Most swimsuits look fine on the hanger and disappoint the moment you actually get in one. The fit goes wrong, the lining shifts, the colour that looked vivid in the photo turns out to be exactly the kind of washed out that fluorescent changing room lighting warned you about. We have been through enough of those to know the difference between a swimsuit that photographs well and one that actually works on a real body, in real light, on a real holiday.
This collection is the second kind. We pulled together the ones with proper boning where it counts, with lining that holds its position, with cuts that are genuinely flattering rather than theoretically flattering. Some are sleek and minimal. Some have architectural detail that earns attention by the pool rather than just in a product shot. All of them passed the test of looking as good in person as they did when we first found them.
A great swimsuit is quietly one of the most confidence affecting things you can own. We think these are the ones that prove it.
Claire's Top Picks
Gingham Swimsuits Worth Packing for the Beach
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's bandeau swimsuit top Brigitte Bardot Mythe
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£25.99
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Swimsuits That Just Fit Right
SWEATY BETTY UK
Sweaty Betty Riviera Swimsuit, Neutral, Women's
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£65.00
SWEATY BETTY UK
Swimsuits With an Elastic Waist That Just Fit Right
THE_DOUBLE_F
Mahon leopard-print one-piece swimsuit
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£285.00
THE_DOUBLE_F
Swimsuits Worth Bringing Along
INSTOCK UK
In Sexy Solid Color Swimsuit Set Ladies Beach Bikini Swimwear, S, M, L, , X - X Dark Blue
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£5.99
INSTOCK UK
Gingham Swimsuits Worth Packing for the Beach
Gingham does something no other print quite manages at the beach: it looks deliberately chosen rather than thrown on. That distinction matters more than people admit. A plain black swimsuit is easy. Gingham signals that you actually thought about it, and the result is an effortlessness that reads as stylish rather than minimal. We have always loved gingham on swimwear specifically because the scale of the check changes everything. A small check feels vintage and sweet. A larger check feels bolder, more graphic, more confident. Both work. The colour combinations matter too. Classic navy and white is perennially right. Red and white photographs brilliantly in full sun. Black and white works year round and crosses over into resort dressing without any effort at all. We pulled this collection together because gingham swimsuits are one of those things that look significantly better in real life than the product shots suggest, and finding the ones worth actually buying takes more searching than it should. These are the ones we would pack without hesitation. Gingham at the beach is not a trend. It is a reliable, thoroughly considered choice that keeps proving itself right.
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's bandeau swimsuit top Brigitte Bardot Mythe
£25.99
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MONSOON
Gingham Cut Out Swimsuit Black
£15.40
MONSOON
LA REDOUTE UK
Gingham Print Ballerina Swimsuit
£23.99
LA REDOUTE UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Signatures Johane Gingham Swimsuit
£32.99
LA REDOUTE UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Lisca Nantes
£20.45
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MONSOON
Sequin Cherry Gingham Swimsuit Green
£16.80
MONSOON
SNEAKIN UK
Women's underwired swimsuit top Freya Check In
£26.40
SNEAKIN UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Bolinas Fantaisy Swimsuit
£55.24
LA REDOUTE UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's underwired swimsuit top with straps Freya Check In
£26.40
MADE IN PARADIS UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit top Brigitte Bardot Eclectique
£25.99
SNEAKIN UK
SNEAKIN UK
Baby girl -piece swimsuit Paper Boat Gingham Stars
£40.60
SNEAKIN UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's underwired molded swimsuit top Freya Check In
£28.78
SNEAKIN UK
Green Swimsuits That Hold Up in the Water
Green is one of those swimsuit colours that actually does something. It works against a tan, it photographs brilliantly in natural light, and it has a richness that black and navy simply cannot match. We've been particularly focused on green this season, and not just the colour but what the swimsuits actually do once you're in the water. Because that is where most swimwear quietly fails. Cups that lose their shape, straps that stretch out after one swim, fabric that goes thin and strange after contact with chlorine or salt. We've been strict about this edit. Every swimsuit here holds its structure, keeps its colour, and fits the same way coming out of the pool as it did going in. We've pulled together one pieces and bikinis across shades from deep forest to bright emerald to softer sage, because green has real range and each shade has its own argument. These are the swimsuits worth actually swimming in rather than just wearing poolside and hoping for the best. Looking good in the water is a different and more demanding standard, and these meet it.
