When the summer comes along, there are few things better than hitting the beaches and going for a swim. There are a lot of things that are important for you to prepare for this trip, including sun screen, a beach towel, parasol, and, of course, the perfect bathing suit. If you need help picking out the best bathing suit for the summer, we are here to provide you with some great options from a wide variety of styles.

Best Bathing Suits for Women This Summer

The classic bikini

While the bikini is a tried-and-true type of bathing suit, there is good reason for that. Bikinis look great, and let you show off a lot of skin without having to worry about showing too much. Bikinis are quite fashionable, but honestly, one of the best qualities of the bikini is the freedom that it offers for the wearer. By wearing a bikini, you are able to show off your body to the world, and the world doesn’t tell you to cover up. The bikini was especially freeing for women in a time when they were routinely told that showing off their bodies was shameful. Perhaps the best quote to illustrate this is from French fashion historian Olivier Saillard, who said that the bikini represented “the power of women, and not the power of fashion.”

One-piece swimsuit

If you want to have more coverage of your body, a one-piece bathing suit may be the best option for you to take here. One of the best things about them is that they feel very classical, and help you feel classy as a result. They are also comfortable to wear, so if comfort is a key decision when picking out a swimsuit, give a one-piece bathing suit consideration here. A quality one piece can also help emphasize feminine qualities, especially showing off your curves. This swimsuit is not likely to become any less popular any time soon.

Monokini

A monokini is a nice idea, feeling like a mixture of the best qualities of the one-piece swimsuit and the bikini. The monokini allows you to show off your body like a bikini, and tell everyone that you are proud of what you have, while it still regains the classic elegance of the one-piece bathing suit. In fact, a lot of people would contend that it has a sense of class all its own.

Tankini swim top

If you want to go swimming without showing off much of your upper body, a tankini is a good way to do that. There are various reasons why a woman might want to not show too much skin, all of which are valid – including “I just don’t want to.” However, tankinis are great if you are trying to cover things up such as surgical scars or any blemishes on your body you would rather people not see. Not only that, if you’re worried about winding up losing your top, a tankini is going to do a lot better at staying on your body. Plus, it’s a plenty comfortable fit to boot.

Swim skirt

Swim skirts are a great combination of comfort and stylishness, and despite showing less skin than a regular bikini, you’re sure to catch more than a few glances when wearing one. It’s a good pick if you want to draw people’s attention to your style. There is no one length of swim skirt though, so be sure to pick one that feels most comfortable for you. A mini swim skirt does well for use in swimming, while something more in the mid-thigh range works best if you want to cover up parts of your body you would rather not show off. They are also quite popular with trans women, who may be too insecure to go with a typical bikini bottom or one piece.

Does body type matter when it comes to picking out the best bathing suit?

A common issue that women deal with while they shop for bathing suits is figuring out which looks best on them. This is going to be especially true for women who wear plus-sized clothing, as they may feel insecure about showing off too much of their body. To be honest, while body type factors into picking out the ideal bathing suit, there is no “wrong” answer about what you should wear when you hit up the beach. Instead, you should focus on making sure whatever you wear makes you feel happy, confident, and comfortable with your body and self-image. This can be a difficult thing for a lot of people, especially with how the media portrays women’s bodies, but it’s always important to remember that all body types are beautiful.

If you are trying to pick the best bathing suits for women to bring out your body’s best qualities, however, there are guides out there that can help you figure out which will work best for your respective body type, such as this one here.