We all think we know what guys want to see women wear on the beach. The obvious answer is string bikinis! No, wait, how about a one-piece? Monokinis? Who the heck knows exactly, it depends on the person! I’m sorry for the facetious answer but that’s the honest truth.
You can ask 10 different guys what they think women should wear on the beach and get 10 different answers (after filtering out all the all joke answers like “nothing at all”). Seriously, the answers will surprise you.
Let’s be honest, some men just want women to wear swimsuits that leave nothing to the imagination. Others actually prefer a modest look, so a one-piece swimsuit is right up their alley. Some prefer the tomboy look, so board shorts and a bikini top fit the bill. Another might like a frilly, girly look, another might like the look of the bandeau style. As you can see, there is pretty much no wrong answer, as there will be guys that like whatever women wear.
It might be easier to answer this question from the other direction – what swimsuits do men dislike? Any swimsuit with extremely wacky designs that make you look like you’re from another planet would fit that bill. Printed messages are also a no-go, especially if they are offensive, or are paired with graphics depicting obscene imagery.
String bikinis are polarizing because obviously a lot of guys like seeing skin, but some men think it’s a sign of a highly promiscuous, attention-seeking woman that might be too much trouble to handle.
If you keep reading on, we will provide more examples of the types of swimsuits that guys like as well as some examples of swimsuits guys hate.
Types of bathing suits guys like
Two-piece bikinis
Hey, don’t fix what isn’t broken; the bikini has been making guys whistle and drool since it was introduced in the 40s, and I think it will forever be a staple.
Guys have a lot of eye candy nowadays, because back in the 40 and earlier, it wasn’t socially acceptable for women to dress like that lest they risk being arrested. Women’s swimsuits were still very modest. The bikini was the first step to normalizing what is essentially women wearing a bra and panties in a public area, which is what many guys like to see.
The main issue with bikinis is also its greatest strength: that it almost completely exposes your figure for all to see. It’s not a problem if you have a great bod; you want people to see your curves and how sexy you are.
But if you have stretch marks, scars, love handles, embarrassing tattoos, or anything else you would rather want covered up, then bikinis are a no-go. For that, we need to go with some other options (that guys will still love).
One piece swimsuits
For some guys, there is a certain attractiveness about modesty. While there is nothing wrong with flaunting what you got, some guys prefer a more subdued and quiet kind of confidence which a one-piece swimsuit can provide.
The one piece swimsuit also has a certain charm of its own. It hearkens back to 1920s pinup, when a woman in a one-piece bathing suit or a similar kind of look was exceptionally risqué and basically the equivalent of adult content nowadays. Guys would have a hidden stash of all the pinup photos they could get their hands on for… well you can probably imagine what purpose.
Funny that by today’s standards, a one-piece is considered modest, but it is what it is. That almost sounds like a negative, but if you have great curves under that one-piece, guys will still notice it. If you’ve got the stuff, you can’t hide it girl.
Plus, as we mentioned, you may have stretch marks or other such imperfections you would rather want hidden. A one-piece can give you the confidence to go to the beach and attract a fair share of guys even if there are girls with better bodies around.
P.S. There’s nothing wrong with a guy wearing a one piece swimsuit either.
Tankinis
Similarly, tankinis are a two-piece swimsuit that provide a similar amount of coverage as a one-piece.
What makes tankinis so awesome is that you can mix and match tankini tops and bottoms. If you aren’t sure what guys like, you could literally just keep switching it up until you find the perfect pair that gets the most attention from guys.
Bandeau bikini tops
Guys also like the bandeau bikini top, which can either have straps or be strapless. For strapless ones, be very careful about the bandeau sliding down. It would certainly get a guy’s attention, but that’s not the way you want to do it.
That said, bandeaus are notorious for being uncomfortable to wear because they just squash your boobs uncomfortably. Whether it’s worth the discomfort is up to you.
One shoulder swimsuits
The one shoulder can come in one-piece or two-piece varieties. It’s very sexy to guys because the side with the bare shoulder draws their attention there and all the way to your neck. It’s so attractive it almost makes guys want to nibble your exposed shoulder and neck.
Now, most guys (probably) won’t act out on those impulses. It wouldn’t be sexy coming from anybody else other than a lover, but you can bet a whole lot of guys are wishing they could be your lover if you wear a one shoulder to the beach.
Board shorts with bikini tops
Board shorts are traditionally worn by men, but there’s something very attractive about a woman wearing guys’ clothing. Try wearing a guy’s oversized hoodie like a dress and he’ll practically pounce on you.
Tomboys are ridiculously attractive, cause guys love a girl who is cool and relatable “like a guy” but one that they can also sleep with without being gay (just accept that logic).
So board shorts plus a bikini top. This will make the guys who are into tomboys bite down on their lips hard. Give it a try.
High-waisted bottoms
Are high-waisted bottoms in? Yes, they are. High-waisted bottoms give you the illusion of having a much smaller waist, giving you more of an hourglass figure that is very attractive to guys.
Swimsuits that guys hate
String bikinis
String bikinis are polarizing, but I would have to say that they fall more into the “hate” category than “love”.
It really depends on the context. Some guys appreciate the visual eye candy they are being treated to. Clearly, a woman revealing this much skin wants to be ogled, and some guys are happy to oblige.
However, if that same guy is outside with his family or friends, he would probably feel extremely awkward for fear of being called shallow and would rather not deal with that kind of shaming.
There is also a stigma that a woman willing to wear a string bikini probably has a… shall I say promiscuous occupation, one that some men would rather not be associated with.
Large patterns, thick lines
Larger patterns, thicker lines, these all have one thing in common: they make you look fat. It’s just an illusion, like how high-waisted bottoms give you an hourglass look; large patterns instead have a negative effect.
Conversely, smaller patterns and thinner lines, particularly vertical lines, can make you look slimmer. The goal isn’t to look like a ref at a softball game; that’s taking the advice too literally. Even horizontal lines are good as long as they’re thin because they can make your hips and bust look wider.
Swimsuits with weird patterns, text, or images
You know how in fashion shows, some of the stuff worn by the models make you scratch your head and go “What the heck was the designer thinking? Does anyone even think that looks good?” The monokini might fall into this category as well.
Well if your swimsuit elicits the same kind of reaction, great, you’re getting attention all right, but it’s not the kind you want. Guys will look at you like you’re a freak or think that you’re part of some art performance they’d rather not be part of.
If your swimsuit has graphics depicting some obscene imagery, such as anything phallic, gory, too sexual, racist, religious, or controversial in anyway, that might be a deal-breaker.
Similarly, if your swimsuit has text saying anything controversial or offensive, that might also be a massive turn off. You’re also liable to just get verbally or even physically assaulted if someone gets offended enough. Not the kind of attention you want, ladies.
Parting words
As you can see, guys are okay with darn near anything a woman wears at the beach as long as it’s not horribly offensive or weird. The important thing is not to overthink things.
If a guy sees a girl wearing a simple bikini, he’s not going to think anything other than, “She’s out to have fun in the sun.” Or “thank god bikinis exist because she’s smoking hot.”
Conversely, if a guy sees a girl wearing a swimsuit with weird cutouts, straps in odd places, unusual graphics, he’s going to think: “What the heck am I looking at?” They also might think that you’re trying too hard to get attention or that you’re blindly following some weird trend.
But you know what? If it makes you happy, I say who the heck cares. You should dress in whatever clothing you think looks good, not what guys think. Wear what makes you happy when you look at yourself, not what others think about you, let alone someone who is only judging you for your looks.
