High-Cut Cheeky Panty

Verified claims

Sizing

Rip Curl sizing consistent; M reported to fit 5'7–5'9, 156–170 lbs.

Shape retention

15% spandex shell recovers at least 95%; lining ensures stability.

Cut effect

High leg line elongates legs; curved waist cinches the waist.

Fabric comfort

Silky cool shell; low chlorine resistance may loosen fit in pool use.

Coverage

Cheeky cut shows moderate coverage — more than classic, less than Brazilian — with a high leg line that visually extends legs.

Style

High-cut cheeky silhouette is a revived 1980s athletic style, popularized on social media.

Leg elongation

The high-cut leg opening creates a vertical eye line that makes legs appear longer.

Hourglass effect

High cut and curved waistline work together to cinch the waist and create an hourglass silhouette.

Hourglass illusion

High leg and curved waist create a lengthened, cinched hourglass silhouette.

Lineup differentiation

Unlike other Rip Curl cheeky bottoms, this model pairs a high cut with a curved waistline for a waist-defining effect.

Fabric feel

Ultra-soft, silky, cool-to-touch hand feel with a firm lining for modesty.

Fit

Stretch recovery over 95% and polyamide abrasion resistance preserve fit and feel.

Chlorine sensitivity

Best for ocean or lake swimming; chlorine degrades softness over time.

Washing

Rinse after sunscreen; hand wash cold to preserve spandex.

Drying

Do not wring; lay flat to dry in shade to prevent stretching and UV damage.

Care

Chlorine and sunlight reduce fabric strength by 65%; rinse after use.

Lifespan

Proper care ensures 2–3 seasons of wear and 95% shape retention.

Chlorine resistance

85% polyamide/15% spandex (shell) & 92% polyamide/8% spandex (lining) have moderate chlorine resistance, ideal for ocean and lake wear.

Wet opacity

Inner lining prevents the fabric from becoming sheer when wet.

Fabric resilience

85% polyamide shell resists pilling and retains shape with 95% recovery.

UV protection

Fabric's polyamide provides high natural UV absorption

Handfeel

Fabric feels ultra-soft, silky, and cool-to-touch

Design heritage

High-cut design from 1980s, revived as a social-media-driven athletic look.

Product record

Title

High-Cut Cheeky Panty

Brand

Rip Curl

Price

50 CAD

Availability

In stock

Rating

5 stars, 2 reviews, scale 5

Care routine to extend the life of your swimwear

• Wringing out a wet swimsuit applies concentrated stress that permanently deforms elastane, leading to a baggy fit; pressing the bottom between clean towels after swimming removes water without stretching the 15% spandex content, keeping the cheeky coverage from becoming loose over time.
• Elastane (spandex) is the component that gives this bottom its stretch and recovery but is also the most susceptible to chlorine and heat; its degradation causes loss of shape long before the nylon shows wear, so care that shields the spandex directly prolongs the garment's usable life.
• Hanging a wet bikini bottom causes the water weight to stretch the fabric under gravity, permanently altering the designed high-cut cheeky profile; laying flat to dry in the shade avoids this deformation and also shields the spandex from UV radiation that degrades elastane even after swimming, fading colour and losing stretch.
• Machine washing is one of the most common causes of premature swimwear failure because the agitation and spin cycle physically stress the spandex fibers and can permanently distort the precise high-cut cheeky shape; hand washing with cold water avoids this entirely, preserving the curved waistline.
• Polyamide (nylon) degradation speeds up dramatically at pH below 5.0, so pools with improperly balanced water chemistry can wear down the fabric faster than expected — rinsing off after swimming removes the acidic residue and prevents prolonged exposure to a pH environment that attacks the fiber.
• Sunscreen, particularly oil-based, leaves a residue that holds chlorine and salt against the fibers long after swimming, intensifying elastane damage — the high-cut design of this bottom puts it directly in contact with sunscreen-moistened skin, so a same-day hand wash is essential to remove the residue before it can act.
• A well-cared-for Lycra-based bikini bottom typically lasts two to three seasons of regular wear; the 65% strength drop after just 35 days of untreated chlorine/sun exposure makes immediate rinsing and hand washing the decisive factor in whether this bottom lasts one summer or three, even at the lower spandex content.
• Chlorine exposure causes severe and progressive degradation of swimwear materials — after 300 hours of exposure (equivalent to roughly 35 days of summer), fabric strength may drop by 65%, making immediate post-swim rinsing non-negotiable for preserving the elasticity and fit of this polyamide-spandex bottom.

What the polyamide-spandex fabric means for comfort and durability

• Polyamide fibers inherently absorb UV radiation at a level described as excellent, giving the suit a baseline shield against UV rays that supplements sunscreen coverage on the covered parts of the body — a subtle but useful benefit for long days in direct sun.
• With a 15% spandex ratio, the shell sits within the 15–22% spandex range used in swimwear that attains at least 95% recovery under standard tension testing, which means the bottom is built to snap back to its original shape rather than loosen or bag out after a day of wear.
• The separate 92% polyamide / 8% spandex lining uses less spandex than the shell, creating a firmer, more opaque inner layer that preserves modesty when the fabric gets wet while the outer shell remains free to hug the body with full stretch.
• The 85% polyamide / 15% spandex shell delivers the ultra-soft, silky, cool-to-touch next-to-skin feel characteristic of nylon-spandex, keeping the bottom comfortable against the body even when it is damp from the ocean — a quality that matters for full beach days in and out of the water.
• Standard nylon-spandex has moderate to low chlorine resistance, making this bottom better suited to ocean, lake, and resort wear than daily repping in a chlorinated pool — a limitation that dovetails with the cheeky style's beach-day and vacation design intent.
• As the dominant shell fiber at 85%, polyamide brings inherent abrasion resistance and tensile strength, so the bottom resists pilling and thinning from contact with sand, surfboard wax, and pool coping — a practical upgrade over cotton or rayon blend beachwear.

How this bottom compares within the Rip Curl lineup

• With a $50 CAD list price, it sits among Rip Curl's core cheeky bottoms; the current $19.99 CAD sale price makes it the least expensive way to own a Rip Curl bikini bottom at the moment, offering a brand-name construction advantage over no-name alternatives at a similar cost.
• The Shell Cove High Leg Cheeky uses a Lurex Pique blend with 3% metallic fiber, adding a subtle shimmer and textured hand that sits at the dressier end of Rip Curl's bikini bottom range, while this bottom's 85% polyamide/15% spandex shell stays smooth and matte, making it more of a clean, stretchy basic for active wear.
• The Classic Surf Eco adds a sporty merrow edge finish and a gathered back seam, giving it a surf-specific, secure silhouette, while the curved waistline on this high-cut panty leans into a minimal, vacation-ready look that prioritizes a smooth leg line over action-focused detailing.
• This bottom's high-cut leg line elongates the thigh and sits above the hipbone, whereas both the Classic Surf and Premium Surf are low-rise cuts — giving this panty a more leg-lengthened, retro-inspired look that aligns with the 'revealing high-cut cheeky' designation, while the low-rise models sit lower on the hips for a sportier, surf-ready stance.
• The Premium Surf model switches to a recycled polyester wide rib fabric — a textured, eco-conscious material — while this bottom uses conventional polyamide/spandex, making the Premium Surf the lineup's choice for buyers who want visible ribbing and sustainability cred in their swimwear.