22 Beach Poses to Show Off Your Bikini This Swim Season

Mastering the art of the perfect beach pose that highlights your tropical destination while showing off all the exciting design details of your swimsuit isn’t exactly an easy task. Whether you’re wearing one of your favorite go-to swimsuits or showing off a new purchase, it’s nice to have a few images to reference for inspiration. And while models seem to effortlessly stand in front of the camera and get the shot, it’s not always organic for the rest of us. So we asked a few fashion-industry insiders, many of whom have perfected poses through the years, using Instagram to document their looks, for their tips on best capturing our vacation pics.

For NYC-based model Sarah Kim, posing starts with getting to know herself: “As someone who has body dysmorphia, I have to make a conscious effort every day to get to know my body, because I believe that to feel confident, especially in swimwear, I have to become physically, emotionally, and spiritually joined as one,” she says.

“People are experts in posing to make their body fit in the social template,” style maven Anna-Lotta Martina Nanne says. She notes that what you see on social media should always be taken with a grain of salt. “Women overall already put so much effort into fulfilling what society expects from us, how we look, and how we present ourselves,” she says. “In the end, it’s not about posing to make someone else pleased; it’s about your vibe and happiness that determines having confidence in your body.”

As you’ll see from the 22 poses ahead, there are several ways to twist, turn, sit, stand, and kneel to show off your swimsuit’s details. Whether it’s a waist belt, tie sleeve, or ruffle down the neckline you want to highlight, check out some ideas and try them out for your next vacation shoot. The best part? You can work with a professional photographer or a friend or pull off many of these poses yourself with the self-timer feature.