I Tried Fabletics' New Swim Collection On A Trip To Miami

We’ve reached the time of year where I can feel the hot weather on the horizon, but in my home of New York City, it’s been pretty inconsistent so far. One day, I’m enjoying the spring sunshine in a tank top, and the next, I’m freezing in my sweatshirt thanks to a sudden windfall of cold precipitation. As a summer girl to my core (I’m a double Cancer), I’m practically begging for temps in the 80s — so when Fabletics reached out to invite me on a weekend getaway to Miami, I said yes faster than a girl running inside from the rain.

At the end of April, my girlfriend and I hopped on flights and headed down to Florida, checking into the 1 Hotel in South Beach for two nights. While there, I got to test a few items from Fabletics’ new YITTY swim collection, which launched on May 1 and is the brand’s largest swim drop to date. Read on for my full review, plus everything I did on my beachy vacation. (Spoiler alert: It was mostly eating and lounging. Sue a girl for living her best life!)

Fabletics’ New YITTY Swim Collection

The athleisure brand, which is famous for its celebrity collabs, is venturing back into swimwear with an all-new collection in partnership with Lizzo’s YITTY Swim label, out May 1. The lineup includes more than 25 styles, ranging from full-coverage one-pieces to itty bitty bikinis, all in sizes ranging from XS-6X. You can also snag accessories like woven pants and a raffia hat.

• Price: $35-$75 for Fabletics members; $45-$95 for non-members
• Who this is best for: Pretty much anyone looking for a swimwear refresh!
• What I like: There are so many different styles to choose from — from barely-there thong bikinis to one-pieces and coverups — all made to flatter various body types.
• What I don’t like: If you’re looking for super trendy styles, I’d go elsewhere, since these lean simpler and more classic.
• Rating: 4.5/5.

Day 1: Checking In

My first day in Miami brought the sunny vibes I desperately needed.

3:30 p.m. Arrive at the 1 Hotel South Beach

My girlfriend and I booked separate flights that got into Miami an hour apart, so I arrived at the airport to find her waiting for me. We took a 30-minute Uber to our hotel in South Beach, checked into our gorgeous room, and immediately got ready to hit the beach — we knew our assignment. Fabletics left me a welcome bag with some activewear goodies, sunscreen, and a few of my favorite lip products to carry me through the trip.

4 p.m. Beach time

I threw on an off-white Fabletics activewear set to soak in some much-needed beach hours before dinner (and an afternoon coffee for a post-travel pick-me-up). The hotel hooked us up with chairs, towels, and an umbrella, and I worked my way through an early copy of the novel Lovers XXX by Allie Rowbottom, which comes out in June.

7:00 p.m. Dinner on the rooftop

We were excited to check out the hotel’s various dining options, so we asked the concierge to set us up with a reservation at Watr, the Japanese-inspired restaurant on the rooftop. I changed into my black SKIMS lounge dress and heeled sandals — my favorite outfit formula for warm weather nights out.

We were both famished after a day of eating only travel snacks, so we promptly ordered drinks (the “Purple Rain” gin cocktail for her, and a white wine for me) and a bunch of plates to share: okonomiyaki-style Brussels sprouts, carrot-ginger salad, hotpot fried rice with mushrooms, and truffle fries with furikake seasoning. Everything was fabulous, and we made a pact to come back the following night for some other menu items we wanted to try.

9:30 p.m. Back to the room to fall asleep

After eating every bit of our dinner, we were both happily tired and full, so we headed back to the room to decompress. We had plans to order room service and go for a night walk on the beach, but that didn’t end up happening because... we accidentally fell asleep right away. Words of wisdom: Do not lie down in a hotel bed if you still have activities left in your schedule for the day.

Day 2: Enjoying The Sun

This day was basically beach, food, repeat. When in Miami!

9:00 a.m. Wake up and grab coffee

I awoke to the alarm I had thankfully managed to set in my half-asleep state, and my girlfriend was already gone for a morning run. (I’m proud of her but this could not be me.) I let myself lie in bed until she got back 30 minutes later, and we went down to grab coffee from the hotel lobby cafe — cold brew with oat milk for me, and a cappuccino with pistachio syrup for her. We took our drinks out to walk on the beach before it got crowded.

10:30 a.m. Change into my new bikini

It started getting too hot for my tank top and denim shorts, and I was eager to test out my new swimwear, so I went back to the room to change into the red bikini, sheer white sarong, and raffia bucket hat. I take the task of rating swimwear seriously — hot girl research is important — and I am not exaggerating when I say this is now one of my favorite pieces in my collection.

The bikini is pretty low-coverage, and you may need to be on the lookout for flashing people due to the adjustable nature of the straps, but I have never felt better. I love that you can wear this different ways — tied as a halter top, or cinched in the front — and it feels like such a classic style. The sarong was super cute and allowed me to walk around the property without feeling naked, and the hat provided just the right amount of sun coverage for my face.

