Top Beach Cover Ups

Is there anything more classic than cut-off denim shorts with a bikini? Choose from slouchy boyfriend styles if you like them a little baggier or adorable cutoffs. You can buy them ready-made in all sorts of colors this season or cut off your own jeans to wear. Add a ribbed tank top and flip-flops for a traditional cut-off look.

Want maximum coverage? Opt for the maxi dress. Choose from cute striped maxis or opt for a dramatic ethnic print. Maxis poolside look best with a casual vibe, so keep your shoes simple and flat (a great thong sandal, for example.) Skip heavy fabrics or excessive fabric: instead, look for skinny straps or even strapless styles for a breezy look.

Want something more glamorous (and versatile) from your cover up? Try a sarong. This handy scarf can be worn multiple ways, from tied as a skirt to wrapped as a dress. Of course, you can also make the cover up do more than one job and tie it as a head scarf in the sun, or even lay on it at the beach: it really is the ultimate cover up.

If you want to cover up -- but not too much -- a romper is the perfect alternative. Just slip it on and go. Try a strapless style with a strapless swimsuit or opt for pretty prints or even denim. Stripes, florals and ethnic prints are all fun options for a coverup romper.

Turn to longer tunic tops to cover up your top half with style. A traditional gauzy tunic is a natural to throw on over a swimsuit: just add a fabulous floppy hat, oversized sunnies and flip flops for a jetsetter look.

Want coverage on the bottom but not necessarily the top? A tiered skirt -- ranging anywhere from mini to maxi -- fills the bill. These skirts, which usually have drawstring or elastic waists, are a pretty way to cover up your legs. White is the most versatile color, but you can also opt for brights like cobalt or yellow.

A short little minidress is just enough coverage -- and dresses you up enough -- to take you to lunch or shopping while still wearing a swimsuit underneath. Look for breezy styles -- A-lines and shifts will be the easiest to wear -- and details that make it right for the beach (eyelet trim, lightweight fabrics and colors.)

A coverup and a towel, all in one. Anything made from terry cloth works to soak up moisture so you can throw it on over a damp swimsuit. Look for cute smocked strapless dresses, rompers, even maxi dresses. The downside to terry is that it can be a little warm, so look for lightweight fabric and colors which make you feel cooler, like white.

If you've been looking at the sheer trend -- via see-through dresses and skirts -- and wondering how you can pull them off, know that worn as a cover-up sheers are perfect. You can get a bit of coverage -- especially with sheer prints -- but still let the swimwear show underneath.