I Keep Coming Back to the Summersalt Sidestroke (original) (raw)

I Have Dozens of Bathing Suits, But I Keep Coming Back to the Summersalt Sidestroke

By ,a senior writer at the Strategist covering beauty, sex toys, and more. She joined the Strategist as an intern in 2018. She covers office goods, sex toys, and beauty and is also a writer for “The Approval Matrix.”

As a certified beach bum, my swimsuits make up the bulk of my summer wardrobe. While I somehow only own a single pair of denim shorts, I could wear a different swimsuit every day for weeks before I would have to repeat. But out of all of my many options, a single one-piece stands above all the rest: Summersalt’s Sidestroke.

I got my original Sidestroke, in a poppy red-white-and-pink, way back in 2021, and it looks just as good this summer as it did the very first Memorial Day I wore it. The Sidestroke has been with me on beach trips all over the world — long weekends at Montauk and on Fire Island; vacations to Italy, Spain, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic; and decidedly more domestic getaways to Alaska and Charleston. When summer is but a distant memory, I’ve also worn it on bimonthly trips to the banya for sauna and cold-plunge sessions. But no matter which beach or poolside I’m lounging at — and I’ve lounged at many — I always get at least one person who stops me to ask where it’s from.

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And that is because the Sidestroke is a perfect one-piece. The fabric, a blend of polyamide and elastane with a nylon and spandex lining, is compressive but still stretchy, so while it offers a little bit of shaping for my silhouette, it isn’t uncomfortable at all. The diagonal seaming also accentuates my curves just right. Though it’s one-shouldered, it’s still supportive, even without cups or underwire, thanks to the magic material. And it’s completely full coverage but doesn’t look matronly. I can swim in it freely, and I even feel a bit like a Baywatch extra when I get out of the water without worrying about any nip-slips or cheek-out moments. I’m completely at ease in this suit, whether I’m keeping it conservative on a family vacation or surrounded by half-naked revelers at Riis. It’s available in eight colorways and, even better, is size inclusive with a range from 0 to 24 in both classic and long-torso cuts.

I can’t stand when swimsuits stretch out over time, but this one has kept its shape. And after I’ve logged hundreds of hours swimming in salt water and overchlorinated pools, it’s kept its vibrancy. Even the white stripe near the bustline hasn’t discolored, and I’ve spilled more than my fair share of sunscreen and tanning oil on it.

I love it so much I added a second one to my rotation, this time in a shade the brand calls “seaweed-seaglass-and-white-sand,” just for some variety. And I’m seriously thinking about buying a third this year.

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