The 2025 Swimwear Trends Women Are Actually Wearing This Summer
Six fashionable women we trust weigh in on the suits they're excited about.
If you Google “swimwear trends 2025,” you’ll inevitably find tiny triangle tops and super cheeky bottoms—some with multiple digits attached to the price tag. Ask a jet-setting celebrity or fashion influencer, and they’ll say the season’s best bathing suit is a hole-punched one-piece. While it might give you chaotic tan lines, the cut-out style is undeniably photogenic.
For some shoppers, their search for summer 2025’s top trending swimwear might begin and end there. But for others who want more variety beyond a bikini priced like a mid-tier, nice designer handbag, may desire a more comprehensive consideration of style—and representation of diverse body sizes—when selecting swimsuits for this season.
Enter: Marie Claire’s 2025 swimwear report featuring insights from six fashionable women we trust about the suits they’re excited to wear in the coming months; like sleek one-pieces they can actually and comfortably swim laps in; '50s pin-up-inspired high-waisted bottoms that nod to summer’s polka dot trend; and Pucci print suits you’d envision in a Jackie Kennedy beach outfit on the Isle of Capri.
Danielle Cafiero modeling her favorite summer 2025 swimsuit trend: bikini charms.
Best of all, this season's top swimwear themes adapt to a variety of silhouettes, meaning they can accommodate you wherever you're most comfortable. "Conquering swimwear anxiety begins with reframing the narrative—it's not about conforming to arbitrary standards, but rather finding styles that work for your body type, not against it," as executive fashion stylist Danielle Cafiero puts it.
Discover what three stylists, two style writers, and one fashion consultant have to say about the suits you'll see on every beach this summer—and suited for every body type. The below swimsuit shopping guide should be far less fearful than traumatic try-ons in a retailer's poorly lit changing room.
Seaside Embellishments
Beads, bijoux, and charms pictured on Sara Walker, Wendy Frita, Gess Pugh, and in Danielle Cafiero's collaboration with California-based brand Isla.
By far, the number one swimwear trend this summer—as in, five of our polled experts shouted it out—is embellishments on swimwear.
Fashion consultant and stylist Sara Walker calls beaded straps "unexpected details that instantly elevate any swimsuit." Stylist and author of the Substack In Moda Veritas, Irene Kim, is drawn to rosettes and "swimsuits adorned with singular, dramatic, fluffy details." Cafiero anticipates that swimwear charms, beads, and stones will be present on just about every beach.
Similar to the effect of bag charms, "swimwear embellishments metamorphose basic bikinis into bespoke statement pieces," says Cafiero. She advises leaning into the special statement effect by "styling this type of swimwear with layered sea creature jewels and tasseled accessories for instant sophistication.”
Do the Polka
Prepare to be seeing spots this summer.
Walker expects a lot of "polka dot pattern play" due to the increase of spots in this summer's fashion. Fashion model and content creator Wendy Frita supports polka dot swimwear, foreseeing it combining with vibrant summer color trends. "Everyone is tired of the 'sad beige' aesthetic"—in other words, the muted neutrals of quiet luxury—"and we'll see more fun patterns in colors like pistachio and teal," Frita says.
Legacy Prints
Beaches will become a runway for iconic designer logos and prints, from Missoni's chevron and Burberry's check to Gucci's interlocking Gs.
As Frita notes, fashion has officially entered a loud luxury era that replaces understated logos with recognizable maison prints—see: the modern resurgence of Y2K's favorite Burberry check bikini. Kim also highlights the revival of the Pucci print trend as a vibrant, vacation-ready look that embodies the season's inherent wanderlust. "The mood of the moment is Capri summer, photographed by the late Slim Aarons, and I think we’ll see Pucci’s swirling, psychedelic prints all over swimwear this summer," the style expert shares.
Sports Mode
Not every new suit you buy needs to be a two-piece. As Walker says, "Don’t overlook the timeless one-piece—it’s very classic and chic.” In terms of specific silhouettes, New York City-based fashion content creator Jess Gugh looks forward to incorporating the current halter top trend—"they're everywhere right now!"—into her swimwear by shopping for one-piece suits that wrap around the neck.
Laura Kirk De Valencia, an artist and writer of the fashion Substack La Deeply Shallow, connects the rise of one-piece suits to a larger trend of sports infiltrating the fashion mainstream. “Water sports are going to be big this summer, especially after the impact of Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, which featured Speedo-inspired swimsuits worn as tops," De Valencia says.
Animal Lovers
Pick your favorite animal print, and go wild.
Fashion's wild streak continues: “Animal print is a trend we’ve been seeing in runways, from Louis Vuitton to Luar, and it's still going strong for summer's swim," says Pugh. "But instead of leopard (which has been everywhere), other animal prints like giraffe, Dalmatian, cow, deer, zebra, and snakeskin will be more prevalent for a few seasons." Walker endorses Pugh's predictions of other natural prints taking center stage but admits she isn't immune to the refinement of classic leopard print—in fact, she just bought a feline-inspired one-piece for an upcoming summer beach vacation.
Fuller Coverage
Board shorts, rashguards, and tankinis could become the unsung heroes of summer 2025.
A dermatologist's dream: a soon-to-be-everywhere swimwear trend that's sun-safe and features fuller coverage silhouettes, which are gaining popularity. Last summer's tankini trend re-emerges; "I've noticed full coverage tops, which were originally targeted to only plus-sized women, now marketed as "surfer girl" vibes, and I'm excited to reclaim the tankini and wear it with confidence instead of using it to hide my tummy," says Frita. De Valencia and Walker share that board shorts are also on the rise, perhaps a beachside continuation of the Bermuda short trend that's all over city sidewalks.
Without a doubt, De Valencia is most enthusiastic about swim shirts. Although controversial and a sharp departure from the barely-there bikini tops also on the market, the fashion writer anticipates rashguards becoming fashion's next crossover success. "Swim shirts are practical, they protect your skin, and if styled well, they go from pool to dinner effortlessly—they're not just beach items anymore," says De Valencia. "SPF fabric has this subtle shine that makes it great for texture play—pair it with something matte like denim or raw silk to create contrast. Swim shirts were something I once dismissed as basic, but I've since found ways to make them work—now they're one of my favorite styling tools."
Beach Picnic
Gingham suits are far and wide, from swim-specific brands like Hunza G and Juillet, and our favorite retailers like J.Crew and Anthropologie.
Simply put, "gingham is also here to stay,” Walker says. “We saw a hint of it last summer, and it’s continuing strong into 2025”—gingham dresses, in particular, are experiencing a spike—“and offers a sweet yet stylish twist.” One of summer’s more familiar prints, picnic plaid in any swimwear silhouette, from a two-piece to a tankini, will check the box.
