Existing Clothing

• Short, racy dresses in daily life become modest when at the beach.Pixland/Pixland/Getty Images
  
  Clothes that may be flashy and revealing in other locations may seem modest on the beach. Consider tight tank tops, spandex knit shorts and exercise clothing as the components of a modest swimsuit. Add a dark tank top to a bikini bottom and you have created a tankini. Wear a short one-piece dress with spandex bicycle shorts for an inexpensive swimdress. Combine your top with shorts and a miniskirt and you now own a skirtini. Depending on your top, you may also want to wear a sports bra under it, and your choice of fabric should be a dark color that will not become transparent when wet.
  
  

Fabrics

• Spandex workout clothes may form a good base layer for modest swimsuits.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
  
  Choose clothes that can be used wet and will dry quickly. Many workout clothes are made from suitable fabrics. Discount stores and online retailers sell these types of clothing at affordable prices, and you can also make them yourself if you have access to a sewing machine. When buying fabrics, choose four-way stretch knits over two-way stretch knits for a swimsuit because the heavier fabric will stretch more and and provide better cover. Nylon and spandex blends are well-suited for use as swim wear because they dry quickly and resist tearing and wear.
  
  

Cover-ups

• Use a sarong to hide your curves and add some style.PhotoObjects.net/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  You may have an existing one-piece or two-piece suit that simply needs a small touch of modesty, so consider the advantages of a cover-up. This is any large piece of fabric that you can wrap around your suit. For light concealment, a sheer or net cover-up may be enough. This will blur the outline of your body beneath while on dry land, but will do little to conceal you when wet. For a more opaque cover-up, use a sarong made from your choice of fabric. Sarongs are rectangular lengths of fabric tied around the waist. They hang over your thighs, knees and shins, depending on their length. Stretch knit fabric may not be suitable for a sarong, as it is meant to flow somewhat freely around you, so use a loose, flexible polyester blend.
  
  

Tankinis, Swim Dresses and Skirtinis

• Tank tops and halter tops are easy additions to any bikini.Getty Images/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  Any tank top combined with a bikini bottom can make a tankini. The tankini style is designed to cover your back and midriff, as well as provide greater concealment of your upper body, while allowing you the freedom of a two-piece swimming suit. Substitute a halter top for the tank top and you gain straps that you can lower while tanning, or add a short skirt to create the skirtini look. A one-piece dress worn with your bikini bottom or bicycle shorts gives you a swim dress. For added flair, wear a dress with ruffles. These designs all benefit from ease of assembly and a vintage or retro look, which can earn you admiration from other beach-goers for your sense of style and fashion.