After quarantining for almost a year, it seems like now is finally time to dip our toes back into our regular summer activities. Whether you are ready to jump back into traveling, or you are just sitting poolside with friends, buying new swimwear is always a good way to prepare for the new season. Finding a great swimsuit is truly an art form. From one-pieces, bikinis, or microkinis – the styles are endless. We all want to feel protected from the sun, and that includes wearing sunscreen and the right piece that makes our bodies feel secure and sexy. Like most women, we all have parts of our bodies we want to embrace or cover-up, and finding the perfect balance can be tricky.
It seems like every online retailer has a collection that includes a few swimwear pieces these days which makes it harder to find the best brand that caters to Black women’s curves. As we show off our summer bods, consider these 10 Black-own swimwear brands that offer great styles and colors.
The UK-based Ugandan fashion model Eva Apio finally dropped her highly-anticipated online retail store releasing her Mini Resort 21 swimwear line. Her line includes a three-piece print bikini set named Estelle, and two-piece sets in the colors yellow and brown, offering the perfect shades and coverage for us Black girls.
Apio dropped the collection with photographs of women proudly wearing their natural afros, looking at themselves in the mirror, and embracing their Blackness.
2. ANDREA IYAMAH
Nigerian fashion designer Dumebi Iyamah offers colorful swimsuits inspired by her African heritage. Currently, she has a gorgeous deep purple bathing suit with grapes embroidered on the sides named ETNA. The bathing suit is priced at $180 on her site. Lyamah also has three new one-pieces in the colors pink and green. Her strategic cut-outs, ruffled styles, and bright but soothing colors brings a new feel to summer. Andrea Iyamah intersects a regal but playful but regal design to her aesthetic.
Miami-based designer Korina Maiya provides what she calls Koraekinis which are tiny bikinis for petite but shapely women. Petite women often want to feel sexy instead of just cute in their bathing suits. Oftentimes, bath suits are too big for smaller girls, covering what some would like to show motivating Maiya to create swimwear for all shapes especially for our slim thick girls. One fave from her line is the Krush set which is about $50 for both the top and bottom.
4. RJ SWIM
RJ Swim is a Brooklyn-based online brand that offers bright-colored bathing suits for all shapes and sizes. Most of the products are in categories of tropics, ready to wear, and made to order. Her made-to-order collection includes drawstrings sets that allow consumers to adjust fit for their comfortability. All items like cover skirts, two-piece tops, and bottoms are sold separately. Each piece is about $40-50 dollars.
City girls JT and Yung Miami recently released their first Icon Swimwear line with the brand just last month. The two took to Instagram to give us a preview of the capsule collection, posing in printed one-pieces, jungle-themed inspired two pieces, and cover-ups. The Black-owned brand provides trendy fashion at an affordable price. Check out their online store to find the collection that fits your style.
6. DOS SWIM
New York-based designers Shay Johnson and Paula Hess founded their swimwear brand in 2019 after working at Open Ceremony. Together, they designed swimsuits that focused on the right fit. The problems they had finding bottoms to fit their bodies inspired them to help other women find their size as well.
7. BFYNE
Nigerian American fashion designer Buki Ade created this contemporary swimwear brand and became popular for her hand-sewn garments that embody sex appeal and poise simultaneously. Our favorite celebs like Alicia Keys, Eva Marcille, and Taraji P. Henson have all been seen in her designs. Her recent designs like the Zana or Ari sets beautifully incorporate a tribal aesthetic. Most of her swimsuits are priced at $50-79 per item.
8. ASHERAH SWIM & SPORT
Designer Cheryl Cejae started as a graphic designer and used her creativity to create bold colored prints, shapes, and prints for edgy Black women. Her designs have been seen in Elle, Cosmo, and more. Her new line is in the color Tortoise which includes one-piece that are fully covered, or thonged shaped, giving us girls Black the security we need this summer. Most of her swimsuits range from $100-125.
9. CASTAMIRA SWIM
Castamira Swim is designed by Jamaican supermodel Chantel Davis whose swimwear is inspired by the 70-90s vintage aesthetic. As a supermodel, she learned exactly what fabrics and design fit best on her body and wanted to give others the chance to show their own body their way. Davis’ designs focus on parts of the body that go unnoticed like the small parts of our backs, legs, and necks. Check out her website to shop for her luxurious looks.
Twiley is a clothing brand with exclusive swimwear pieces like her ‘Cow Hyde Kini’, which is a brown printed thong bikini that compliments our skin perfectly. Her brand also includes the red- spicy and tye-dye green set, each ranging from $74-100 dollars for both pieces. The LA-based brand is giving new looks to soak up some vitamin D this summer. Check up their Instagram to find out the new releases of her exclusive pieces
