Against all odds, this controversial swimsuit is making a resounding return this season.
While the ultra-high-cut bikini celebrated its 80th anniversary last July, another counter-current trend seems to be making waves on the fashion planet. Where the last twenty years were marked by bodies revealed thanks to the famous two-piece with triangular lines, this latest trend revamps the silhouettes of those who wish to be more covered. Ultra popular in the 90s and even 2000s, this piece of discord is making a tidal wave in the fashion sphere. Adult women and little girls alike once wore them in ultra flashy Y2K colors that were eye-popping. More covering than our ordinary bikini, it is the tankini which is making a majestic return to the spotlight.
Created in 1998 by the American Anne Cole, the tankini is the perfect stylistic compromise between a one-piece swimsuit and a bikini. It was designed by its inventor to reassure women who are not comfortable in a classic bikini. A comeback that we owe first and foremost to Bella Hadid. Three years earlier, the famous model wore a brown tankini with vintage designer rhinestones Playboy. During 2025, she further increased her fashion quotient by imagining, among 102 other pieces, a tankini in collaboration with the brand Frankie’s Bikinis. Under the influence of this fashion icon, the piece is adorned with a red checkered print in the country chic spirit.
A resurgence which clearly illustrates the renewed interest of fashion in the stylistic imagination of surfers. Indeed, for several months, the iconic pieces of this wave tamer’s wardrobe have invaded the trends (like the flowered swim shorts), as well as the advertising campaigns of renowned houses such as Longchamp.
If we broaden the line, the tankini indeed echoes the long-sleeved and brief/shorty bottom combinations of surfers and further catalyzes the popularity of more covering models. Brands like Roxy also offer numerous tankinis, sometimes with a sporty look, sometimes with a more casual look, which therefore suit all styles. Other brands like Bonprix and Cupshe also offer fashion versions for stylish girls.
Combined with the influence of Anne Hathaway, who has been wearing an ultra-covering swimsuit similar to a diving suit for several years, the tankini has a bright future ahead of it.
