It’s hot out there, and sometimes following Nelly’s advice to take off all your clothes doesn’t sound so farfetched. But please don’t.

Instead, let’s put our clothes to work for us!

Bathing suit cover ups can do the trick, especially for pool parties where you may not want to swim, but don’t want to get asked “why not?!” Invest in a good cover up and you’ll be able to throw it over the oldest of suits without anyone being the wiser. You’ll look too cute to get wet!

If you’re wanting to conceal a curvy figure, your best bet is to go with a short flow-y cover up. Something that has a v-neck is ideal because it will show just the right amount of bathing suit straps while directing the eye to your face. One that covers a little arm, but not a lot of leg is perfect, and if you cinch it all in with a belt (like a rope belt) you’ll look like you walked right out of the pages of Spiegel.

It’s all in where you direct the eye so one with a larger pattern or bright color would look oh so good. And remember if you pay a little extra for it, you can always throw on a tank underneath and wear it as a dress. Or if you think of it like this, invest in a couple good ones and not a new bathing suit and it will make the suit you have last a little bit longer.

It’s up to you, the great thing is there are so many chic options!