Best Bathing Suits for Better Support

If you need a bathing suit with plenty of support, you’re in luck. Many swimsuit styles offer style, sturdiness, and support for all bust sizes and body types. Before we talk about bathing suit bras, let’s take a moment to discuss swimwear fabrics and features so you’ll know what to look for when shopping.

Fabrics and Features

The vast majority of women’s swimwear is made from a blend of nylon and spandex. Sometimes, you may find a bathing suit made from polyester instead of nylon. Both fabrics are versatile, breathable, and fast-drying, which makes them ideal for swimwear and swim cover-ups. Chlorine-resistant swimwear is always a good choice, as it withstands exposure to pool water, ocean water, UV rays, and sunscreen without fading or losing its shape.

Spandex is added to nylon for swimwear for stretch. For maximum wear, look for bathing suits made with Lycra® XtraLife™. This type of spandex delivers up to 10 times the wear as regular spandex, and it’s incredibly colorfast and strong. Plus, because it does retain its structural integrity so well, it’s a good fabric for providing support.

Look for adjustable straps when shopping for a supportive bathing suit. Even if you plan on lounging on the sand instead of working up a sweat on your next beach day, a swimsuit with adjustable straps keeps you comfortable. Most all one-piece and bikini bathing suits do have straps you can adjust for custom comfort, and some have X-shaped or criss-cross detailing in the back for additional support and on-trend style. Wider straps tend to support larger bust sizes better than thin straps do, although this is often a matter of style preference rather than comfort. You may find halter styles comfortable, or your preference might be a strapless bandeau.

Another designation to keep an eye out for is the tugless style of swimwear. Tugless swimsuits keep you comfortable because they don’t ride up or shift out of place, even during the most demanding summer athletic activities. Although this doesn’t translate to more bustline support, it does mean greater comfort all summer. Plus, tugless one-piece suits have different necklines, strap styles, and bra styles—making it easy to find one or more that provides your bust with the proper amount of support.

Swimsuit Bra Styles

For a swimsuit that supports, lifts, and shapes, choose a style with underwire. There are one- and two-piece swimsuits with underwire bras. The two-piece bathing suits come in traditional bikini-bra styles and tankinis, which offer the coverage of a one-piece with the fashion versatility of a bikini. You can mix and match tankini tops and bottoms to create many different swim looks.

Some underwire swimsuits and non-underwire styles have sewn-in soft cups in the bust for gentle shaping and support. There are also styles with removable cups, which you’ll find with and without underwire. High-neck tankini tops and one-piece bathing suits are supportive and modest, and some of them have zippers for a sporty look. There are on-trend one-shoulder styles with removable, adjustable straps that let you customize your level of support and the look of your swimwear.

Finding Your Fit

Besides choosing swimwear with underwire and/or soft bra cups, you can make sure you’re properly supported by selecting the right size. Before shopping, take your measurements and compare them to the size chart of any swimsuit you’re considering. The vast majority of swimsuits at Lands’ End are true-to-size, meaning there’s no need to size up or down from what you usually wear. There are regular, tall, petite, and plus-size swimwear options in the selection to fit every body.

Keeping Your Swimwear in Good Shape

A supportive swimsuit can stay that way all summer with the right care. It’s not necessary to launder your swimwear in the washing machine, and it’s actually recommended that you don’t. Instead, rinse your bathing suit after wearing it and gently wash it by hand with a mild detergent if needed. Rinse again in cool water and roll your suit up in a towel to squeeze the water out. You may have to repeat the process with another dry towel to remove enough moisture. To dry your bathing suit, lay it flat on a towel indoors or in a shady outdoor area.

Cover-Ups and Accessories

Although beach cover-ups don’t support the bust, they do protect covered areas against potentially damaging UV rays. Most swimsuits and rash guards deliver UPF 50, although you’ll still need to wear sunscreen. For maximum coverage, choose a rash guard in a long-sleeve hoodie style or slip on a long cover-up dress with a hoodie or long-sleeve tee on top. There’s family swimwear and rash guards for all ages and sizes, so you can make sure your whole crew is covered this summer.