Left on Friday Swim Review: Tested by a 5’4″ Mom of 4 (30+ Wears Later)

I have worn my Left on Friday swimsuit more than 30 times in the past year. I’ve jumped off the high dive in it, done cartwheels on the beach in it, and once, by accident, went on a mile run with sprints in it because I forgot I was still wearing a swimsuit. It was that comfortable.

So when I tell you this is the best swimwear I’ve owned, that’s not a one-pool-day first impression comment. This is a year of real wear, four kids, a lot of saltwater, and one honest flaw I’ll get to. Here’s my full Left on Friday review.

The short version

Left on Friday makes the most comfortable, supportive swimwear I’ve owned, and after four babies, that’s saying something. The compression fabric smooths without squeezing, the high-waisted bottoms genuinely stay put in the water, and everything mixes and matches. The one real flaw: my light blue top faded within a few wears (but after some research I think I’ve figured out why and how to avoid it). At $110 per piece it’s an investment, but my most-worn suit is already under $4 a wear and dropping. I’ll also tell you how I’ve been buying new pieces for closer to $60.

Best for: anyone who actually moves in their swimsuit, petite frames, postpartum bodies Skip it if: you need built-in padding, you want intricate prints (it’s solids and a few stripes), or your beach plan is strictly lying still and looking pretty

How I tested these (my 100 Hour Guarantee)

Quick context before the fit details, because who is reviewing matters as much as what’s being reviewed.

I’m 5’4″ with a small bust (32/34A right now) and four kids who lives in Southern California, which means my swimsuits get tested the way swimsuits actually get worn: chasing children through waves, building sandcastles in wet sand, and going off the high dive because my kids dared me. My first Left on Friday suit is just over a year old and has at least 30 wears on it, mostly at the beach with regular pool days mixed in. I’ve sinced purchased a second.

The accidental stress test happened on Memorial Day. I wore my suit to a friend’s pool under Vuori shorts and a tank top, we ended up doing a workout, and then I came home and went for a run while still wearing the swimsuit (and shorts + tank top). A mile, with sprints and intervals. Nothing shifted, nothing dug in, nothing needed adjusting. I have never owned another swimsuit that could double as a sports bra.

So when I say this fabric performs like activewear, I’m not just repeating the brand’s marketing (I was skeptical at first). I ran intervals in it.

What is Left on Friday, and is it legit?

Yes, it’s legit. Left on Friday is a swimwear brand founded by Laura Low Ah Kee and Shannon Savage, two former lululemon leaders, which explains a lot about why the suits feel like performance gear. It’s designed in Vancouver and made between California and Taiwan, using an Italian-milled compression fabric the brand calls Smoothing Dream Fabric (and I can attest, it is a smoothing dream). Suits separates run around $110 a piece and sell mostly direct, with a handful of physical stores.

I first found the brand through Dallas blogger Being Bridget and ordered one suit to see if the hype held up. A year and 30-plus wears later, it has.

Left on Friday sizing: does it run small?

This is the question I get most, so here’s the detailed answer. Here’s what I own and the sizes I wear:

• Hi Hi Bottom in Desert Plum, size XS
• Hi Tide Bottom in Varsity, size S
• Hi Tide Bottom in Jam, size XS
• Pool Days Top in Blue Skies, size S
• Sunday Top in Desert Plum, size S

Bottoms: order your true size. My true size is XS. I own the Hi Hi in XS and the Hi Tide in S and XS, and because of the compression in the fabric, both fit, but I prefer my true size. I ordered at two different weights and the compression took up the difference. If you’re between sizes, size up.

Tops run small, and the Sunday Top runs the smallest. I’m a 32A (barely) and the small Pool Days Top fits fine. The Sunday Top is a different story: I ordered it in a small to match my other top, and it’s still a little tight. I’d go up one to two sizes in the Sunday Top specifically. So if you wear a small in the Pool Days Top like I do, get the medium. It’s the lower-coverage, deep-V style and it is cut snug.

What sizing down changes. I emailed Left on Friday’s customer service to ask when deciding between an XS and S in the high rise bottoms, and here’s what they told me: sizing down decreases the width of the suit by about 2 inches around, the rise changes by only half to three-quarters of an inch, and the biggest difference is in how it fits around your bum. That tracks with my experience. My XS Hi Hi bottoms sit a tiny bit lower than my Hi Tide bottoms, and most of that is the size, not the cut.

Where the rise hits on a petite frame. The Hi Tide and Hi Hi hit above my belly button, which is exactly where I want it. After four babies I have lots loose skin that most “high-waisted” bottoms pretend to cover and don’t. These actually do, without feeling like shapewear. If you’re petite and you’ve been burned by high-waisted bottoms that hit at mid-torso like a 1950s costume, these are cut for a real waist, not a tall torso.

