Left on Friday Swimwear Review: One Midlife Mom’s Honest Two-Piece Test

I've been getting questions about Left on Friday swimwear for over a year now, after that 2025 Strategist review that any woman with boobs or a typical mom bod found utterly unhelpful. Trying to find helpful reviews for women in midlife curious about Left on Friday swimsuits was near impossible: they were either by the young or by the naturally thin and firm or sounded like SponCon disguised as an “honest review.” And then when I saw this thread on Reddit, I was really questioning the supposed “perfection” of Left on Friday bathing suits.

So when Left on Friday offered me gifting through ShopMy without any requirements to share, I asked a member of the Wardrobe Oxygen community to test it out. Meet Kim: a high school history teacher in New England, mom of two, and one of my pledge sisters from my sorority days in college. She's turning 50 this fall and wanted a reason to be brave. Trying on swimwear and posting the photos, unedited, is utterly badass and brave, and a benefit to us curious about the viral Left on Friday swimwear line.

Left on Friday gifted Kim four pieces of her choice from a lookbook to build two two-piece sets, and I paid her for her time and her honesty. Nobody at Left on Friday read this before it went live or knew it was being written. What you're reading below is exactly what Kim sent me.

Left on Friday Swimwear Review

Hello Wardrobe Oxygen Readers! 

When Alison first announced that she was looking for help trying out a bathing suit brand, I had never heard of Left on Friday, and I certainly never thought I would be the person to write a review on it. Alison and I know each other from college, and a million years ago, at the University of Maryland, we were sorority sisters. I have followed her career as a blogger and influencer on Wardrobe Oxygen for years, and I am so grateful to her for this opportunity. 

Doing something like this is way out of my comfort zone, so if you are wondering why I put my hat in the ring, I will share with you what I shared with Alison. Firstly, while I am not a professional, I felt like I was capable of doing the writing and reviewing. I am in my 21st year of teaching.  Because I have my summers off of school, I spend a lot of time at the beach or the pool so bathing suits are my summer uniform. And let's face it… on a teacher's salary, the idea of free bathing suits to add to my collection seemed like a great opportunity. 

Lastly, and most importantly, I turn 50 in October, and I am really trying to push myself to do new and brave things. Putting pictures of myself on the internet in a bathing suit may not be jumping out of a plane or moving to a foreign country, but as a woman who has always had a complex relationship with her body, this felt like a brave thing. 

Bathing suits are truly the most challenging clothing to try on, purchase, and then actually wear in public. My body is capable of extraordinary things; it has carried and delivered two beautiful children, run a marathon and several half marathons, and it can still dance until 4am in 3 inch heels (as evidenced by a recent Vegas trip). So, certainly I can celebrate this body by adorning it with beautiful bathing suits and being brave enough to show the world. Or at least this blog.

Left on Friday is a brand created by women who got their start at Lululemon. They saw a market for swimwear designed as activewear. Using soft and stretchy fabrics, the suits are designed to move with the body for a more active summer lifestyle. 

The website is easy to navigate and has many options of both one and two piece bathing suits. I initially had a bit of sticker shock looking at the prices. A one piece bathing suit is priced around $220, a bikini bottom is $110, and the top is also $110. Many of the bathing suits that I own are from Target or Amazon, and while I am a huge fan of the online store Fused Hawaii (for suits which are priced at around $80 a piece), these prices were slightly out of my typical range. My Left on Friday suit would now be the most expensive bathing suit I own.  

Choosing a suit wasn’t challenging. I like a high waisted two piece and there were several options both in color and style. The brand doesn’t really carry prints, but there are so many beautiful colors to choose from, I can see how one would be able to mix and match the sets to get a variety of pieces and feel like they were wearing a new bathing suit with each wear. The site also features a page to help with color matching so you can see how the colors work together. 

I went with the Hi Tide Bottom (chili heat red), the Reef Top (hot pink), and the Hi Hi Bottom and Plunge Top (both in palm green for a matching set). 

I am usually anywhere from a size 6 to size 10 depending on the brand and article of clothing. I like to size up on bottoms as it just gives a little smoother of a line. I went with a size large in the bottoms and medium for the tops. I definitely could have sized up for the tops as well.  They fit but I may have wanted a little more coverage. I would recommend sizing up for a comfortable fit.  

The suits arrived with a travel bathing suit bag (which is a nice little extra to throw in your beach bag so that you don’t have to pack a wet suit with the rest of your things). My first impression was that the fabric felt expensive and did appear more like activewear than your typical bathing suit material. The colors were so rich and beautiful. True to what you see on the website, but even more vibrant in person. 

The suit was soft and slimming without cutting into my skin, it felt like quality shapewear that comfortably holds you in all the right places. The high waist sat in the perfect place on my body and gave good coverage of the belly – it also hid the estrogen patch (IYKYK!). If you want more coverage in the back, I would definitely go with the Hi Tide Bottom over the Hi Hi. The Left on Friday Hi Hi Bottom definitely has a high cut in the leg and in the backside. That isn’t typically my aesthetic, but the bathing suit laid so nicely on my body, I didn’t mind the high cut. 

The Plunge Top gave a beautiful line at my chest and felt secure enough to give the 36C girls a boost.  I absolutely loved the bright hot pink Reef Top.  This particular top has straps that can be manipulated to give different looks, but I preferred the traditional cross in the back. The material felt luxurious and I will be interested to see if it maintains that quality after a number of washes and wears justifying the price point.

Because my kids are older most of my swimsuit time is now spent relaxing in the sun rather than entering into diving contests and building sandcastles. But I would imagine Left on Friday bathing suits are well suited for any summer activity. The colors were stunning, the material felt luxe, and I was very pleased with my choices. I happily packed and confidently wore (to many compliments) my new bathing suits on my recent girls trip to Austin, Texas! 

While the price point may give you pause before purchasing a suit from this brand, I would recommend Left on Friday for the comfortable fit, attractive style, and dynamic colors. 

In Summary

Kim isn't wrong about the price tag. $110 for a bikini top without any major technology or hardware is pretty hardcore. But if you've bought suits from big box stores for years and returned half of them because the fabric feels cheap or the top rides up every time you move, maybe Left on Friday is worth trying.

If you are looking for swimsuits to support a larger chest, check out my guide to the best swimsuits for large busts. It covers styles built to actually hold you, not just look good on a hanger.

Thank you, Kim, for this great review, and great pictures of you looking strong and fabulous. You are brave and badass and I hope you have the best summer in your Left on Friday swimsuits!

Frequently Asked Questions about Left on Friday Swimwear