36 Cute Bikini Tops to Wear With Your Most Basic Bottoms

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(Image credit: @alyssainthecity; STYLING: Mirror Palais Green Plaid Bikini Top ($95))

I’ll admit I’m kind of cheap when it comes to swimwear. Don’t get me wrong. I love a good bikini, one-piece, or cute cover-up as much as the next person, but it’s one of the categories I struggle the most with actually spending on. When I do buy one, I'll typically wait for sales to hit at the end of the season to get something for the following year; other times I spend on classic styles that I think have more longevity. Once in a while, a suit is so good I lose my inhibitions and buy it on the spot.

One of my other favorite tricks is to spend on a bikini top (which we all know gets the most face time) and save by pairing it with bottoms I already own. Unless I’m actually swimming or working on my tan, I prefer to be wearing a cover-up, such as a pareo or shorts, and if my basic black or neutral bikini bottoms show here and there, I’m truly unbothered. If you’re on the same page or completely disagree but would like to see the tops I’ve rounded up today anyway—after all, no one is stopping you from buying the whole set—just keep scrolling.

Triangle

Underwire

Bandeau

Tank

One-Shoulder

They may not fit into one of the above, more common categories, but that's no reason to count them out.

Next: the 27 best black sandals to buy now.

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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 2024, 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 Summer House.