Hi Tide bottom (left) vs Hi Hi bottom (right)

Left on Friday Hi Tide Bottom vs. Hi Hi Bottom

Since I own both of Left on Friday’s most popular high-waisted bottoms, here’s the head-to-head most reviews can’t give you. The important thing first: the fabric is identical. Same Smoothing Dream compression and same high waist. The only real difference is the leg cut and the bum coverage (and, for me, the color).

The Hi Tide has a more moderate leg cut, so it gives you a little more coverage through the hip and bum. This is my everyday pick. It’s the one I reach for the most (better for chasing kids, playing in the ocean, and, honestly, I’m just more comfortable in a little more coverage).

The Hi Hi has a higher-cut leg, which shows more leg and, on a petite frame, actually lengthens the leg line. If you’re short and you want the illusion of longer legs, this works. Mine sits a touch lower than the Hi Tide, but per that customer service note, most of that is because mine is an XS. The high leg gives you less bum coverage, too

Both are flattering and you honestly can’t go wrong. If I could only own one, it would be the Hi Tide.

• Get the Hi Tide if you want more coverage, an everyday bottom, or you’re postpartum and want that secure high-waist hold.
• Get the Hi Hi if you want a leg-lengthening high cut and don’t mind showing a little more hip/bum.

[PHOTO: both bottoms side by side, or two on-body shots]

Left on Friday Pool Days Top review (and the fading I have to mention)

I have the regular Pool Days Top, the version made for smaller busts, in Blue Skies. It needs zero adjusting on my 32/34A frame and there’s no built-in padding, which I actually prefer. I wear silicone nipple covers (Nippies) under it for coverage and that’s it. If you need padding, plan to buy a pair of those too.

Now the part I have to be honest about, because it’s the one real flaw I’ve found in a year of wearing this brand: the light blue faded in the middle of the top within just a few wears, maybe three. It faded right across the bust, in the spot where the fabric stretches most, and notably not where my skin or the silicone covers were touching.

Here’s my understanding of why. This is stretch fabric, and stretch fabric fades in sunlight where it’s pulled thin. I was about ten pounds heavier last summer, so the top was stretched tighter across the middle, and that’s exactly the zone that lost color. Same fabric, same sun, but my dark Varsity bottoms have over 30 wears and a full year on them and still look brand new. The only thing that faded was the lightest-colored, most-stretched piece I own.

So this isn’t a “the fabric is cheap” problem. It’s a “light colors plus a tight stretch plus sun” problem, and it’s avoidable. My honest advice: buy Left on Friday in brights and darks, skip the pastels, and don’t size your tops so tight that the fabric is straining. I’ll be sizing up in the tops from now on and think we’ll be able to avoid this going forward.

Left on Friday Sunday Top review (first impressions)

Full wear-testing and a fade check come in the update at the bottom. These are first-fit impressions.

The Sunday Top is the deep-V, low-coverage style, and it’s probably Left on Friday’s most popular top. I got it in Desert Plum, size small.

This top runs small. I ordered a small to match my Pool Days Top and it’s still snug on me, and that’s the case even though I’m about ten pounds lighter than I was last summer. So take my sizing advice seriously here: go up one to two sizes from your normal swim size.

I’m also optimistic this one won’t fade the way my Blue Skies top did, for two reasons: Desert Plum is a deep purple rather than a pale pastel, and it isn’t stretched as tight across the middle. I’ll report back after a full season of real wear in the update below.

How to mix and match Left on Friday colors

Left on Friday is known for a huge range of solid colors, including the bright neons that built a lot of their reputation. I’ve stayed in my own palette so far, but…. the neons are so fun, and if bold is your thing, this is one of the few brands that does them well.

Styling tip: I prefer mixing two shades of the same color family over buying a matched set. A navy bottom with a lighter blue top reads more interesting and fun than head-to-toe one color. It’s the difference between an outfit and a uniform.

A couple of pairings I’m eyeing next, to show you what I mean: a maroon (Left on Friday calls it Jam) top with my Desert Plum bottoms for a berry-on-berry look, or a dusty Agave top with a deeper green bottom. Tonal, not matchy.

update: I bought the Jam bottoms and the desert plum top and love the combo (even if there is slightly less contrast than I thought there would be – I also bought a pastel pink sunday top to go with neon pink hi hi bottoms and it is a very fun pairing).

That said, you really can’t go wrong here. Matched sets work, contrast works, neon-on-neon works. If you want to plan combinations, Left on Friday keeps a mix-and-match page for each color, which is the easiest way to see what pairs well. Build from a color you love and go from there.

