Whether you’re wearing a strapless top like a bandeau or not, if you plan on doing any physical activity, then chances are high that your bathing suit top will pull a disappearing act on you or cause a nip slip. The culprit will likely be a strong wave if you’re at a beach, or going down the slide or jumping off a dive board if you’re at a pool.
If you want your assets to stay covered up and protected from view, you’re going to need to know how to keep your bathing suit top and bottom in place. The most important factor is getting one that is the perfect size; not too big or too small. If you want even more assurance, then you may need the assistance of double-sided tape, skin-safe fabric adhesives, clips, or detachable straps.
It can be a pain in the behind (literally) finding that perfect bikini top and bottom that will actually stay in place, and sometimes you just want to throw your hands in the air and just settle for an athletic one piece swimsuit. However, if you’re willing to put in the effort, then it can be done. If you want to wear a two piece swimsuit, don’t give up hope; follow the tips in this article to increase your chances of success.
The best ways to keep your two piece swimsuit in place
Find the perfect fit
First things first, none of the other tips in this article even matters unless your swimsuit has a snug fit on your body. A mistake many beginners make is they settle for a “one size fits all” swimsuit. In my experience, it almost never fits well; you’d be better off manually picking a size yourself.
Another consideration is that, depending on your body shape, the top and bottom can be different sizes. For instance, you might be a size larger on your bottom. But many people are so caught up in matching their top and bottom that they stick with a matching pair when you can mix and match your tops and bottoms for the best fit.
If a swimsuit just doesn’t fit you, no matter how cute you think it looks, don’t buy it. You don’t want to end up with saggy bottoms, wedgies, straps digging into your skin, or gaps in the front. You will need to try on multiple suits which is annoying. However, your effort will be rewarded once you find one that fits snug and looks great on you.
Don’t be cheap
If your swimsuit is made with flimsy materials, then you can’t rely on it to hold up during any sort of physical activity. It might end up becoming see-through when wet, which kind of defeats the purpose of even covering up in the first place. Flimsy and cheap fabric won’t sit right.
A higher quality fabric will hold your breasts in place. It will also feel sturdier, more secure, and will fit better. You can expect it to hold its elasticity much longer than other bikinis, especially if you’re taking good care of it.
When it comes to intimates, don’t cheap out. This is something that you’re probably going to get photographed in. It’s also very revealing, and if you end up having a wardrobe malfunction, you’re going to end up revealing much more than you intended.
Use double-sided tape
All right, so you now have a bikini that fits you well and you didn’t cheap out. Unfortunately, this might not be enough sometimes. If you still haven’t alleviated your fears of a wardrobe malfunction, then you can hedge your bets with some double-sided tape.
This is what a lot of celebrities and social media influencers use whenever they are doing photo shoots in certain swimsuits. Any swimsuit that is low cut should definitely be at least taped down. Keep in mind that if you actually plan on going into the water, then these products will not work.
You can use regular double-sided tape, or you can use a fashion tape designed specifically for this purpose. This product should be easily available at most drug stores. Look for ones that are marketed as “waterproof.” They are not literally waterproof, as they will fail if you go in the water, but they can at least withstand being exposed to sweat.
Use body glue
Similarly, you can also use body glue to help keep your top and bottom in place. Body glue has many interesting nicknames; butt glue, booty glue, skin glue, and so on. It’s often used on, as you’ve probably guessed, the butt to keep bikini bottoms in place. Models will often even use butt glue in between their butt cheeks to prevent wedgies.
Despite the nicknames, you don’t have to only use it on your bottom; you can also use it on your top as well. Like the double-sided tape, this is not a fully waterproof solution. It is only designed to withstand a bit of sweat, but if you plan on going in the water, it’s not going to be effective.
Use a safety pin
While not the most elegant solution, if your bikini top tends to come undone then a simple solution is to put a safety pin on your top to secure it in place. Try to do it in as discreet a location as possible (i.e. from the inside) so that no one can see you have a safety pin holding your outfit together.
Avoid rigorous physical activity
If it isn’t obvious by now, other than getting the perfect fit and paying a premium for a higher quality bikini top, the other solutions for keeping your swimsuit top in place are only effective on land and if you’re not engaging in rigorous physical activity.
If you do plan on being very physically active while wearing a two piece swimsuit, then your only options are to either risk the occasional wardrobe malfunction, or to wear an athletic swimsuit. Unfortunately, athletic swimsuits typically aren’t as cute as regular swimsuits, but kicking butt in sports is very attractive, so it’s a wash.
Parting words
Keeping your bathing suit top and bottom in place is made much easier if the top and bottom is the right size for your body; this may require some trial and error, as well as some mix and matching to getit perfect.
It’s a pain to do this, but nothing can keep your bikini in place if it was loose to begin with. Do not make the mistake of getting one that is too small either; if it is digging into your skin and leaving red marks, it’s too tight.
Even with a solid fit, if you want some extra insurance that your bikini will stay there, you can use double-sided tape, body glue, or a safety pin to hold it where you want. Unfortunately, these solutions will not hold up if you are in the water or engaging in rigorous physical activity.
If you are a very active person and don’t want a wardrobe malfunction, your best bet is to wear an athletic swimsuit. There are two piece versions, but the safest option is to wear a one piece athletic swimsuit for the greatest assurance that it will stay in place.
