Every summer, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing a sea of simple swim skirts among the older poolside and beach crowds. I’ve always admired the coverage the pieces offered as well as the ease of already having a cover-up on hand. The options available, however, were never really modern or compelling enough for me to want to have one of my own. That has thankfully changed with the help of an update that’s turned into a bona fide swimwear trend—one which we called last year, and it’s still going strong.
Enter a new iteration of the swim skirt that boasts cheeky slits and cutouts, fun prints, and modern textures. When paired with a matching bikini, it’s instantly a stylish three-piece set that is a no-brainer when packing for your next beach trip. With that in mind, I turned to two swimwear experts to weigh in on the growing interest in skirt suits this season.
Jaynee Wehbe, the creative director of Triangl, shared, “It’s easy to pair a swimsuit with denim shorts, but we’ve found our girls have really loved the three-piece styling trend. We’d love to see individual direction on this too—with more adventurous mix-matching of prints versus chic coordinated outfits.” I know that when it comes to my own swimwear search, the ability to have a set to match your personal style along with the ability to easily mix and match with other pieces is key.
I’m also very much a fan of easy dressing, especially when it comes to swimwear—a notoriously nerve-racking shopping experience. I’m obviously not alone in this, as Sophia Lima, founder of Heart of Sun, noted in regard to bikini sets with skirts, “Three-piece bikini sets are what all our customers request this summer.” Lima also added that the skirts “complete every look and make it so easy to head straight to the beach with minimal effort.”
Ahead, shop my top 30 bikini-skirt picks of the moment—it’s hard to just pick one.
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