The cons

Here are the only things I can complain about :

• Pastels fade if stretched. Covered above. Make sure you size up in the tops.
• Tops run small. Especially the Sunday Top. Size up, maybe twice
• No built-in padding. If you want coverage up top, budget for silicone covers or pasties (I love these from Amazon).
• Solids and a few stripes only. If you love intricate prints and patterns, this isn’t your brand.
• They’re not cheap, and they sell out. At $110 a piece, a full set is pricey, and popular colors go to waitlist fast. More on the price below.

Is Left on Friday worth it?

Short answer: yes, and here’s my math to justify my shopping addiction

At $110 per piece, my most-worn suit has earned its keep at over 30 wears in a year, which puts it under $4 a wear and falling every time I put it on. The Left on Friday suit still looks new (in the dark colors, anyway).

I won’t pretend the price isn’t hard to stomach initially. A top-and-bottom set runs around $220, and I’m not someone who wants to spend that on every suit. I’ll still pay full price for these because they’re the best I’ve found, but I also hunt new-with-tags pairs on Poshmark, DePop, and Ebay. I bought my Hi Hi bottoms new-without-tags on Poshmark for $35. (More on buying resale safely in my guide to whether Poshmark is legit.) I’ve also bought a piece on DePop and another two on Ebay, each of them new with tags (still having the red ribbon and the sanitary liner attached) for under $65. And then I waited too long to buy the Jam (dark maroon) High Tide bottoms and they sold out on LoF. I was convinced I needed them for a tonal look with the dusty purple top ….so I found them from another retailer. There are lots of options and ways to find Left on Friday pieces besides their own site (Nordstrom even carries select colors and styles so if you have a gift card…).

So why is Left on Friday so expensive? You’re paying for an Italian compression fabric, California production, and a fit that performs like activewear (plus, to be real, their marketing). Whether that’s worth it to you depends on how much you need your swimsuit to do for you. For me, a mom who apparently goes running in hers, it is.

Left on Friday vs. other swim brands I’ve tested

I own Summersalt, Andie Swim, and Aerie too, so here’s where Left on Friday lands against the brands people ask me about.

vs. Summersalt: This is the closest comparison, and it comes down to comfort versus aesthetic. Left on Friday wins on comfort, hands down. Nothing in my Summersalt drawer feels as much like activewear, and I would never go running in a Summersalt swimsuit. But Summersalt wins on aesthetic and range. The prints, the colors, the silhouettes (that one-shoulder Sidestroke is iconic for a reason) give you options Left on Friday simply doesn’t, since LOF is 95% solids. If you want the most comfortable, do-anything suit, go Left on Friday. If you want a statement print or a standout silhouette, go Summersalt. I rate both five stars and own both happily. (My full Summersalt review breaks that brand down piece by piece.)

If Left on Friday is out of budget: I’ll be honest, there’s no perfect dupe for that compression fabric. But if the price is the issue, here’s what I’d actually point you to from my own closet. Andie Swim sits a step down in price with quality that holds its own, just a different styling sensibility. Quince is the true budget option: fun, affordable, and similar styles, but you give up the construction and the compression that make Left on Friday worth the money. A friend on a girls trip was recently wearing my same Hi Tide bottoms in black paired with a Quince black top and they looked like a matching set (but cost $150 instead of $220). And don’t forget resale. You can find Left on Friday new-with-tags on Poshmark and heavily discounted on ThredUp, which is how I’d get the real thing for less rather than chase a dupe.

Speaking of dupes, I ordered the Quince bikini that is supposed to be similar and it doesn’t compare. It is a good suit but the cut is different (not nearly as high rise in the bottom sand the tops have to hook closure in the back instead of a the signature LoF seamless back). If you don’t need such a high rise, the Quince is a great budget find, but if someone tries to tell you they’re the same, they’re lying or haven’t tried both (and this is coming from a person who loves Quince in general).

How to care for your Left on Friday suit

To make a suit this good last (and to slow that fading), care matters. Here are a few simple habits to help get the most out of your Left on Friday suit (I do most of these most of the time):

• Rinse the suit in cool water after every pool or ocean day. Chlorine and salt are both hard on Lycra over time, and a quick rinse is the single easiest thing you can do.
• Wash cold and lay flat to dry, per Left on Friday’s care guidance. Skip the dryer; heat is what breaks down the stretch.
• Hand wash or use a delicates bag on a gentle cold cycle rather than tossing it in with a regular load.
• Keep light colors out of prolonged direct sun when possible, since that’s where the fading starts. Don’t leave a wet suit balled up in a hot car or bag either, which can set in creases and color transfer.

What I will generally do is rinse the suit by hand in the shower after the beach or pool when I am showering and then lay it on the edge of my tub to dry. I will hand wash with a little body wash if needed.

Do this and the dark colors will look new for years. The pastels are the only ones I can’t fully promise on (covered above).

Left on Friday review: FAQs