Embrace The Siren Call Of The Long-Sleeve Swimsuit

When you think of the occasion for long sleeves, a few things come to mind: church, a job interview, or the first time meeting your S.O.'s parents. One thing that may not come to mind: the beach. And yet, there seems to be something in the water (zing!) because we keep noticing our favorite celebs sporting a certain type of long-sleeved swimsuit, and have spotted plenty of trend-forward takes on traditional rash guards when we search "swimwear" at the coolest boutiques. We wanna know: what's the deal?

As with many things in fashion history, information on the garment's origin is a bit apocryphal, but we probably have Australians to thank for the style — along with the delightful Down Under-ism "rashie", the local term for a long-sleeved swim top. Starting in the 1970s, surfers and scuba divers would wear lycra layers to chafe-proof their skin under wetsuits, and as these bronzed athletes starting wearing them around the popular surfing beaches of the world, the rest of us followed suit.

While we love the sporty functionality and major sun protection factor of this piece, we also delight in seeing the fashion crowd embracing the rash guard, injecting it with fun and wearability. All of our go-to swim shops are practically overflowing with beautiful pieces — we've even seen a few designers embracing the term "fashguard" — and we just can't wait to show you some of our favorites. Click through to increase your swimwear wardrobe and decrease your exposure to the sun.