The Upside Down Bikini Top Trend
The Upside-Down Bikini Is Going Viral, With Kylie Jenner and Ashley Graham on Board
As is the case with many a popular swimwear trend, the Kardashian-Jenners are largely responsible for bringing the upside down bikini top to social media. In fact, supermodel Kendall Jenner first gave way to the idea of transforming a standard, string-tie triangle top in March 2020, when she laid on the beach in a Sommer Swim design with a memorable baroque print. Jenner had masterfully tied the cords of her top together across the front of her bust, making for a cutout bandeau that was a fitting complement to her barely-there Brazilian bottoms. As time has progressed, her sisters Kylie Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian have given the trend a go, twisting their own straps in a criss-cross fashion at the chest to fasten behind the neck, achieving a halterneck silhouette. Kendall followed suit in July 2022, posing for a FWRD campaign on Instagram in a similar sunshine-yellow bikini with a metallic sheen.
Meanwhile, other models and creators, including Ashley Graham and Addison Rae, have brought the trend into 2023, rocking a leopard top upside down and a rhinestone-embellished pink bikini, respectively. Their method involves tracing the bottom, elastic portion of the top around their cleavage, circling it like a makeshift neckline. The closure that is meant to clasp at the back of the neck is therefore situated at the back.
While Elsa Hosk and Hailey Bieber also flaunted their own takes last year, Graham, Rae, and Kylie Jenner prove the staying power of this DIY swimwear trick extends far into 2023. After all, the hack is all over TikTok, and we only expect it to stay on the rise with more celebrity influence. Ahead, see how the stars are wearing the upside down bikini trend, then check out the thongkini bottom, sheer swimwear, and the '80s-inspired high-leg cut, as these aesthetics are also running rampant this summer.
