4 Outdated Swimsuit Trends I'm Ditching and the Timeless Ones I'll Wear Instead

As someone who doesn't buy new swimsuits all that often, I tend to avoid trendy ones for the most part. I only wear swimsuits a few times a year (which I should probably change because life is short), so I don't want to spend a ton of money on new ones every summer. The solution is to buy ones that don't go out of style, like ever.

With fashion's shift toward quiet luxury, I'm feeling an especially strong gravitational pull toward more classic items in general, and that applies to my swimwear. Accordingly, I've pinpointed four specific swim trends that will be chic forever and four I don't think will stand the test of time. Keep scrolling to shop the internet's best version of the four classics to prepare you for your most elevated summer poolside looks yet.

Ditching: Cut-Out One-Pieces

Keeping: Tank One-Pieces

Cut-outs seem to have peaked in fashion in general (for now, at least), but I don't think anyone can argue with the fact that a tank one-piece will never peak. Just take a look at Baywatch, which premiered in 1989.

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(Image credit: @lucywilliams02)

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Ditching: Strappy swimsuits

Keeping: Triangle String Bikinis

Aside from the complicated tan lines that can result from overly strappy swimsuits and how hard they can be to get on and off, they're feeling a bit stale at this point. If you want to spend your money on something equally alluring, my advice is to put it toward a triangle-string bikini.

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(Image credit: @raeannlangas)

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Ditching: Neons

Keeping: Animal Prints

Neon colors come in and out of fashion, but they're not the most flattering colors on the planet. Plus, they have a tendency to look dated very quickly if the trend drops off. I suggest going for an animal print swimsuit instead if you want something fun and statement-making.

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(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck)

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Ditching: Lingerie-Inspired Bikinis

Keeping: Simple Black Bikinis

Lingerie-inspired swimwear was huge last summer, but you run the risk of appearing like you're wearing lingerie to the beach (which is fine if that's the look you're going for). This summer, I'm seeing a shift to more neutral, timeless styles, and a simple black bikini exemplifies that shift.

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(Image credit: @annelauremais)

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Next up, 29 cheap bikinis that look anything but.

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Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.