Bikinis = Out.
One Pieces = In. So in.
For those of you that stocked up on Victoria’s Secret bikinis every February since your first spring break, you’ve probably noticed you aren’t seeing quite as many of those itty bitty things online these days.
According to a study from the retail analytics company EDITED, two-piece inventory has declined 9 percent while one-pieces are up 20 percent in the marketplace. It comes as no surprise after celebrities and social influencers all over the internet have been showing off beach bodies in more “conservative” suits for the past year or so.
So let’s get right into it and go Two Buttons Deep the fashionista way and discuss the bikini vs. one piece battle of summer 2017. (Not that we need to rush on this or anything because this weather tells me none of us in the Northeast are going to be in beachwear any time soon.)
The Bikini
Pros:
With the right style comes the right amount of tan
There’s no better way to get a solid tan than when you’re wearing a two-piece (besides being naked and that is unfortunately not acceptable in most public places). If your sole purpose of a beach visit or pool day is to get your tan on, a strapless top and tiny cheeky bottom is the absolute best bet.
Oh, and there are a million different styles
Not into strapless? Try racerback. Not into racerback? Try halter. The styles for bikinis are endless –from boy shorts to thongs to high-waisted bottoms and every strap combination imaginable on top. If you’re OK with showing skin, there are a million ways to do it in a way that is flattering for your figure and matches your personality.
Mix & match-ability
You can easily switch up your look if you have a number of different solid tops or bottoms to choose from. Not everything has to be matchy-matchy all the time, so if you stock up on some reliable base colors you can go crazy with a pattern for 1/2 of your bathing suit attire.
Cons:
Two pieces = two prices
Because of the mixing and matching that happens with two pieces, combined with the fact that most people take different sizes in each, bikini tops and bottoms are always sold separately. This is a huge con if you want a matching set and can’t find your size in both pieces, and also adds up in cost when you’re paying two prices to achieve one look.
No shirt, no shoes = problem
When you’re in a beach town it’s totally cool to walk around in your bikini…until it’s time to head into some sort of legitimate establishment. If you’re rocking a two-piece, you’ve got to come prepared with another layer to make yourself publicly acceptable.
The inevitable wardrobe malfunction mid-swim
Bikinis are all fun and games until you jump off the diving board and your girls go flying everywhere! It’s even worse in the ocean as a big wave can send your top flying out into the ocean never to be seen again. Just something to be careful of…
The One-Piece
Pros:
Easy, easy easy.
A onesie bathing suit is just like wearing a dress. Minimal thought required since your outfit is complete once you slip that bad boy on. You don’t need to worry about matching, losing half of your suit in your closet (or in the water) and that just frees up more time to enjoy your summer. Not to mention all you need is a sarong or pair of shorts to look fully-dressed for the beach bar or cheesy oceanfront gift shop.
Good for the body conscious (aka all of us)
Unless you’re Kendall or Gigi, chances are you’re not completely confident when you step foot on the sand. A bikini doesn’t leave much to the imagination and can ruin your whole time if you’re worried about the way it looks. While we know we’re all beautiful as is (shoutout to the #AerieReal campaign for making it even more known), it doesn’t hurt to throw on a one-piece and feel 100x more confident in your look by being a little more covered up.
It’s in
Even if you are totally cool with wearing a bikini, one pieces are the hot new style and there are so many different ways to add it into your beachy mix. With all the variety of a two-piece with straps, different bottoms, cutouts, etc. you can dabble in this new trend in whichever way suits you –no pun intended.
Cons:
It could be a little hot
I do love having my belly exposed at the beach for the obvious tanning purposes, but also because it definitely helps you keep cool. In a one-piece, you’re adding extra fabric to some particularly sweaty areas when you’re spending a day outside.
One-pieces have a bad rep.
Well, not anymore since it’s considered the #1 beach look of the summer, but it’s along the lines of the girl romper dilemma where we’ve heard a million times that the style is not flattering and boys don’t like it on us blah blah. Just like you have to rock a bikini with confidence, you need to have the same type of enthusiasm for your new one-piece look to assure all the haters out there that this style is here to stay.
So, who wins? What’s the move?
Luckily, you can have all the bathing suits you want –it’s not like we’re talking about a big investment like a winter coat here. Every season we see new bathing suit styles and if you’re up for taking a risk with high waisted, high necklines, cutouts or one-pieces, now is the time to do it.
Obviously we need some variety in our summer attire as it’s the prime photo taking season, so my advice would be to try a bunch of different b-suit looks and tailor them to the type of event. Pool day in the backyard with the girls warrants a Plain Jane strapless top and cheeky bottom. A day out on the boat with a group? Rock a sexy, cutout one piece to show you’re stylin’ and comfortable all day long.
Two Buttons Deep is a news & entertainment website based in upstate New York.
We don’t just post the news, we post stuff worth talking about…
Visit our newsfeed, and stay up to date on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.