Women's Swimwear Tops

Support is what separates one swim top from another, and each style solves it a different way. Triangle and sliding-triangle shapes adjust at the neck and back, so a single top stretches across a range of sizes. Halters pull the load onto the neck and lift the bust high. Bandeaus drop the straps altogether and rely on the band alone. Underwire styles build the support into the garment and are usually sized in bands and cups the way a bra is, while moulded cups hold their shape without a wire.

Bralette and longline cuts spread that load across a deeper elastic band; balconette cuts sit wide and low, so the shaping happens in the cup rather than the band. Tie-front, twist and knot details take up slack through the centre. Crop and tankini tops carry the same structures further down the torso. Ribbed and crinkle knits, crochet and eyelet openwork, and smooth matte nylon-elastane each behave differently once wet: smooth knits hold their shape, while open and textured ones relax and want a firmer fit dry.