We're Both Confused and Intrigued by the One-Piece-Kini

If you just read this headline and had absolutely no idea what a one-piece-kini was, don’t worry—you’re not suddenly out of the loop or behind on the latest trends. You’ve likely never heard of it because I just made it up. Well, I technically made it up a few weeks ago when I pitched this story on the countless one-piece/bikini hybrid swimsuits I was seeing on the internet, and here we are today!

So what in the world is it? Think of it like a cutout one-piece taken up a notch. It has the appearance of a bikini, but it features some form of seam, tie, or embellishment that connects the top to the bottom, making it technically a one-piece. To be honest, when I first started seeing them around, I was, as the title of this post alludes, pretty confused and on the fence about the suit, but after doing some research and seeing more and more iterations both on influencers and e-commerce sites, I’m admittedly coming around to the newest swimwear trend on the block.

Another redeeming quality is that with so many options ranging from super-daring to subtle, you can really take it any way you want. See what I mean below, and if you end up on board, shop some of my favorite one-piece-kinis along the way.

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(Image credit: @bettinalooney)

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(Image credit: @gabifresh)

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(Image credit: @revolve)

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(Image credit: @littleblackboots)
Editor-at-Large

Since starting as an intern back in 2013, Nicole Akhtarzad Eshaghpour has held several roles here at Who What Wear, and she is currently Editor-at-Large. It was a less expected route, seeing as she was graduating from business school at USC when this all began, but it has turned out to be the best one for her. Fast-forward to 2020, and she's moved to NYC from her hometown of Beverly Hills and spends her workdays a little differently from when she was an intern starting out. Currently, she focuses on a weekly mélange of shopping content. As far as her personal style goes, she's largely drawn to classic pieces and neutral basics but will always make an exception for something colorful, printed, or bejeweled as long as it's deemed worthy enough. After all, the only thing she loves more than a good party is dressing up for one. On weekdays, she can usually be found at home eating something delicious for dinner and trying to force her husband to watch 90 Day Fiancé.