After their introduction in the late 90s, tankinis have quickly become popular all over the world. Many women loved the fact that you could mix and match tankini tops and bottoms, that it looked good on basically every figure, and that the tankini gave the coverage of a one-piece swimsuit despite technically being two-piece.
This coverage is clearly important for personal and practical reasons. Many beach babes want to cover up their skin so as not to attract too much attention, but also because the tankini top provides UV protection and warmth. For these reasons and more, it’s become quite a big issue that some tankini tops float up when underwater.
Some ways to fix this are to wear a tighter fitting tankini top, get a tankini top with a tighter layer underneath that won’t float up, or get one where the tankini can be tucked under a band, or to even go with the DIY approach and try to sew on some attachments that prevent the tankini top from riding up.
In this article, we will go over why this happens and the ways you can prevent it from happening to you in the first place.
Ways to prevent a tankini top from floating up
There are many reasons why your tankini top might float up. First of all, if your tankini top fits loosely or is very frilly, then this is not going to work if you plan on spending a lot of time in the water.
To reduce the chances of this happening, at a minimum, you need to look for a tankini top that has a tighter fit on you. Unfortunately, the problem here is that not everyone likes the tight feeling in their abdomen, but at least it wouldn’t reveal more of their body than they’d like.
Another method is to tuck in the tankini top under the tankini bottom while you’re swimming. It may not look the greatest, but if you care about performance and you’re being obscured by the water anyways, then looks are not going to be an issue for you hopefully. You can untuck when you’re out of the water.
Next, some tankini tops have a second, more form-fitting layer underneath that will not ride up. However, when the outer layer floats up and exposes the layer beneath, some would say it looks ugly, but at least it keeps your skin covered the whole time.
Moving on, the problem might be that your tankini has gotten stretched out over the months or years and that it’s time for a new one. Tankinis can loosen due to wear and tear, exposure to chlorine, saltwater, the sun, stretching, and so on. If your tankini top is feeling a bit loose then it will likely ride up, so consider buying a new one that fits snug.
The next option might be somewhat of a cop-out. Rather than wear a tankini, instead you could just wear a one piece swimsuit and wear swim shorts over it. The issue with this is that it probably doesn’t look very sexy (you can’t untuck out of the water either) but it’s very practical.
Another style of tankini top you can try out is known as the blouson style. Here, the tankini top is loose but cinches down to a tight band on the bottom. You can also tie the extra fabric on the side while in the water to prevent riding up. If a loose fitting tankini top is crucial, then this is the perfect style for you.
Lastly, you can try the DIY approach if you already own a tankini top. You can try sewing a band to the bottom of the tankini top so that it stays around your waist. You can also try sewing a loop somewhere on the tankini top and sew a button on the bottom, and attach the loop to the bottom to keep it from riding up.
Types of tankinis and how they are sized
Since their introduction in the late 90s, tankini tops have changed. There are many more styles available, such as swimwear for casual swimming, swimwear for fashion, swimwear for water aerobics/water sports, and so on.
Most of these styles come with a built-in shelf bra. There are also tankinis with underwire options, but keep in mind that the fit is based on true bra size as opposed to dress size like most swimwear is based on.
Tankinis as swimsuits for more intense activities in the water typically have longer sleeves for more coverage from the UV rays. This can reduce the amount of sunscreen needed and protect you from sunburn, skin cancer, and rapid aging of the skin. If your tankini top has less coverage, be prepared to apply sunscreen every 40 to 80 minutes.
Lastly, tankinis used for water aerobics must be more form fitting. This lets you have as much freedom of movement so that you can benefit from the water resistance training. Here, you care more about function over how the tankini looks, but you can get one that has great form and function if you look hard enough.
Do tankinis ride up when swimming?
If you usually prefer one-piece swimsuits but are thinking about getting a tankini for lap swimming, you might be wondering if the tankini top will float up or stay in place.
Whether it rides up or not depends on how tight the tankini is. A looser fitting frilly one will almost certainly ride up. You will need to look for a tankini that has a tighter, more skin tight fit to reduce the chances of riding up.
As for the tankini bottom, stay away from swim skirts because the extra material can get in the way. Plus, immediately after getting out of the water, the skirt will be very drippy and can feel like it’s weighing you down until it releases some of the water it absorbed. Stay away from these two things and you should be fine when swimming laps.
Don’t throw your old tankini away
If your old tankini rides up, it’s possible that it just doesn’t fit you well, not because it is low quality. However, if you decide you don’t want to wear it anymore, rather than throwing it out, consider donating it to a local thrift store or nonprofit.
Yes, that’s right, thrift stores and other nonprofit organizations will sometimes accept swimsuits if they are in good condition. As long as it doesn’t have any stains, doesn’t smell, isn’t torn or stretched out, then there’s a good chance that you can get rid of your old tankini and put it in the hands of someone who could really need it. It costs you nothing and gets rid of clutter in your house at the same time, so it’s a win-win.
