Light and Tight or Wet with Regret: Why Fabric Matters in a Swimsuit

With the summer season in full swing, the shelves of clothing stores are currently stocked with all different types and styles of swimsuits and bikinis. Chances are, if you have been swimsuit shopping lately, you have been somewhat overwhelmed by the abundance of choices. In the stores, there are about as many styles and cuts of swimsuits as there are types of bodies to wear them.

While most women consider size, fit, and color when choosing a swimsuit, there is another significant characteristic of a swimsuit that many consumers often forget to think about when shopping for and purchasing a new swimsuit: fabric.

Swimsuit manufacturers like to introduce new swimsuits made from different types of fabric into the market in order to produce a more unique swimsuit product. However, while a swimsuit made from an exotic fabric will greatly add to the uniqueness factor of your swimming wardrobe, the type of fabric a swimsuit is made of greatly affects both the fit and the overall life of that swimsuit. With all of the different fabric options available for swimsuit consumers, a brief guide to the strengths and drawbacks of several of the most common swimsuit fabrics may be quite valuable.

100% Cotton: As consumers become less and less fond of synthetic materials, swimsuits and bikinis made entirely from cotton are becoming more and more popular. While cotton swimsuits can be extremely cute and fashionable (not to mention light and airy), they do not always provide the best fit or the greatest overall longevity in a swimsuit. Cotton swimsuits are not known for staying in place on the body, and they have a tendency to ride up and bunch (an undesirable characteristic in any swimsuit). As a fabric, cotton does not stand up long to the destructive nature of chlorine and sun. It is likely that your cotton swimsuit will fade fairly quickly, especially if you are swimming in chlorinated pools.

Spandex/Lycra: Most swimsuits contain some percentage of spandex or Lycra in their fabric. These fabrics provide the stretchy fit that allows a swimsuit to stay in place on the body. Generally, the higher the percentage of spandex or Lycra in the swimsuit material, the more the swimsuit is designed for more serious or competitive swimming. While high-spandex materials cover the body well and smooth out any unsightly body bulges, they can become tight and uncomfortable. Also, spandex has a tendency to run if snagged on the side of a concrete pool or on a wooden lounge chair. Because high-spandex swimsuits are designed for use in serious and competitive swimming pursuits, however, they are often treated for chlorine resistance. While this chlorine resistance does not provide complete protection from chlorine, it does significantly lengthen the lifetime of the swimsuit.

Metallic Overlay: Swimsuits with metallic overlay sewn into the fabric are designed to be glamorous and eye-catching, but not necessarily to hold up and endure extensive swimming. While metallic overlay certainly adds a level of pizzazz and style to any swimsuit, the overlay is guaranteed to fray and dull after only a short amount of time. In general, swimsuits with metallic overlay are...