Tankinis and Boy Short Bathing Suits

Two opposing swimwear trends are taking over this summer: the skin-baring versus the more covered.

While Brazilian bikinis continue to be popular around the globe, summer 2025 also marks the return of the tankini and boy short bottoms, which provide not only more coverage but also the freedom to move without the worry of strings becoming untied.

“I think this trend is resonating so much this summer because people are craving that easygoing, nostalgic feel from their swimwear. I think there’s definitely an increasing appetite for swim styles that have more coverage and are wearable,” Hattie Tennant, founder of Fruity Booty, told WWD of customers leaning into her Spiaggia swim shorties and Reef tankini styles “which are such fun pieces, but also super comfortable and versatile.”

“Our audiences are gravitating toward these pieces because they’re cool, nostalgic and genuinely practical. It’s a reminder that swimwear can be dynamic and expressive, not just something you wear to sunbathe in,” Tennant said. “I think it’s so important to feel good and protected when you’re not wearing much so you can move freely in your swimwear.”

Other brands getting into the trend include Dippin’ Daisy’s, with floral styles that channel the ongoing early aughts trend; Staud, with its adorable striped Cleo tankini top and matching bikini bottoms, and Left on Friday, the swimwear label designed to give customers swimwear built for both sport and style. Modern takes on the tankini and boy short offer nostalgia without being too naive and are also seen from Candice Swaenpoel’s Topic of C line or Hunza G’s colorful styles.

“We’re loving the comeback of tankinis and boy shorts — these styles hit the sweet spot of coverage and comfort. There’s a shift toward customers wanting swimwear built for both sport and style, and these suits give them that freedom to move on every adventure,” Left on Friday cofounders Laura Low Ah Kee & Shannon Savage told WWD of their Rays short sleeve and Sunseeker tops with mid-rise Barrel bottoms — perfect for “getting that sporty style look with smooth coverage.”

Here, WWD curates nine sportif and novelty-minded swim styles that play into summer 2025’s rise of the tankini and boy short swimwear trend.