Prior to the arrival of the 2025 spring lookbook, tankinis reminded me of childhood misery. As a pasty Oregonian child, the arrival of summer meant that I was getting slathered in sunscreen by the hour, and that my mom would try to force me into the most full-coverage swimsuit possible (shoutout Hanna Andersson for making the thickest, brightest, and most modest children’s swimwear known to man!).
As I grew, and as one pieces became deemed babyish, I found myself in the awkward limbo of wanting to be cool. Mostly because of my sixteen-year-old babysitter Catherine, who always wore a two-piece bikini — and trying not to upset my parents, who, as normal, middle-aged, liberal Portland parents, were maybe overly concerned with sun damage and poolside perverts.
Thus, I was presented with the tankini: an awkward attempt to blend the need for coverage with style, though at the time, I was most definitely not convinced of this. The tankini reminded me that I was not as grown-up as I wanted to be, not like Catherine, at least. During a time as supposedly freeing as summer, I was bound to the decisions of my parents, and to that of the sun, which would inevitably fry me.
This past year, with the childhood trauma of modest swimwear far behind me, I’ve noticed something I never thought would be seen again: the tankini’s resurgence. While scrolling through TikToks, Depop listings, and various swimwear websites, searching for both Deltopia and summer swimsuits, mixed in with the ever-popular triangle, underwire, and bandeau-style bikinis, I saw tankinis.
At first, I wondered: why on earth would anyone still be selling tankinis? I thought about it, eventually chalking it up to the cycle of ever-changing trends. Although frequently worn by children and older women, the tankini did have a moment in the 2000s. Perhaps it was an homage to retro swimwear of the ‘50s or ‘60s, or an attempt to propel feminism by creating a more athletically functional swimsuit. Nevertheless, there was, at one time, a demographic of younger, trend-savvy women wearing them.
As we move further from Y2K, its style comes back, as most trends do. I realized that my shock over seeing a tankini in 2025 was not as justified as I’d initially thought. Recently, we’ve all seen resurgences of popular pieces from the aughts, like low-rise jeans and trucker hats.
As a few weeks passed, I saw more and more of the tankini. In ads, TikToks, Pinterest, Instagram Reels, and eventually, on my roommate. She had ordered a matching tankini and mini-shorts set from the brand Oddli, and finally, upon seeing it on her, it made sense to me. As a girl that I would label fashion-forward, she was trying to translate the style of her personal wardrobe — vintage-inspired tank tops, stylishly boyish denim shorts, and various skirts — into a swimsuit. It now seems obvious to me that a tankini would be the answer to a so-called new-age cool girl’s search for swimwear style.
In a time where androgyny is at the front of fashion, where women are masculine and men are feminine, the tankini is now a symbol of such an idea. Oh, how my younger self’s jaw would have dropped, to see beautiful girls — girls like Catherine, or my roommate — traipsing around in tankinis!
It seems like the tankini isn’t going anywhere for now, and I can now honestly say that I hope to see it this summer. It may not be as classic as a sleek one-piece or a minimalist triangle bikini, but its youthful and fashionable charm should be enough to sustain its popularity for at least a little while longer.
As I surpassed the acceptance stage in my journey through understanding the tankini and moved on to a newfound personal intrigue, I combed through various websites and even found some unique and exciting tankinis to be worn this summer. Some of my favorites included the Oddli Tankini Top, paired with the Oddli Tankini Bottom, the SeaMolly Tankini Set, as well as the Frankie’s Bikinis Tankini Top.
I truly do hope to see the tankini this summer—not only on children, but on younger and older women alike.