A two-piece swimsuit consists of two parts, one for covering the upper part of the body and the other for the lower part. Earlier they used to cover the entire body but according to the trend evolved in 1940's the midriff and legs are left bare.

History:
Murals at Pompeii show women wearing two-piece swimsuits, which shows that the history of two-piece swim suits dates back to the Pompeii era. After this the very notion of swimsuit seems to have lost existence.

In the 19th century, the woman's two piece suit became common-- the two pieces being a gown from shoulder to knees plus a set of trousers with leggings going down to the ankles. In the Victorian era, popular beach resorts were commonly equipped with bathing machines, with the purpose of avoiding exposure of people in swimsuits.

Types:
A wide variety of trendy and comfortable two-piece swimsuits are available in the market. Some of these include bikini, tankini, bandini, camikinis and freedomware.

• Bikini: It is a very brief close fitting two-piece bathing suit. It is the most popular swimsuit option available for young women. It is very popular in movies and fashion shows or beauty contests like the Miss World or Miss universe.
  
  
• Tankini: It is one of the newest innovations to hit the swimsuit scene. As the name suggests, it is one of the variations of the bikini swimsuit. This swimsuit is gaining immense popularity in the swimsuit market. Tankini swimsuit is relatively simple in its design and most have bikini style bottoms, offering more coverage, with a good fit, tank-style top. The tank top is generally tight so as to allow a consistent fit on the body. The length of tankini tops varies according to the swimsuit designer and manufacturer.
  As is true of any swimsuit style, it has many variations in fit, cut, and style. The ruched tankini has a tailored top length, allowing women to vary the length of their top according to their body size. It is will continue to grow in popularity in future years, as more and more women choose it for its generous body coverage. If it continues to sell in such large numbers, the tankini will soon join the maillot and the bikini in the most popular swimsuit styles
  
  
• Bandini: It is essentially a bikini with bandeau top. A bandeau is a straight strip-like piece of fabric.
  
  
• Camikinis: They are same as tankinis except the top looks like a camisole.

Fabrics:
A variety of fabrics are used in the manufacture of two-piece garments. Natural fabrics like cotton and silk are used but are generally not preferred, as they are not lightweight and comfortable for swimming. Among the synthetic fabrics the popular choice is spandex fabric because it is elastic and provides friction while swimming.