Olivia Rodrigo Poses in a Red-Hot String Bikini Featuring This Divisive Cheeky Swimwear Trend

The Gist

• Olivia Rodrigo drew from the fashion archives for her New Year’s Eve outfits this year.

• She posed in a tiny red string bikini featuring a polarizing retro swimwear trend in a post shared on January 5.

• Rodrigo also made a bold vintage statement in a mirrored Y2K-era Blumarine slip dress with a thigh-high slit.

A new year means new fashion risks—and Olivia Rodrigo is drawing from the sartorial archives for her first swimwear look of 2026. The “Vampire” singer made a case for the revival of a polarizing pre-bikini trend that dates back to the ‘40s, turning heads in a red string bikini paired with the tiniest cheeky swim skirt.

While micro thong swimwear styles are still going strong, vintage swimwear—which typically offer a little more coverage with high-waisted bottoms, more modest halterneck styles, and swim skirts—have been having a moment the last few years. And on Monday, January 5, Rodrigo carried the trend into 2026 with a very cheeky iteration from Frankies Bikinis. In a new year’s photo dump shared on Instagram, the “Good 4 U” singer could be seen playfully modeling a crimson swimwear set in an unknown tropical location.

Posing with one hand on her black rattan woven bucket hat and the other on her red-clad hip, Rodrigo showed off her plunging red bikini top, which featured a classic string design and halterneck. However, she also drew from retro fashion history, pairing it with a low-rise matching red swim. However, Rodrigo’s version still revealed plenty of skin, thanks to its cheeky hemline in the back.

Instagram/Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo in a red bikini and swim skirt

The pop singer wore her dark hair up, adding a pair of black oval sunglasses and silver hoop earrings to her beach day look. Elsewhere in her photo dump, Rodrigo embraced the vintage style revival by wearing a Y2K dark gray silk slip dress from Blumarine that was covered in mirrored disks. The slinky 2000s-era midi-length dress, which featured a bold thigh high slit, made a bold entrance as Rodrigo posed with her friends Madison Hu, Iris Apatow, and Sam Nivola.

Instgram/Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo in a vintage Blumarine dress on New Year’s Eve

Instagram/Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo shares a golf cart with “The Album” written on it

In Rodrigo’s post—which is her first since rumors began swirling that she split from boyfriend Louis Partridge—the star also hinted at new beginnings in 2026. She shared a photo of a golf cart emblazoned with “The Album” on it, seemingly teasing a brand new EP.

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