11:00 a.m. Back to the beach

I grabbed a green smoothie from the cafe and met my girlfriend back at the beach, then sat out to do a bit of work (the grad student and editor double life hustle truly never stops). She was embracing full PTO energy and reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which she described to me as “camp” and “high drama in the best way.”

1:00 p.m. Lunch at Plnthouse Cafe

I am nothing if not a girl who thinks about food 24/7, so I had already identified the spot where I wanted to grab lunch. Plnthouse Cafe is a breezy spot for locally-sourced salads, sandwiches, and bowls, with a patio overlooking the water. We ordered a roasted beet salad with whipped feta, and a sandwich on the special menu with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.

2:30 p.m. More work with a matcha in hand

I had a paper to knock out for one of my classes, so I stayed at Plnthouse and ordered an iced matcha with lavender to help me lock in and get it done. Three hours later (ugh), I managed to finish up and file it — the bright, plant-filled space and the fact that I was wearing a cute bikini really elevated the essay-writing process. Then I headed back down to the beach for a bit before dinner, where my GF was still living her best life reading and people-watching. We ordered a fresh coconut for a pre-dinner pick-me-up, and I threw on a sweatshirt to protect from the afternoon chill.

6 p.m. Drink at the beach club

I made a quick stop at the room to change into another Miami-approved ‘fit from Fabletics — the Swim Scrunch One-Piece in black, paired with the Open Knit Cover-Up Pant and bucket hat. This look is more elevated and fit for a night out — the swimsuit basically fits like a bodysuit, and the pants are flowy, silky, and a bit sheer (but still offer enough coverage for a beachy dinner, IMO).

My GF and I had big plans for a cheese plate and glass of wine at Tala, the hotel beach club, but we ran into a snag when a brief tropical rain storm shut down the kitchen service. We waited it out until we could at least grab a glass of wine, then sat outside (moving aside the soggy chair cushions) to enjoy the post-rain golden hour.

7 p.m. Drink at the hotel bar

Not to be deterred in our quest for pre-dinner snacks, we decided to try Drift, the hotel bar in the lobby. On our walk over, we caught a rainbow that some other hotel guests insisted we all document with photos. At the bar, we split a glass of wine and truffle fries while we waited for our dinner reservation. We yapped about the beach day, my progress on my grad school work, and our unfiltered hot takes on the other patrons (my favorite activity at any restaurant or bar).

8:30 p.m. Back to the roof for dinner

We are creatures of habit, and we wanted to try some dishes at Watr we hadn’t had the night before, so back to the rooftop we went. We got chili tofu bites with a gochujang-miso glaze, the carrot-ginger salad (again), a crispy asparagus tempura roll, and truffle fries — our second serving of fries of the night. Perfection.

10:30 p.m. Beach walk

I was extremely sleepy from all the wine and fried potatoes, but my girlfriend convinced me to go back out and walk along the beach for a bit. It was mostly empty at this point, so we got some space to ourselves, then went up to the hotel pool area to watch the night sky before heading in to crash.

Day 3: Feeling Refreshed

I was not ready to go home yet.

8:00 a.m. Wake up and have coffee

I dragged myself out of the very cozy hotel bed to go downstairs and grab a cold brew with oat milk, and a pistachio cappuccino for my girlfriend, who had already gone for a morning run again. (She is God’s strongest soldier.)

9:00 a.m. Work at the beach

It was a Monday morning, so I did have to work, but sitting on a beach chair in the sun definitely helped alleviate the stress of answering emails. I think this would make even the busiest day of meetings feel like a breeze.

12:00 p.m. Check out and have lunch

We gathered our things just in time for checkout, then headed back to Plnthouse for the same caprese sandwich and a burrata avocado toast. We sat in the sunshine to enjoy our lunch, and soaked up our last few hours of warm weather.

1:30 p.m. Back to the airport

It was somehow already time to leave, which I was not happy about — but I brought my tan back to New York with me, along with my new favorite swimwear and some last-minute snacks from the minibar.

Final Verdict On The New Fabletics Swim

Do I need to say again that this red bikini is that girl?? I could not love it more, from the adjustable straps to the bright and bold color. If you’re looking for an eye-catching, low-coverage look, I wholeheartedly recommend. I also loved the black one-piece, especially styled with the pants for evening attire. The scrunch detailing is designed to snatch you around the waist, and you can wear it tighter or looser on the neck depending on how much cleavage you want to show.

Of all the extra goodies Fabletics added in for me, the off-white athleticwear set and the raffia beach bag totally stood out. The bag is extremely spacious and has two sets of straps for versatile carrying purposes. I can see myself using it all the time for my NYC beach days this summer, along with the matching bucket hat for sun protection. (The bag also fits a laptop for divas who need to hustle on vacation.)

Overall, getting to test these looks while sitting on the beach in Miami was truly a dream weekend that I would like to repeat forever. Let’s do it monthly, please? For research purposes, I swear!