Women's Cover-Ups (Swimwear)

A cover-up is not swimwear. It is clothing built to go on over a wet suit and survive the salt, chlorine and sunscreen that come with it. This is a different job from looking good dry. Kaftans, meaning loose wide-sleeved robes, sarongs, which are rectangles of cloth tied at the hip, mesh and crochet dresses, terry robes and oversized shirts all count.

Cut separates one that works from one that fights you. Wet skin grabs fabric, so armholes and body have to be generous or you will wrestle it on. Fiber decides the rest, since rayon, cotton gauze and light viscose slide over damp arms while jersey sticks and drags. Open weaves dry in minutes but block almost no ultraviolet, so if the cover-up is doing your sun protection, hunt for a UPF rating, the number describing how much ultraviolet the fabric stops. Treat anything you can see daylight through as decoration rather than shade.

Rash guards solve sun in the opposite direction, by fitting close and staying on in the water. Sundresses and shirt dresses can stand in, though they are cut for dry skin and often need a slip underneath, which defeats the purpose. Between the cover-up forms themselves, a sarong adjusts to any size and packs to nothing but comes undone in wind, a kaftan slips on in one motion and covers the shoulders. A terry robe absorbs water beautifully while taking up half a bag.

Anyone moving between water and a beach bar, a walk or a car seat wants one, and hot climates make it close to essential. Pack a kaftan rather than a robe when luggage space matters. White and pale colors go transparent the moment they take on water from the suit underneath, so pick a darker shade if that would bother you.

Try it on with damp arms if you can, or at least pull it on and off twice in the fitting room. Side pockets that really hold a phone and a key are rarer than they should be. Give it the same rinse you give your suit after a beach day, because salt crystals cut fibers as they dry, and keep sunscreen off the shoulders where the chemical filters bleach dyed cotton to a pale patch.