Are high-rise Love Island-style bikinis actually wearable?

While I can’t put my finger on exactly when I started wearing high-rise bikinis, I can tell you that I’m extremely thrilled that the trend is here to stay.

There are a few swimwear styles that are as iconic as the high-rise bikini. And believe it or not, they’re actually flattering. In just two seconds and a pull of the brief, you can take your frame from frumpy to curvy. Whether you’re ready to risk it all with a string bikini (caution: not for the faint hearted) or playing it cool with a thick high-waisted brief, a high rise bikini looks good on all body types. You’re either smoothing out any love handles with those extra few inches, or accentuating that hourglass body of yours that doesn’t even exist. It’s all an illusion, babe. Work with it.

The high rise bikini goes all the way back to the 1950s. Worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly, the bikini trend offers elegance, opulence and chicness, with a sprinkle of sultriness.

Whichever type of bottom you decide to bag, here’s a quick debrief (geddit?) on both styles: the string bikini is perfect for soaking up the sun without too many tan lines (and lots of SPF, of course); the thick high rise brief is particularly great at helping to flatten the tummy and cinch the waist. Take your pick. I promise you won’t regret it.

Alexa Kesta, Social Editor

For those of us that have a body but not the confidence, shopping for swimwear is a minefield of stress, shame and regret. You curse yourself for skipping that 6am HIIT class, indulging in those hungover McMuffins and generally not being ​“that girl”. Of course, body positive influencers and infographics have by now made us well aware that being ​“beach ready” is not dependent on having abs and a peachy bum. And being ​“that girl” is quite lame, actually. But that’s sometimes hard to remember when you’re staring at a disappointing bikini haul in the mirror.

And you know what has made swimwear shopping even worse? The rise and rise of bikini bottoms in recent years. Thanks to the Kardashians and Love Island influencers, high-rise bottoms that sit on the waist and leave little to the imagination have proliferated the market. Now, it feels almost impossible to find fun swimwear that doesn’t wriggle up your arse as you walk down the beach. Sure, there are sensible, conservative options available, but they don’t come in the prints and textures (lamé is back, baby!) that will turn you into an international party girl in Ibiza. An M&S one-piece isn’t very sliving, is it?

I’m not a prude and I’m not blind. Teeny tiny, high-rise bikini briefs do look hot. If you’re comfortable wearing dental floss briefs, then go ahead. But alas, I am not Hot Girl Meg on a boat in Barca. Please, swimwear designers, take a moment to think about us girlies who haven’t done enough self-love mantras in the mirror come your summer drops. Design for the many, not the few. Give me lamé, give me sunset ombre prints, give me glitter – and give me it with enough fabric to cover up my entire flat bum.

Olive Pometsey, Features Editor