What kind of bathing suit top is this?

July 17, 2014 4:51 PM

I'm looking for a top that extends 3 or 4 inches below the bosom-line and doesn't flare.

I'm tired of wearing one-piece swimsuits, but one in 200 bikini tops, it seems, are of the shape that is supposed to flatter a longer torso like mine -- and they're rarely not in high contrast colors or patterns that I can wear with my non-porcelain Irish complexion. If there's a name for this kind of top, perhaps you can help do better web-searches and find more of them?

Most two-piece tops all seem to stop right below the bosom-line, or extend all the way down to waist (as in the two-pieces that actually look like one pieces -- and often those are flared at the bottom! wah?), I'm looking for a top that extends 3 or 4 inches below the bosom-line and doesn't flare.

I've found a couple already today, but I can't wear these colors shown, so I'm trying to figure out a way to do better searches -- to find more subtle colors that I can wear.

Here are links to the examples!

Example 1
Example 2

Thanks so much!

posted by alice_curiouse to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

The term you're looking for is "bustier style bikini" (as in"boo-stee-a", not "bustier like for big-busted girls").

example
posted by erst at 4:54 PM on July 17, 2014

When I bought a swimsuit like this back around 2000, it was called a tankini (like tank top + bikini). I still have it, and the top stops right where you describe it.

I searched on "tankini", and I found lots of current results. A lot of them are also labeled "swimsuit tops" and they're covering the full torso like a full tank top would. Maybe you'd need to search on something like "cropped swimsuit top"?
posted by cadge at 4:57 PM on July 17, 2014

Longline bikini top or longline swimsuit top might be a helpful search term.
posted by augustimagination at 4:58 PM on July 17, 2014

You'll get some false positives but "full band" and "wide band" might be useful terms, too.
posted by peachfuzz at 5:13 PM on July 17, 2014

Longline is what you're looking for. They're in this year which is lucky for you!
posted by MadamM at 5:18 PM on July 17, 2014 [2 favorites]

I'm currently loving Victoria's Secret Beach Sexy The Getaway Halter. It is the most comfortable, most flattering top that I have ever worn. I love the extended bit at the bottom. The colors are great and it is currently on sale for $33.00
posted by myselfasme at 7:58 PM on July 17, 2014

Midkini is the new-new term (cause they're totally in this year) that stores are using to label that section of swimwear, before that it was "longline" (but that term is typically used for lingerie and not swimwear.)

Example:
Midkinis at target
Midkinis at Delias
Midkinis at JC Penney's
posted by FirstMateKate at 8:48 AM on July 18, 2014

You might like some of the options at The Seea, like this one.
posted by barnone at 7:52 AM on July 20, 2014