What to Wear to a Pool Party: The Complete Style Guide
Getting dressed for a pool party sounds like the easiest thing in the world. You’re going swimming. How complicated can it be?
And yet, what to wear to a pool party gets googled all the time! You do not want to be the person who arrives at a pool party wearing the wrong thing — overdressed, underdressed, or wearing shoes you can’t take off near water.
This guide sorts it all out. What to wear, what works, what doesn’t, and how to look put-together effortlessly from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
The Foundation: Choosing the Right Swimsuit
Everything else you wear to a pool party is built around your swimsuit. Get this right, and the rest is easy.
For women
The best pool party swimsuit is one you feel genuinely comfortable in — not just in front of a mirror, but while eating, talking, climbing in and out of the pool, and chasing a child across a wet deck.
A one-piece or a tankini is the most practical choice for a party where you’re doing more than lying poolside. It stays put. It doesn’t require constant adjustment. It lets you reach for food, laugh loudly, and move freely without a second thought.
A bikini is completely appropriate and can look beautiful, but think carefully about the fit. The strings-everywhere styles that look stunning in a beach photo can become high-maintenance at a party where you’re actually swimming, playing games, and moving around for four hours.
Whatever you choose, pick a colour or print that makes you happy. Pool party photos last a long time. Wear the coral one-piece you love, not the beige one you think looks more appropriate.
For men
Swim trunks or board shorts. That’s it. The only real decision is fit and length.
Mid-thigh length is the sweet spot — not so long they become soaked and heavy, not so short they feel like a different decade. A solid colour or a simple pattern in navy, white, coral, or a classic stripe reads well in every pool party photo you’ll ever take.
Avoid anything with pockets heavy enough to weigh you down when wet, and avoid anything so worn that the drawstring no longer works. Pool party physics are not forgiving of a failing drawstring.
For kids
For young children, prioritize function over everything else. A rash guard top with swim shorts or a one-piece swimsuit with UV protection keeps them comfortable in the sun and easy to manage through the afternoon.
Bright colours and fun prints are completely appropriate — this is genuinely one of the few occasions where a light-up mermaid tail is not only acceptable but encouraged.
Cover-Ups: The Most Important Item You’ll Pack
A cover-up is what separates a pool party outfit from just a swimsuit.
The cover-up lets you move between the water and the food table without feeling underdressed, it protects your skin during the hours you’re not swimming, and it gives you something to reach for when the afternoon starts to cool.
The linen shirt or tunic
This is Brooke’s pick, every time. A loose linen shirt in white, ivory, or a soft neutral goes over any swimsuit, photographs beautifully, dries fast if it catches a splash, and looks genuinely effortless.
It’s the cover-up equivalent of a white tablecloth — it makes everything it touches look more intentional. Wear it open over a bikini or buttoned once or twice over a one-piece. Either works.
The sarong or pareo
One large piece of fabric, infinite ways to wear it — wrapped as a skirt, tied as a halter, draped over a shoulder. A sarong in a print that picks up one colour from your swimsuit ties an outfit together instantly.
It packs to nothing, it dries immediately, and it works for every body type.
The kaftan or maxi dress
For an adults-only party or an occasion that skews slightly dressier, a light kaftan or maxi dress over a swimsuit is a genuinely elegant choice. It says “I made an effort” without saying “I’m not planning to get in the pool.”
Choose one in a fabric that won’t become a problem if it gets splashed — cotton, rayon, or linen. Not silk. Not anything dry-clean only.
The swim shorts or board shorts (as a cover-up)
For women who prefer a more casual approach, a pair of high-waisted swim shorts or board shorts over a bikini top is a completely practical and stylish option.
It gives you coverage, comfort, and freedom of movement without the fuss of a wrap or shirt.
What to avoid
Anything white that becomes see-through when wet. Anything with a complicated fastening that becomes impossible to manage with wet hands. Denim cut-offs that take forever to dry and become uncomfortable when damp.
Footwear: The Choices That Matter More Than You Think
Pool party footwear has one non-negotiable rule: nothing with a heel near water. Ever.
A wet pool deck is a slip hazard, and heels near pools are a combination that ends badly, more often than not. This is not about aesthetics. It’s about not spending the party on one foot, holding an ankle.
Slides and flat sandals
The ideal pool party shoe. Easy to slip on and off, flat-soled, comfortable on wet surfaces. A woven or leather slide in a neutral tone goes with almost anything and looks appropriately casual without looking like you didn’t try.
Look for a sole with some grip. A completely flat rubber sole on a wet deck is almost as bad as a heel.
Flip flops
Appropriate and practical, with one caveat: the thong between the toes becomes extremely annoying to walk in when wet and sandy. Fine for the pool, fine for walking across a lawn, less great for extended periods on the deck.
Espadrilles
Only appropriate if you are firmly in the “not getting in the pool” category. Espadrilles and water are incompatible — the rope sole disintegrates and the shoe never fully dries.
If you’re staying dry all afternoon, they look lovely. If there’s any chance of getting splashed, leave them at home.
Barefoot
Entirely acceptable for the pool area. Keep a pair of slides close by for walking on surfaces that heat up in the sun — concrete and composite decking can get genuinely hot by mid-afternoon.
