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What Is a Rashguard Swimsuit? The 411

If you have been paying attention to recent swimwear trends — or have simply spent some time scrolling through La Blanca’s best sellers page — you have likely seen rashguards before. Though rashguards are not a new garment, they are currently going through a huge resurgence in swimwear fashion trends. 

Rashguards are a cool two-piece swimsuit alternative, but before you hop on the bandwagon, read up on the garment and get all the 411 you’ll need! Keep reading to learn in-depth about the rashguard and why you should hop on this trend.

What Is a Rashguard? 

Rashguards are a type of swimsuit top that cover the entirety of your torso and arms, similar to athletic compression shirts. The rashguard is made from spandex and nylon, two fabrics that create tightly fitting but flexible garments. It is designed to be comfortable and breathable, despite how it clings to the skin. 

Rashguards flatter every body type. Whether you are petite or plus size, you can hop on the rashguard trend and look and feel sporty and chic. The fabric molds to your body, highlighting your curves while making it easy to enjoy all of your favorite water-based activities. 

Wear it as swimwear or athleticwear — rash guards are versatile swimwear that you will use again and again!

Why Do People Wear Rashguards? 

As previously mentioned, rashguards are a fairly versatile article of swimwear. While you can rock a rashguard for whatever purpose you see fit, the garment is often used for practical reasons,

As its name implies, the rashguard was initially invented in order to literally guard your skin from rashes. 

The garment was invented with the intention of being worn during oceanic activities like surfing or wakeboarding. Both sports involve getting physically thrashed around by ocean waves, which then leads to the sand and saltwater scraping against the skin, causing abrasions. You don’t need to be an athlete to know how painful a burn or rash caused by the ocean can be. Thankfully, rashguards help protect the skin from those scrapes and abrasions so that you can focus on the fun. 

The rashguard also does a stellar job protecting the skin from sunburns and potential sun-induced rashes. While you still should be applying plenty of sunscreen, the rashguard covers a large portion of your body, including areas like the shoulders, which are very sensitive to sun exposure. 

Whether you are an athlete or just an average beach enthusiast, a rashguard is a stylish, flattering garment that will also help you protect your skin from any potential rashes, scrapes, burns, and other abrasions that you can encounter when you step foot on the beach. 

How Were Rashguards Invented? 

Unsurprisingly, rashguards were first invented in Australia back in the 1970s! Australia is a continent surrounded by both the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, so oceanic sports are culturally significant in the land Down Under. 

Surfing culture is massive in Australia, so it was actually surfer bros who first created the rashguard. Spending day in and day out of the ocean water, surfing, and getting tossed around by strong waves and currents can do some damage to the skin, so it is no surprise that avid surfers created a garment designed to protect their skin! 

You might even be familiar with the colloquialized version: “rashie.” Though the “rashie” has come a long way in terms of fashion since its early days in Australia, they are still very common amongst surfers and other oceanic athletes. 

How Can I Style a Rashguard? 

You do not need to be a pro surfer to rock a rashguard. In fact, you don’t even need to step foot in the ocean water to don a rashguard and look stylish!

If you are an athlete, you can throw on a stylish rashguard for extra comfort and skin protection while engaging in your sport of choice. Since the garment is made out of spandex, it is designed to be stretchy and comfortable, which makes it the perfect top to wear while getting a workout in. Even if you are just hitting the gym and need some fashion-forward spandex to rock, the rashguard is going to become your best friend. 

Just taking a casual dip in the pool? You can show off your cool sense of style with a rashguard top. Find a cute high-waisted pair of bikini bottoms to pair with your rashguard top. It will create a playful and stylish balance between the conservative top and the exposed legs. 

You can even rock a rashguard as a stand-alone top! Hop on the athleisure bandwagon, and look sporty and chic when you pair a rashguard with a comfy pair of sweats and sneakers. Or, even dress it up with a stylish jacket, jeans, and combat boots. 

A rashguard can be anything you want it to be! 

Rock a Rashguard Today

On the surface, a rashguard is just another swimwear garment. However, the stylish, compression-style swimsuit top is so much more. From fun origins down under in Australia to its clever method of protecting your skin, rashguards are a cool, multifaceted piece of clothing!

Now that you’ve got the 411, dive headfirst into the marvelous world of rashguards, and join in on the fun! 

Sources:

Significance of Spandex Fibres | Elastane Fabrics | Fibre2Fashion

Causes of Itchy Rashes After Ocean Swimming | Very Well Health

Sunscreen | The Skin Cancer Foundation

The Evolution of Athleisure From 2016 to Today | Vogue