I mentioned last week that I need to up my swimwear game in anticipation of all the time Addie will probably want to spend at the splash pad, Waterfront Park, and the beach this summer. So, today we’re doing one piece swimsuit reviews! I’m looking for ones that provide full rear coverage, flatter my bust, and hold in my tummy. I don’t need a ton of chest support, so if you need that my reviews may not be very helpful for you. Hopefully I can at least point you to some brands with decent quality. on
I reviewed some at different price points, ranging from $19.99 to above $100. Here we go!
SIZING INFO: I’m 5’6″ with a short torso and usually 6/8 or S/M in clothes. I tend to wear size L in swimsuits.
A note on measurements: Someone asked me to share measurements of all the suits, like torso length. It proved fairly difficult to do because several of these had adjustable straps that allowed you to shorten or lengthen the suit. And not all of them had a clear beginning or end to the torso, so I couldn’t measure that either. Out of the suits I ended up keeping, they are all 21.5-23″ from the top of the bust to the bottom of the suit. And around 18″ in the torso. But straps are adjustable to lengthen or shorten the whole thing!
Black Floral Swimsuit – size L
We’ll start with one I’ve shown before from ModCloth. This one is gorgeous! It provides full coverage on the rear and flattens a tummy as well. The downside is that it provides very little chest support, the least of all these suits. I don’t have a lot going on there so it’s alright for me, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable chasing around a toddler in this. Sudden movements might make something pop out! ? But the plus side is that it’s really easy to nurse in!
This suit is ON SALE for 30% off! I’m wearing size L and you can find it HERE. It also comes in a blue floral!
Black Ruched Halter Top – size L
This is probably the most flattering swimsuit out of everything I’m reviewing today. The material is really thick, the back fully covers your bum, and the ruching at the waist is SUPER flattering on your midsection. The waist provides a lot of support at the midsection and feels secure without being uncomfortable. The top is incredibly flattering for my smaller bust, giving me a little bit of help with ruching. It would probably not provide enough support for someone with a very large bust. However, ModCloth has tons of swimsuits and is very mindful of different body sizes, so they have lots of other suits that are better for larger busts. I always skim the reviews to know if it’d work better for a smaller or larger chest!
This is quite expensive, but it is the most flattering suit on me out of the bunch. I’m wearing size L and you can find it HERE. I wish this came in a brighter color!
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SUITS UNDER $27
After trying several ModCloth suits I can safely say ModCloth suits are thicker, have a lot of construction that flatters your chest and slims your tummy, and provide a lot more support in the midsection and in the chest (—if you get the right suit. They have some that are better or worse for smaller or larger chests.) But they are also a billion times more expensive!
SO, I tried on some cheaper pairs.
Also, for as flattering as the two suits above are, I want some sportier suits. Especially for the splash pad! A fancy black suit just seems too…fancy. 🙂
The suits below are under $27!
Tie Back One Piece Swimsuit – size L
I’ve seen multiple bloggers rave about this suit. Those bloggers are all significantly thinner than I am so I was skeptical about it. But it is extremely cheap at only $19.99 so I figured why not try?
My thoughts: On my body it’s good for the price, but not amazing overall. This doesn’t have a lot of structure and is not that thick. It’s okay at holding in my tummy. And despite the teensy bit of padding at the chest, I feel it squishes or flattens my chest more than it flatters it. It’s not terrible, but not amazing either. On the rear, it claims to be full coverage and is decent, but some of the other suits I’m reviewing today provide more.
That said, I like how simple and sporty this suit is and that it has decent rear coverage. I prefer it to other suits I’ve tried at this price range that do not fully cover the bum and are even worse in the tummy section. The straps in the back make the suit adjustable, so you can move them around for a better fit.
I am 90% sure I’m keeping this one. While it’s not as amazing as ModCloth suits, it does the job just fine. Like I keep saying, it’s not amazinggggg, but it’s not bad either. The main reason I’m keeping it is because it’s sportier than the rest, which feels more appropriate for a couple hours at the splash pad. I think I’d actually get the most use out of this for that reason.
This comes in olive, navy, and black in XS to XXL in both regular and long sizing. The olive is nearly sold out, but navy and black are fully stocked. I wear this in L. Get it HERE!
