Pair a high-waisted bottom with a modern top and accessories.

Yes, and it’s easier than you think. The high-waisted bikini bottom is already the retro anchor. To keep it from looking like a costume, you pair it with something that wouldn’t have existed in the 1950s.

A bandeau top in a solid color works great. Or a halter with a modern cut. Even a sporty crop top or a triangle with thin straps. The mix of a high waist (old-school) and a minimalist top (now) is what makes it read as modern instead of vintage cosplay.

Accessories do the heavy lifting here. Cat-eye sunglasses, a wide-brim straw hat, gold hoops, a woven tote. Nothing too matchy-matchy. Keep the bikini itself simple—solid colors or subtle patterns. Save the polka dots for a different day unless you’re going full 1950s beach movie, which is fine but that’s a different look.

Final thought: You’ll look like you stepped out of a 1950s postcard, but postcards from 2025.