LA REDOUTE UK
Odalis Botany Swimsuit
£129.00
LA REDOUTE UK
THE_DOUBLE_F
MC Saint Barth x Pantone swimsuit neon green
£42.50
THE_DOUBLE_F
HUNKEMOLLER_UK
Hunkemöller Relief Swimsuit Green
£22.50
HUNKEMOLLER_UK
GODDIVA_UK
Goddiva V Neck Swimsuit
£30.00
GODDIVA_UK
THE_DOUBLE_F
Strapless one-piece swimsuit dark green
£290.00
THE_DOUBLE_F
MONSOON
Starfish Imprint Cut Out Swimsuit Green
£20.00
MONSOON
GODDIVA
Deep Plunge Halter Neck Swimsuit - Lime Green by Goddiva
£5.00
GODDIVA
THE_DOUBLE_F
Square emerald green one-piece swimsuit
£215.00
THE_DOUBLE_F
HUNKEMOLLER_UK
Hunkemöller Shaping Scallop Swimsuit Green
£15.90
HUNKEMOLLER_UK
MONSOON
Baby Patchwork UPF+ Long Sleeve Swimsuit Green
£16.80
MONSOON
MONSOON
Jade Shimmer Swimsuit Green
£35.40
MONSOON
BOUX AVENUE
Boux Avenue Honolulu multiway swimsuit - Green - F
£56.00
BOUX AVENUE
Swimsuits That Hold Up in the Water
LA REDOUTE UK
Tummy Toning Swimsuit
£34.99
LA REDOUTE UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Red Point Calis
£19.99
SNEAKIN UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Selmark Uyuni
£39.22
SNEAKIN UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit top Selmark Cosmopolitan
£50.61
SNEAKIN UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Selmark Ipanema
£26.98
SNEAKIN UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Selmark Cachemire
£27.82
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
-piece swimsuit for women Admas Cortinilla Embroidery The Crochet Day
£30.95
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Selmark Mykonos
£29.54
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's -piece swimsuit Admas Waves
£27.82
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Swimsuits That Just Fit Right
SWEATY BETTY UK
Sweaty Betty Riviera Swimsuit, Neutral, Women's
£65.00
SWEATY BETTY UK
GHOSTBIKES.COM
Fox Racing Ladies Creo Swimsuit Bottoms Size Jade
£7.49
GHOSTBIKES.COM
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Little Nooks Plunge Halterneck One-Piece Swimsuit In Black
£30.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
CRONJAGER
Irish Army - One-Piece Swimsuit
£83.50
CRONJAGER
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Little Nooks V-Wire One Piece Tie Back Black Swimsuit
£50.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Little Nooks Plunge Halterneck One-Piece Swimsuit In Brown
£30.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Protest Mixwrap
£26.98
MADE IN PARADIS UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Protest Mixunagi
£23.84
SNEAKIN UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Protest Mixhebe
£19.14
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's -piece swimsuit Urban Classics Organic x
£19.76
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Protest Mixxenon
£29.35
MADE IN PARADIS UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Protest Mixbloem
£25.69
SNEAKIN UK
Swimsuits With an Elastic Waist That Just Fit Right
The fit problem with swimsuits is almost always the waist. Too rigid and it digs in. Too loose and the whole thing shifts around the moment you move. An elastic waist sounds like a small detail but it changes everything about how a swimsuit actually sits on a real body throughout a real day at the beach or pool. It adjusts. It moves with you. It doesn't require you to hold your breath to look composed.
We've been pulling together the swimsuits that get this right because there aren't as many as there should be. The ones in this edit have elastic waists that genuinely do their job without looking utilitarian or reducing the swimsuit to something purely functional. These still look considered. Some are sleek and minimal. Some have more shape and structure. All of them have that quality that is honestly quite rare in swimwear, which is that you put them on and they just fit. No adjusting. No second guessing. No worrying about what happens when you stand up.