For kids
Water shoes with a sole that grips wet surfaces. They protect small feet from the deck, they don’t come off in the water, and they dry quickly. Worth every dollar.
Accessories That Work Poolside
The right accessories elevate a pool party outfit. The wrong ones end up at the bottom of the pool or ruined by chlorine.
A straw or woven hat
Practical, stylish, and genuinely useful. A wide-brimmed straw hat protects your face, looks great in every photo, and signals effortless summer dressing in a way that very few accessories can.
The bucket hat has had its moment and is still entirely appropriate for a more casual party. The sun visor works if you’re playing volleyball. The baseball cap works if you’re comfortable in baseball caps.
Whatever style, go for something you can take on and off easily and set down without worrying about it.
Sunglasses
Your most important accessory and the one most likely to end up in the pool. Wear your second-favourite pair, not your most expensive ones. A classic tortoiseshell or black frame reads well in every pool party photo ever taken.
Avoid anything so large or so architectural that it becomes uncomfortable to wear through a four-hour afternoon.
Waterproof jewellery
Sterling silver and gold-plated jewellery do not like chlorine. If you want to wear jewellery to a pool party, choose solid gold, stainless steel, or waterproof silicone pieces specifically designed for water exposure.
A simple necklace, small earrings, or a waterproof bracelet is all you need. More than that, and you’ll spend the party worrying about it.
A tote bag
The most underrated pool party accessory. A large canvas or woven tote carries your towel, your sunscreen, your phone, your cover-up, and your keys — and looks completely intentional sitting beside your chair.
A beach bag that doubles as your handbag for the afternoon solves the “where do I put everything” problem that affects every pool party guest.
What to leave at home
Anything with sentimental value. Anything expensive. Any earrings larger than a small hoop — they catch on things, they fall out in the pool, they get tangled in hair. Any jewellery with stones that can be damaged by chlorine or salt.
A Note on SPF as Part of Your Outfit
Sunscreen is the most important thing you put on your body before a pool party, and the one most people treat as an afterthought.
A broad-spectrum SPF 50 applied before you leave the house, and reapplied every two hours you’re in the sun, is not optional at an afternoon pool party. It is the foundation your entire outfit is built on.
This is especially true for anything you’re wearing on your face — and this includes your makeup. If you wear makeup to a pool party, make it minimal, SPF-based, and waterproof.
A tinted moisturizer with SPF, a waterproof mascara, and a tinted lip balm are all you need. A full face of non-waterproof makeup at a pool party is a commitment to not enjoying the pool.
Outfit Ideas by Party Type
The casual Saturday afternoon family party
A one-piece swimsuit in a solid colour or classic stripe, a loose linen shirt worn open, flat slides, a straw hat, and a canvas tote. Simple, practical, completely appropriate, and easy to move from pool to food table to conversation without thinking about it.
The adults-only evening pool party
As the party runs into the evening, the dress code shifts slightly. A swimsuit with a kaftan or linen dress becomes dinner-appropriate. A pair of slides replaces water shoes. A silk or woven clutch replaces the tote bag.
The key is choosing a cover-up that reads as an actual outfit rather than something you threw on over a swimsuit. A kaftan in a rich colour — terracotta, deep teal, white with embroidery — achieves this instantly.
The themed party
Themed parties are permission to have more fun. A Tropical Paradise theme means a floral swimsuit, a bright sarong, and a flower in your hair. A Retro 50s Lido means a polka-dot one-piece, high-waisted shorts, cat-eye sunglasses, and red lipstick.
Lean into it. The guests who make an effort with a theme are always the ones who enjoy themselves most.
The bachelorette pool party
White for the bride, always. A white swimsuit, a white linen cover-up, and a “Bride” or floral sash. The rest of the group can coordinate — a single colour worn by everyone creates the most striking photos. Hot pink, coral, sage, or dusty blue all work beautifully.
Dressing your kids
Bright swimsuits, rash guards, water shoes, and a hat. Keep it practical and let them go. Pool parties are one of the occasions where nobody cares what a child is wearing as long as they’re sun-protected and happy.
The One Rule That Covers Everything
Here’s the simplest way to think about what to wear to a pool party.
Choose things you can wear in, near, and out of the water without a second thought. Things you can eat in, laugh in, run across a lawn in, and still feel like yourself at the end of the afternoon.
A pool party is not a fashion event. It’s a summer afternoon with people you like. The right outfit is the one that lets you be fully present at it — not the one that requires constant management.
Wear the swimsuit you love. Add a cover-up that travels well. Choose shoes you can take off without thinking. Leave the rest at home.
Now go enjoy the party.
For more:
How to Plan a Pool Party: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide →
🐬 Planning the Party, Not Just the Outfit?
Once the outfit is sorted, Splash Bash Pass handles everything else.
Meet Marina, your AI pool party specialist inside Splash Bash Pass.
🗓️ Guest list and RSVPs tracked in real time
💰 Budget tracking by category, planned vs actual
📣 Theme-matched invitations ready in seconds
📍 Top local vendors found near you via Google Maps
🛡️ Water Watcher assignments and safety checklists built in
☀️ Live weather monitoring with automatic backup plans
🎨 40+ curated themes with menus, décor, and music included
🪄 Paste your messy notes, and Marina organizes them instantly
Onboarding is completely free.
