Claire's Picks

Bikinis Worth Getting Dressed For

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Most bikinis exist to be functional. These ones exist to be wanted. There is a real difference between a bikini you pack because you need something to swim in and one you actually look forward to putting on, one that makes you feel genuinely good standing at the edge of a pool or walking down to the water. That is the gap we are filling here. We have been ruthless about construction, because a bikini that loses its shape after two swims is not a bargain at any price. We have looked hard at colour, at cut, at the details that separate something forgettable from something you will reach for every single holiday for years. Underwired tops that actually support. Bottoms cut to flatter rather than just cover. Prints that look as good dry as they do wet. Some of these are classic and timeless. Some are bold and completely deliberate. All of them earn the category name. A great bikini is not a luxury. It is the difference between tolerating the beach and actually being present on it.

Claire's Top Picks

Bikinis Worth a Spot in the Case LA REDOUTE UK Bégoro Tummy-Toning Hipster Bikini Bottoms Jump to section ↓

£4.80 LA REDOUTE UK

Yellow Bikinis Worth Bringing Along THE_DOUBLE_F Yellowwhite striped bikini with starfish Jump to section ↓

£53.00 THE_DOUBLE_F

Bikinis Worth a Spot in the Case

Packing a bikini should feel like a treat, not a compromise. Most of us have done it the other way, grabbing whatever is at the back of the drawer and then spending two weeks wishing we hadn't. A bikini you actually love changes the entire mood of a holiday. Not in a vague way. In the specific way that means you want to get up and get in the water rather than hiding under a sarong until lunch. What we have pulled together here are the ones that earn their place in the case. The styles that fit properly and hold everything where it should be. The prints and colours that look as good on a sun lounger as they do in photos. The cuts that flatter without being boring about it. We care about quality of fabric, the kind that keeps its shape after salt water and sun cream rather than going limp on day three. We care about versatility too, tops that work with high waisted shorts for a walk to a beach bar. These are the bikinis worth the suitcase space, and worth the trip.

LA REDOUTE UK Bégoro Tummy-Toning Hipster Bikini Bottoms £4.80 LA REDOUTE UK

GODDIVA Self-tie Brazilian Bikini Bottoms - Jade by Goddiva £5.00 GODDIVA

YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL COSNORI - Always Slim Fit Bikini-Code Body Gel pcs Bundle Set ml x pcs £41.20 YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL

UNINEED Tree Hut - Bikini Reef Shea Sugar Scrub g £19.99 UNINEED

YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL COSNORI - Always Slim Fit Bikini-Code Body Gel ml £21.68 YESSTYLE_US_GLOBAL

SOCK SHOP Women's Pack Ambra Bamboo Basics Bamboo Bikini Brief CharcoalMarl - £12.99 SOCK SHOP

SOCK SHOP Women's Pack Ambra Bamboo Basics Bamboo Bikini Brief Putty Pink - £12.99 SOCK SHOP

BIG GREEN SMILE UK Sugar Coated Bikini Hair Removal Kit £12.85 BIG GREEN SMILE UK

GODDIVA Self-tie Brazilian Bikini Bottoms - Green by Goddiva £5.00 GODDIVA

SNEAKIN UK Women's adjustable side bikini bottoms Lisca Roma £30.25 SNEAKIN UK

SNEAKIN UK Women's multi-position push-up bikini top Lisca Rimini £38.12 SNEAKIN UK

MADE IN PARADIS UK Women's padded bikini top Lisca Roma £45.34 MADE IN PARADIS UK

Yellow Bikinis Worth Bringing Along

Yellow is the colour people talk themselves out of and then immediately regret when they see someone wearing it well on a beach. It photographs brilliantly against water, against sand, against a tan that is barely even there yet. The right shade does something that white and black simply cannot, it radiates. We have been pulling together our favourite yellow bikinis across cuts and styles because this particular category rewards a proper edit. There is a significant difference between a yellow that washes you out and a yellow that makes you look like you have just come back from three weeks in the sun. Shade matters. So does the cut. A butter yellow triangle top sits differently on the eye than a sharp chrome yellow bandeau and both have their moment. We have included options across silhouettes, from fuller coverage bottoms to barely there styles, and across the range from pale lemon to deep gold. These are the ones we would actually pack. Not just look at online and admire. The yellow bikini is not a risk. It is the reward.

THE_DOUBLE_F Yellowwhite striped bikini with starfish £53.00 THE_DOUBLE_F