Now for a little Fashion Friday PSA…

My husband and I are heading to Cancun on Monday to celebrate our anniversary, so it seemed like a perfect time to talk about this trend I’m seeing a lot of this spring – rash guards and swim shirts.

Rash guards are nothing new, but I’ve always associated them more with surfers and other water sport aficionados, than the general beach-going masses. Now, what was once known more as a sporting good item, rash guards are becoming a fashionable piece of swimwear.

When I first started seeing rash guards popping up in mainstream swimwear lines, I wasn’t really on board with the trend. Why would I want to wear a long-sleeved shirt at the beach? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of wearing a bathing suit?

Well, there was one thing I was overlooking – the sun protection factor. While I’ve always slathered on sunscreen before hitting the beach, I never really took sun protection much farther than that. After having a funky (though benign) mole removed from my back a few months ago, I started thinking more about what I could do to protect myself from the sun, and rash guards suddenly made a lot more sense.

There have been many times I’ve wanted to swim a few laps in the pool, but had no one around to make sure I didn’t miss any spots on my back with sunscreen. Enter rash guard – problem solved!

I’ll be wearing sunscreen and spending my time under an umbrella on the beach this year, but what about when I’m in the water? Having a rash guard provides a perfect extra layer of protection.

Granted rash guards aren’t exactly as cute as a fun bikini top, there are so many fun options out there and they’re available at all price points. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Nanette Lepore Etienne Rashguard – Anthropologie

2. Mini Botanical Print Rash Guard – J.Crew

3. High Swells Rashguard – Anthropologie

4. Paisley Adjustable Swim Tunic Rash Guard – Land’s End

I purchased the blue paisley one from Land’s End, along with a matching navy blue bikini. I liked this one because it would keep my back covered, since my main concern is areas I can’t reach. (I’m still not quite sold on long sleeves on the beach.) I also thought the v-neck and side ties made it a bit more feminine.

After seeing so many of these rash guards in catalogues, I’m curious to see how many are actually on the beach, and whether this trend will stick around longer than this summer. Anyone else on board with the rash guard trend? Let us know in the comments.

Nicole