7 Swimwear Trends That’ll Be Huge for Summer 2024

A fairly specific spin on the current ‘90s revival, black-and-white bathing suits with sleek lines are one of the biggest and chicest trends of the summer. Think Meredith Blake’s hiking ‘fit from The Parent Trap. As for silhouettes, lean toward one-piece suits with thin straps and square necklines or underwire bikinis with high-cut bottoms. You can also put a sporty spin on it with zipper details on the bust. Of course, if you prefer a monochrome suit, opting for either solid black or solid white is just as posh as combining the two.

The coquette aesthetic—ruffles, gingham, bows, corsets, pastel colors, lace, shrunken cardigans and baby tees—is set to be everywhere this summer, and swimwear is no exception. As for how this ultra-femme style translates to bikinis and one-pieces, I’m seeing tons of lace trim, dainty flower patterns, bow adornments (not including string bikini ties) and delicate ruffles. The best adaptations of the trend combine twee details with sophisticated silhouettes so you look like a grown ass woman and not like you borrowed something from your 5-year-old niece.  

Ribbed materials are a fabulous way to zhuzh up your basic silhouette or solid hue, and are also great at smoothing out your figure without needing much compression. They also have an inherently sporty vibe that’s fun to play off of with sexier silhouettes, or lean into with sleek one-piece bathing suits. However, I’ve also seen many more terry cloth and even crochet designs popping up, so feel free to lean into whatever textures most speak to you this summer.

Hunza G has been using its proprietary popcorn-like fabric, which purports to fit sizes US 2 to 14, since the ‘80s. This “one size fits most” approach to designing swimwear makes it easy to buy one suit knowing it will fit you summer after summer, even if your body changes from year to year. Recently, more brands have been developing their own innovative materials that are all at once comfortable and supportive, with enough give to supposedly fit multiple sizes and body types, but not so much that you feel like everything is left hanging. I’ll admit, I was skeptical a single-size bathing suit could really live up to such hype, but having tested both Hunza G and the newly popular YouSwim, I can say they really exceeded expectation. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out as more brands join this size-less movement.

This throwback cut has been trending for multiple summers now, but shows absolutely no sign of going away any time soon. There are the dramatic ‘80s silhouettes that go almost up to your natural waist, and the ‘90s variations that don’t go quite as high but still show off those hip bones. You can also go the DYI route with a string or tie bikini bottom that allows you to position your bottoms exactly where you prefer. Those with longer torsos may prefer the look of an ‘80s leg with a high waist, while shorter torso gals will likely prefer a ‘90s leg with a V-front or lower-cut waist.

The final season of The Crown reminded us all just how fabulous Princess Diana’s simple, vibrant bathing suits were, and seems to have inspired plenty of swim brands to create their own updated versions of her iconic looks. The most popular by far is the bright aqua, low-backed swimsuit she wore in August 1997—the color looks gorgeous on any skin tone and the cut is a timeless classic—a look every bit as iconic as the red Baywatch swimsuits everyone wanted to copy a few years back. P.S. The color is really key here, so you can play around a bit with whichever silhouettes you like best.

Molten metals and subtle shimmer give nod to sparkling waters and feel much less overt than silver, gold and copper lamé. Think satiny finishes and brushed glitter, both in neutral hues and more colorful tones. This is another trend that is much more about color and fabric than shape, but I find the best versions keep things relatively simple to really allow that shimmer effect to take center stage.