Swimsuit

Nicole Kidman Knows How to Rock a Unique Swim Look—Poolside or Beachside

The beloved actress has always brought her signature brand of chic elegance to any style, and that includes some fabulous swimsuit moments.

Allie Hayes

Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman / Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Even just a passing glance at Nicole Kidman’s Instagram account will reveal to fans that she’s a lover of all things sun, swim and style. But this love of the water should really come as no surprise—I mean, she quite literally played Aquaman’s mother, after all.

Joking aside, the actress has given us many glimpses into her seaside style over the years, ranging from trendy two-pieces to full-coverage garments to high-fashion photo shoots. With this in mind, let’s take a look back at some of Kidman’s best swim looks over the years!

Always chic by the sea

Earlier this summer, the actress made headlines after posting a stylish photo drop featuring snapshots from her time at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where she lounged by the French Riviera. The collection showcased a couple of Kidman’s swimwear moments from the European getaway, which included some of this summer’s biggest trends.

Her elegant white coverup and straw hat were timeless seaside staples, while her long-sleeve black one-piece—a favorite look of the superstar that we’ll chat more about later—proved to be the perfect choices. Swimming in the crystal blue waters and hanging out with everyone’s favorite actor, Pedro Pascal, it was difficult not to be jealous of the Hollywood icon.

But Kidman’s fashionable beachwear moments go way back—take this polka dot two-piece from 2018, for example. Soaking up some summery sun and sand, the actress was pure flirty pin-up fun while wearing this bandeau-style bikini, complete with a few feminine frills.

Like Kidman herself, the white and black ensemble was a truly timeless one, with polka dots still all the rage in the summer of 2025, a full seven years after these photos were taken. Some things truly never go out of style!

Ahead of the style curve

As noted above, Kidman tends to be ahead of the curve when it comes to her swimwear styles. Another fantastic example of this phenomenon is just how much she loves a long-sleeve swimwear moment, both on and off-screen—a trend that SI Swimsuit predicted back in May would be one of the biggest of this year.

On-screen, Kidman sported the style during her 2021 miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers. Donning a crisp all-white zip-front swimsuit from brand Une Piece—which was humorously named the Original Sexie Rashie—the actress’s character took a daring dive off a cliff in the unique one-piece.

But as we mentioned, her affinity for long-sleeve swimsuits is hardly just an on-screen preference, as Kidman also wore a similar item in black during a summertime trip with her children this August. Diving from a boat into the water below, the actress was protected from the sun and any other unfriendly elements thanks to the stylish full-coverage piece.

“Summer memories ❤️,” she sweetly wrote in the caption of the intimate photo drop. “Now back to school ✨.”

High fashion poolside perfection

But beautiful swimwear looks aren’t the only thing Kidman has been known to rock on the shore and by the pool, as the actress also has a long and proud history of sporting some high-fashion ensembles for her many breathtaking photo shoots! Seriously, this actress can even turn eveningwear into swimwear.

A prime example of this was her Stellar Magazine spread published back in 2017, where the actress jumped right into the deep end—literally—while wearing an elegant evening gown for a show-stopping cover image.

And in a spread she did for Vanity Fair back in 2013, Kidman sported some classic Old Hollywood-esque garments by the pool, including a high-neck 1950s-style swim dress. She also took a dip in the waters for a serene-looking shot, which she has previously reposted to her Instagram account to depict that “Friday Feeling.”

All in all, there’s no denying that Kidman remains one of the most stylish celebs out there—whether it be on the shore, in the sea or by the pool.

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Allie Hayes
ALLIE HAYES

Allie Hayes is an experienced pop culture staff writer and editor specializing in movies, TV and celebrity news. Before joining the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit team as a Breaking/Trending News Editor, she worked at several outlets including BuzzFeed, The Daily Dot, and Newsweek. When she’s not writing for work (or writing for fun), you’ll find her curled up on the couch reading yet another romance novel, obsessively watching pro wrestling with her friends, or taking blurry photos of her two adorable cats.

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