Australian women get into big bikini bottoms: ‘Everyone’s been overexposed’
First came the rise of G-string swimwear. Now women are turning the other cheek by opting for bikini shorts
Rosie Brunt’s relationship to the beach changed when she became a teenager. It stopped being a place to chase waves and instead became somewhere to soak up rays. She replaced swimming with lying on the sand, occasionally rolling over to adjust her bikini top for an even tan.
But lately, the 27-year-old from the Blue Mountains says she has wanted to make a splash in the ocean again. In the process she has embraced bikini shorts – a once-maligned style of swimwear that’s growing in popularity among female beachgoers.
“Wearing a swimming costume that’s a little bit more practical gives you that kind of childlike fun and freedom again,” says Brunt. This summer, she has worn the swimming shorts while snorkelling and rock jumping, as well as bike-riding and playing cricket.
Until recently, swimwear in Australia has been shrinking away – the smaller the better, with brands favouring high-cut legs or G-string bottoms. But over the past 18 months, many women are exploring more practical coverage options. Bikini shorts, also known as boyleg bottoms, provide more coverage around the upper leg, buttocks and sometimes the midriff. They allow for more movement and provide an alternative for those who feel more confident in fuller-coverage swimwear.
“It’s nice to move away from that pressure of feeling like you have to be in a thong when you’re at the beach,” says Harriette Beedle, 23, from Melbourne. “There’s no problem with a bit of modesty … it can be kind of cool.”
Since 2023, the number of Australian Google searches for “bikini shorts” has steadily overtaken “thong bikini”, with searches for bikini shorts peaking in December 2025.
Bikini shorts have become so popular that most major Australian swimwear brands now offer versions of the style.
Across the Tasman, these new styles are a far cry from when Wellington-based Lauren Brodie was growing up. Back then, the only cover-up options she could buy were baggy board shorts.
Brodie, 35, has had a fraught relationship with the beach and her body and says she only recently become comfortable wearing togs. The growing popularity of bikini shorts and fuller-coverage options has helped her get in the water with her daughter, who loves to swim.
“She never thinks, ‘OK, what does Mum look like in the water or at the beach?’ She only cares about how well we can dive together.”
Unlike smaller bikini bottoms, shorts can be worn away from the water. “It’s nice to be able to take one outfit down to the beach and go to the cafe afterwards looking put together and feeling comfortable,” says Brodie.
Brodie says the multifunctional aspect of bikini shorts is particularly desirable considering the high cost of living. “Purse strings are tighter so we’re all more mindful of how we’re investing.”
Beedle bought her first bikini shorts for a backpacking trip around South America so they could double as swimmers and shorts.
While bikini shorts are versatile, they can also be stylish. The high waist on today’s bikini shorts echoes swimwear design from the 1950s. Classic polka dots and gingham are popular, while others feature Y2K prints such as bright red hibiscus flowers or cheetah spots. For minimalists, there are various shades of brown and beige, and of course, plain black.
The influence of activewear has also played a “massive” role in the popularity of bikini shorts, says Julia Utz, head of product and marketing at Seafolly. Bike shorts have become a wardrobe staple, which speaks to people prioritising comfort and to the “big shirt little pants” silhouette popular on TikTok.
Katherine Hampton, founder of Camp Cove Swim, says high-waisted bikini shorts have been their top sellers the last two years.
Snorkelbear Swimwear has seen similar success. In the past four months, bikini shorts have made up 29% of total sales.
Raq Apparel released their first “boyshort” style this season, and sold out most sizes soon after launching. What was meant to be a limited run is now destined for their core collection.
Utz believes the short trend will have a long tail, and continue strongly into 2026 and 2027. “It’s almost like a reaction to the Brazilian [style] and the thong that everyone’s been overexposed to for the last couple of seasons.”
People are looking to cover up more than just their bums. Tankinis – tops that cover the stomach – and other fuller-coverage swimwear options, are also gaining traction.
Beedle says she enjoys being able to mix and match between the bikini shorts and tankinis: “You buy [an extra] pair of swimmers and you’ve suddenly got six different ways you can wear them … that’s awesome”.
Brunt agrees. “It’s not like this frumpy dorky thing,” she says, “It’s very flattering and you look good.”