You can nurse in this one by pulling off the shoulder strap completely, then the front will come down.
Olive and White Eyelet Suits – size L
I thought those would be similar to the one above but with some texture, but they weren’t quite as good. The chest flattened me out even more, and the rear didn’t provide as much coverage. Also, I felt like if I bent over you could see my chest from the sides with the way the bust is. I returned it as the one above is a better option for me. But this is really cute and only $19.99 right now, so if you want to give it a try find it HERE.
P.S. My legs are not this dark. Lighting is weird!
Striped One Piece Suit – size L
This is from one of those cheap Asian brands, Cupshe. Usually I’m skeptical of those places, but Kilee from One Little Momma has been rocking Cupshe suits, and she has a better feel for good quality than I do. If that weren’t enough, Katie ordered some suits and gave them the thumbs up, at least for the price.
It provides full rear coverage, is thicker than the olive one above, and has a bit of construction at the bust that flatters a chest rather than squishes it. And when I bend over, I don’t feel like my chest hangs out or gets exposed. This one is easy to nurse too. It also has straps in the back that make it adjustable. And it’s only $26.99!
I’m keeping this one as well as a more flattering alternative to the green one. The green one would be my go-to at the splash pad, and this would probably be my go-to at the beach. I’m wearing this in size L. Get it HERE.
Floral High Waisted Suit – size L
This one has a ton of reviews for the all black version. You can’t see it well, but the bust has a very cute scalloped detail which is more prominent in black. It is also only $27!
Unfortunately I didn’t love this on me. The bust really flattened out my chest, and while the high waist was nice for smoothing out my tummy, it didn’t do much to help flatten or flatter it, especially in comparison to the other suits I’ve reviewed today. It wasn’t bad, but there were better options for me at the same price range, so this one got returned.
You should totally check out the black one though! There are 702 customer reviews (!!) and tons of pics of people wearing it with a variety of body shapes. It looks really cute on so many of them! Check them out HERE.
Crochet Flyaway Tankini – size M
Last up is this crochet flyaway tankini that I saw Erin from Cotton Stem rave about. She said that it was great for women at all stages since the midsection floats away from the body. It’s even great for pregnant women because the middle section actually opens up, so it’ll work over a bump. The bust has a lot of construction as well as ruching, so it’s pretty flattering. It comes with a strap if you want more support.
My thoughts: I like it and think it’s really pretty, but I need to think more about whether I’ll keep this or not. I’m leaning towards no, as I think the black ruched halter top above is more flattering on me and is kind of in the same vein of fanciness, not sporty. However, if this were available in white, that’d be a different story. 😀 The main reason I’m still considering keeping this is because it’s a tankini and makes going to the bathroom easier! It *is* cheaper than the black halter top ModCloth suit, even with having to purchase bottoms too, so that’s a plus. The other downside is that there is nothing adjustable about this, and that makes it kind of difficult to get on and take off.
Anyway, Erin suggested pairing it with high waisted bottoms like THESE. I tried both M and L and preferred L. M fit but squeezed some things that I’d rather not look squeezed. Haha!
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OVERALL THOUGHTS ON BRANDS
I tried a couple of suits from Abercrombie and read reviews for J.Crew Factory suits. Abercrombie’s didn’t provide enough rear coverage, and several reviews for multiple J.Crew Factory suits critiqued that the suits were either too thin or did not provide any lining at the bust.
Overall, ModCloth swimsuits are quite expensive but are very good quality. And Cupshe suits, though not as thick as ModCloth suits, have been surprising for their price point! That said, if you need a suit that will hold things together a bit more, I feel more confident that a ModCloth suit could do that. I’ve also heard very, very good things about Land’s End suits, though I couldn’t find a style I loved. Where have you found a great swimsuit that fully covers your rear, is one piece or a tankini, and is flattering for curves?
P.S. If you’re looking for July 4th sales, there are TONS! Check out my post from Friday highlighting some of my favorite items on sale HERE.
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SUMMER STARTER KIT GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE
Pssst! In case you missed it, last Monday the Summer Starter Kit Guide came out! If you need want to build a small but super remixable casual summer wardrobe but don’t know where to start, go read all about it HERE!
