If your swim-drobe is all-black and slightly fraying, then you’re not alone. Swimsuits can be one of the least fun items to shop for and finding flattering, exciting options can feel like a holy grail. This was where I found myself earlier this summer, but I’ve recently found a raft of new pieces that have made replenishing my collection a real joy – and has got me excited for my holiday.
Previously my approach to buying new swimwear was to choose the darkest, plainest option, and really just treat it as a functional garment. While that might be fine (although not necessary) for my weekly fitness swim, I’ve realised I can be a bit more exact with my choices for the beach.
If I’m going somewhere hot, I tend not to wear many daytime outfits, instead ending up in a cossie most of the time. So, it makes sense to invest in a few styles to vary my day-to-day look (and, in fact, evening: some stylish women wear their suits as substitute tops). As the lawyer-cum-influencer Thandi Maqubela says: “My approach is a different swimming costume per day when packing for my holiday, as each one is like a new outfit in itself.”
I’ve tried on more than 30 swimsuits and bikinis to find the ones that I think are the most flattering and stylish. Many of them are by female-owned brands, that have designed their own perfect swimwear.
I warn you now that they’re not always the cheapest: having been burned before by poor-quality swimwear, I’ve resolved to do better for my personal restock (and we all know by now that better-made pieces often work out more cost-effective in the end).
These are the winners that made it into my suitcase.
The long-sleeved option: SeaBass
My big find this year is the new brand, SeaBass, founded by Kayleigh van Ruiven, which has high necks and sleeves to protect skin in the same way you want to cover up children. It’s no surprise, then, that the brand started as a cult kids’ swimwear brand, founded in 2019 when Kayleigh and her husband were on holiday in Miami and wanted a stylish suit for their son, Bass. As the brand grew in popularity, “I had customers telling me how much they loved it for their kids, but could we produce a range for adults, too,” van Ruiven says.
£340, Seabass
Her recently-released range of women’s suits includes sophisticated one and two-pieces, with high-cut bikinis to elongate legs, long tankini tops (I’m a fan of the navy two-piece, and three layers of material to flatter any jiggly bits. The cut and prints are retro, without looking too kitsch and some styles feature a sailor collar. “The inspiration came from the idea of holidays on the Côte d’Azur,” she says.
The fabric is also particularly innovative: not only does it provide UV protection, but it’s made from recycled ocean plastic. “The idea is that we are contributing to the clean-up of oceans for the next generation,” explains van Ruiven. A men’s range of trunks and matching button-up shirts that can be swum in are also available – van Ruiven says the most popular styles are the ones matching little girls’ suits. “We’re seeing dads wanting to match their daughters.”
The bright one: Alicia Swim
I was unsure, when I packed my sky-blue swimsuit – a rare departure from black – on a girls’ holiday to Mallorca, if I would even take it out of my suitcase. But it has quickly turned into my surprise summer hit. Founder Alicia Rountree Zannier grew up in Mauritius (where she still has a home), and has spent much of her life in swimwear, and as a former model for 15 years, she knows what works and what doesn’t.
The Sky Blue one-piece is made from double-lined ECONYL – known as the “Spanx of swim” (and it does suck you in), it has high-cut sides (but not alarmingly so) and the one-shouldered detail adds an elegance.
£20, Alicia Swim
The flamboyant one: PAPER London
What’s clever about PAPER London’s design are the details that create a really flattering silhouette. “Side ruching can offset an asymmetric shoulder and creates the illusion of a cinched waist, while a gentle ruffle on the side leg seams of bikini bottoms is much more flattering as the line is softer,” founder Phillipa Thackery explains.
£175, PAPER London
I like the flattering blocks of colour on the Bardot Swimsuit, with tie-up straps, which draw the eye upwards, and look incredibly stylish when paired with wide-legged linen trousers for an evening look.
The suits every woman bikini: Dora Larsen
I personally don’t shy away from a bikini – and as sales show, many women over 50 are choosing a two-piece – but I do favour a high-waisted style for extra coverage. I have repeat-bought from the lingerie brand Dora Larsen thanks to its super-flattering briefs and comfortable bras (even strapless, which have clever design details meaning they don’t dig in).
I have just purchased its pale blue bikini, which comes in a very soft Italian ECONYL® material – almost like a very fine towelling texture - that skims and sculpts where I need it.
While I like underwired and high-waisted styles, the brand also makes its bikinis in non-wired and mid-rise options, so there’s truly something for everyone. Georgia Larsen, Founder of Dora Larsen says they took the fit from the brand’s best-selling Clean Tulle underwire bra. “There’s an adjuster at the back that allows you to get the fit right,” she adds, “which is the main contributor to making sure the bikini is flattering.”
Top, £85 and bottoms, £65, Dora Larsen
The whatever your size one: Hunza G
One style I thought was just for Gen-Z, but has surprised me is the now cult Hunza G. The swimwear brand has been revived by Georgiana Huddart, who developed a fascination with the famous crinkle-cut fabric while she was studying at university and has put body inclusivity at the heart of her brand.
The pieces are one size fits all, the models in the campaigns range in body shapes and sizes (and friends have loved them during pregnancy and beyond); it means that one suit will last you as your body changes over the years.
I’m a new fan of the Nadine bikini: it’s soft and stretchy, covers everything you want (because it’s made on a circular loom, it is tubular and has no seams), but looks sexy and fun, particularly with the hoop detail at the front. I’m late to the Hunza-G party: many other women over 40 already sing the brand’s praises, from the jeweller Lucy Delius to the style influencer Kate Hiscox from @wearsmymoney.
£175, Hunza G
The sporty option: Vuori
As a daily exerciser, I love the Californian brand Vuori for workout gear (its leggings are unparalleled and really stay up during a workout). Now I similarly love its Dune Bikini Top and matching Dune Bikini Bottoms, which has my essential high waist (without looking too retro), and a comfortable bra, which is similar in sturdiness to its sports bra (with adjustable straps).
It’s chic-looking, but with a sporty edge, so you don’t worry about falling out if you’re messing about on the beach or jumping in and out of the pool. Handily for beach time with the kids, it has a little side pocket – like on gym leggings – to store my phone for pictures.
Top and bottoms, £59, Vuori
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