Women's High-Waist Swim (Swimwear)

These bottoms are defined by where the top edge lands, not by how much they cover behind. The waist edge sits at or above your natural waist, the narrowest part of the torso, which usually puts it two to four inches above the navel. Back coverage varies independently and runs from full to very brief, so read that separately from the rise.

Construction normally adds a double layer across the front, sometimes with power mesh, a firm stretch mesh sewn inside, to smooth the stomach. Because the elastic sits at the narrowest point of the torso instead of on the widest part of the hip, it has something to grip and holds through more movement than a hip-sitting bottom manages. Leg openings are often cut high as well, and raising the point where the leg visually begins makes the leg read longer, which is why this cut keeps returning.

Regular bikini bottoms cross the hip at its widest and roll down at the front on anyone with a soft stomach. A one-piece covers the same area but ties your fit to your torso length, which high-waist bottoms sidestep entirely. Worn with a tankini top the pair gives close to one-piece coverage without that constraint. A swim dress hides the hip behind a loose skirt instead of covering it with fabric that follows the body. This is a very different look both in and out of the water.

Stomach coverage without committing to a one-piece is the main reason to buy. Scars, a soft midsection after pregnancy and simply disliking a waistband cutting across the belly all point here. Divers and anyone in surf should think twice, since impact pushes a high front panel down and you spend the swim hitching it up. Even tanning is off the table too, because the line falls across the middle of the torso.

Sit down in them and watch the front, because a panel that folds or rolls while seated will do it all day. Waistband elastic wider than about an inch lies flat, while thin elastic digs a line into the skin. Salt and chlorine do their damage as they dry, so get them out under a cool tap the same day, and keep these away from hot tubs, since heat destroys elastane faster than anything else.