiscent of summer days by the lake, ice cream cones from the corner store and rides in the back of a pick up truck (basically the summer of my dreams).
Over The Shoulder Ruffle Bikini
This girly bikini top comes in sizes XS-3X and provides good coverage and support for your girls.
Ruffle Halter Bikini Top
The black color and halter neck of this bikini top makes the ruffles appear to be more subtle. This cute bikini comes in sizes XXS-XXL.
I believe in second chances, and that applies to the tankini. The tankini revival comes in a shorter length than it’s original predecessor—think of it more like a crop top and less like a one-piece cut in half. Tankinis come in strapless, halter, and triangle options, to name a few, so there are lots of styles to experiment with (and ways to avoid weird tan lines, thank goodness).
A tankini is also a great hybrid swimsuit for vacations where you’ll be in and out of the pool, hotel lobby and restaurants. Just throw on a sarong and you’re fully dressed!
Peace Textured Strapless Bikini
This strapless tankini comes from Frankie’s Bikinis in seven different colors and patterns. The longer bandeau style looks great with any type of bottoms, so you can pick your favorite piece to match, from string bikini to boy shorts.
Jacquard Longline Scoop Bikini Top
Aerie’s swimsuit line is always an affordable option to shop for trending pieces. This blue scoop bikini top comes in sizes XXS-XXL and three summery hues. If you love Aerie’s crossover leggings, you have to get the crossover swimsuit bottoms to match this top.
If you’ve ever wanted to sparkle in the sun Twilight-style, the micro-glitter bikini trend will make your dreams come true. Sparkly bikinis started to come to the surface of swimwear fashion last summer, and they’re sure to be a full-fledged trend this season. A micro-glitter bikini has a special sparkle that makes for excellent vacation photos without looking too over-the-top. They’re also fun to dress up with stacked jewelry (a la Hailey Bieber) and ideal for special events like a beachy bachelorette party.
Metallic High Waisted Bikini Set
This maroon bikini set will give you a super glam beachy vibe with extra comfort, thanks to the high-waisted bottoms. The pink pipping gives the suit some additional detailing that certainly won’t go unnoticed.
Hello, golden girl! This glitter triangle bikini top is the perfect party suit. Capittana, the brand behind the bikini, is known for hand-knitted swimsuits—this one was made my Peruvian artisans.
Paris Hilton called and she said monokinis are hot again. Celebrities carried the monokini trend ten years ago, and even now, we know Kim Kardashian has an affinity for a good cut-out one-piece. While a monokini may leave you with some funky tan lines, it will also emphasize an hour-glass body shape and get you lots of attention. It may take a few tries to find the perfect cut-out shape, but once you have it, you’ll be wearing it on repeat.
April Plissé Monokini Bikini Top
This groovy ’70s monokini has a string bikini-style top, cheeky bottoms and the cutest turquoise detailing. Add matching turquoise jewelry to make a statement in the sand.
Free People has a wide selection of swimsuits you can wear for style and sport, and this monokini is no exception. It has thick supportive straps and a full-coverage bottom so you can wear it for all sorts of water activities with zero worries.
Halter tops are the ultimate hot girl fashion option for going out—so why not apply that same thinking when going to the beach? A halter top will show off your collarbones and provide some extra support if you plan on jumping around in the waves. A good way to test out the halter top trend is by tying your ol’ faithful string bikini straps by criss-crossing them in front of your neck before tying them behind it. If you like that look, go ahead and splurge on one of these halter bikini top options.
Hennie Plissé Halter Bikini Top
This boho halter top is giving major Aquamarine vibes. You won’t be able to buy a matching mermaid tail, but you can get the matching cheeky bottoms.
Cross Halter Bikini Top
A classic black bikini has the same impact as a little black dress. It’s timeless, sexy and looks amazing on everyone. This criss-cross halter top checks all the boxes and you can buy the matching high waisted bottoms to complete the ‘fit.
If you spent cumulative hours watching the big screens in Hollister and Abercrombie that used to show popular surf locations like Huntington Beach in CA, then you already know that wetsuits are super cool. There’s no reason you can’t look cute while catching (or attempting to catch) a wave! Wetsuits are sleek and sporty with long neoprene sleeves—if you want a girlier look, opt for cut-outs, floral prints or colorful detailing.
A red-hot swimsuit is one of the ultimate beach looks, thanks to Pamela Anderson. This pink wetsuit is functional and fashionable with geometric cut-out details.
This retro-inspired one piece fits perfectly with this season’s color-blocking trend. It will also look so cute with a pair of denim shorts when it’s time for an acai bowl break.