A swimsuit that fits properly is one you actually wear rather than one you tolerate.
THE_DOUBLE_F
Mahon leopard-print one-piece swimsuit
£285.00
THE_DOUBLE_F
THE_DOUBLE_F
Aster Navy Jacobean one-piece swimsuit
£285.00
THE_DOUBLE_F
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Beachcomber Belted Swimsuit In White
£28.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Striped Multicolour Flat Tummy Effect Bustier Swimsuit
£51.99
LA REDOUTE UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Beachcomber Blanket Stitch Floral Cross Back Swimsuit In Black
£27.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Bustier Swimsuit
£23.99
LA REDOUTE UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Tummy Flattening Bustier Swimsuit
£51.99
LA REDOUTE UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Inaska Flow
£44.01
SNEAKIN UK
SNEAKIN UK
Baby boy swimsuit and shorts set Jordan Sustainable
£21.92
SNEAKIN UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Medalist Swimsuit
£37.09
LA REDOUTE UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Beachcomber Belted Swimsuit In Black
£25.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's brazilian swimsuit bottoms Lisca Mexico
£26.26
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Swimsuits Worth a Spot in the Case
LA REDOUTE UK
Post Surgery Racerback Swimsuit
£16.80
LA REDOUTE UK
SOCK SHOP
Love Luna Pack Women's Period One Piece Swimsuit Black -
£35.99
SOCK SHOP
BONMARCHE UK
Bonmarche Women's Black & White Textured V Shape Insert Swimsuit, Size:
£25.00
BONMARCHE UK
BONMARCHE UK
Bonmarche Women's Navy Blue & White Shell Print Ruched Front Swimsuit, Size:
£5.00
BONMARCHE UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Yours Mixed Summer Print Swimsuit
£34.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Yours Geometric Print Swimsuit
£31.45
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
BONMARCHE UK
Bonmarche Women's Black & Grey Floral Print Bandeau Swimsuit With Detachable Straps, Size:
£28.00
BONMARCHE UK
SPARTOO.CO.UK
adidas FARM Graphic U-back Swimsuit women's in Multicolour
£39.90
SPARTOO.CO.UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Yours Chevron Shirred Bandeau Swimsuit
£34.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
BONMARCHE UK
Bonmarche Women's Black & Purple Colour Piping Swimsuit, Size:
£24.00
BONMARCHE UK
SPARTOO.CO.UK
adidas Big Bars X-Back Swimsuit women's in Black
£25.80
SPARTOO.CO.UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's swimsuit bottoms Quiksilver Oman
£39.99
SNEAKIN UK
Swimsuits Worth Bringing Along
INSTOCK UK
In Sexy Solid Color Swimsuit Set Ladies Beach Bikini Swimwear, S, M, L, , X - X Dark Blue
£5.99
INSTOCK UK
INSTOCK UK
In Sexy Solid Color Swimsuit Set Ladies Beach Bikini Swimwear, S, M, L, , X - M Dark Blue
£5.99
INSTOCK UK
INSTOCK UK
In Sexy Solid Color Swimsuit Set Ladies Beach Bikini Swimwear, S, M, L, , X - L Blue
£5.99
INSTOCK UK
INSTOCK UK
In Sexy Solid Color Swimsuit Set Ladies Beach Bikini Swimwear, S, M, L, , X - Dark Blue
£5.99
INSTOCK UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Pro Back B Pool Swimsuit
£11.10
LA REDOUTE UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
-piece swimsuit for women Protest Gails
£47.76
MADE IN PARADIS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Yours Floral Print Plunge Swimsuit In Cobalt
£34.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Yours Shell Print Bandeau Swimsuit In Black
£34.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's -piece swimsuit Banana Moon Odalis Montecit
£43.88
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's swimsuit top Banana Moon Wako Kalany
£27.26
MADE IN PARADIS UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Feel Extra Support Swimsuit
£31.34
LA REDOUTE UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's -piece swimsuit Protest Munroe
£44.48
SNEAKIN UK