Claire's Picks

Bikinis Worth Adding to the Rotation

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Finding a bikini that actually fits well across both pieces is harder than it should be, and we think that problem doesn't get acknowledged nearly enough. Most of us are not the same size on top as we are on the bottom, and the average bikini set sold together ignores that completely. So this edit is deliberately varied. Underwired tops for anyone who needs proper support. Minimal triangle styles for those who don't. Bottoms that sit where they claim to sit rather than migrating throughout the day. We've also been strict about fabric. Cheap fabric goes thin and strange in the water, loses its shape and its colour by the second holiday. The bikinis here hold up, which matters when you're paying real money for something you want to wear for more than one summer. Some are genuinely striking, the kind of print or colour that earns you a compliment before you've even reached the pool. Others are quieter, built to mix and match across a whole week away. All of them earned their place here. A good bikini is worth the effort of finding it.

Claire's Top Picks

Bikinis That Hold Up in the Water ETHICAL SUPERSTORE Boody Bamboo Classic Bikini Briefs Jump to section ↓

£73.49 ETHICAL SUPERSTORE

Bikinis Worth the Tan Lines MISSPAP_UK_IE Off-White Women's Logo Band Bikini Black Swim Wear Jump to section ↓

£128.25 MISSPAP_UK_IE

Padded Bikinis Worth the Tan Lines BONMARCHE UK Dash Green Textured Bikini Top, Size: Jump to section ↓

£16.00 BONMARCHE UK

Pink Bikinis That Hold Up in the Water MONSOON Ditsy Floral Smocked Bikini Set Black Jump to section ↓

£12.00 MONSOON

Polka Dot Bikinis Worth Bringing Along EGO (UK) Lace Trim Triangle Bikini Top In Black Polka Dot, Women's Size Jump to section ↓

£12.00 EGO (UK)

Push Up Bikinis Worth a Spot in the Case PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Red Push Up Cupped Underwired Mix & Match Bikini Top Jump to section ↓

£6.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

Red Bikinis That Fit Where They Should SPARTOO.CO.UK Tommy Hilfiger CLASSIC BIKINI women's in Red Jump to section ↓

£36.55 SPARTOO.CO.UK

Bikinis That Hold Up in the Water

Most bikinis look good on a hanger and fall apart the moment you actually get in the water. The top shifts. The bottoms sag. You spend the entire time in the pool adjusting things rather than enjoying yourself. We've been through enough of those to know exactly what separates a bikini that photographs well from one that actually functions as swimwear. The difference comes down to a few specific things. Fabric that holds its shape when wet. Ties and fastenings that stay put under movement. Cups that don't collapse the second you dive in. These sound like basic requirements and yet so many bikinis fail them completely. Everything we've picked here has been chosen with actual swimming in mind, not just lying on a sun lounger looking good. Some are sporty. Some are genuinely pretty. All of them have structure and security where it counts. We've included a range of styles because a bikini that stays put should not mean compromising on how it looks. A bikini that moves with you rather than against you is the only kind worth buying.

ETHICAL SUPERSTORE Boody Bamboo Classic Bikini Briefs £73.49 ETHICAL SUPERSTORE

Bikinis Worth the Tan Lines

A good bikini is not about looking a certain way. It is about finding the cut, the fabric, the support level that makes you stop adjusting and actually get in the water. That is what this edit is built around. We have been properly ruthless here because the swimwear category is enormous and most of it is forgettable. Thin straps that dig, triangles that gap, bottoms that shift the moment you move. None of that makes the cut. What we have pulled together are the bikinis that get the details right. Structured cups for the people who need them. Adjustable ties for those who want flexibility. Bold prints that hold their colour after a season of sun and salt. Understated solids in shades that photograph beautifully on the beach and look just as good poolside. Some are proper investment pieces from brands who have been doing this for years. Some are brilliant finds that cost far less than they look. Every bikini here passed a very simple test. Would we pack it without hesitation. The answer, across this entire edit, is yes.

MISSPAP_UK_IE Off-White Women's Logo Band Bikini Black Swim Wear £128.25 MISSPAP_UK_IE

SWEATY BETTY UK Sweaty Betty Core Bikini Top, Black, Women's £40.00 SWEATY BETTY UK

LA REDOUTE UK One Size Bikini Bottoms £9.19 LA REDOUTE UK

SNEAKIN UK Women's swimwear bikini bottoms Huit Darling £35.76 SNEAKIN UK

INSTOCK UK Sexy Bikinis Women's Swimwear Female Swimsuit For Swimming Wear Bathing Suits Brazilian Bikini Set Beachwear Pool Bather £13.98 INSTOCK UK

LA REDOUTE UK One Size Bralette Bikini Top £13.99 LA REDOUTE UK

JUICY COUTURE UK CHERRY BLOSSOM HERITAGE TOWELLING FRILLY BIKINI - Pink £55.00 JUICY COUTURE UK

JUICY COUTURE UK JUICY PINK DIAMANTÉ BANDEAU BIKINI - Pink £65.00 JUICY COUTURE UK

JUICY COUTURE UK JUICY PINK FRUIT CHARM RECYCLED BIKINI - Pink £70.00 JUICY COUTURE UK

JUICY COUTURE UK WHITE DIAMANTÉ BANDEAU BIKINI - White £65.00 JUICY COUTURE UK

Padded Bikinis Worth the Tan Lines

Padding in a bikini top is not a vanity thing. It is a fit thing, a confidence thing, a not-spending-the-entire-afternoon-rearranging-yourself thing. We are firmly in favour of a well-placed pad for the simple reason that it keeps everything where you put it, creates a shape that photographs well, and means you can actually enjoy being at the beach rather than monitoring your top every time a wave arrives. The problem has always been finding options where the padding feels considered rather than stuffed. Too thick and it looks costume-like. Too thin and it does nothing. The sweet spot is a pad that shapes without performing. We have pulled together our favourite padded bikini tops paired with bottoms that actually match them properly, in cuts that work across body types without requiring you to be a specific size to look good in them. Some are underwired for extra support. Some rely entirely on the padding to do the work. All of them are chosen because they hold up in actual water, not just in product photography. Buy the bikini that stays put.

BONMARCHE UK Dash Green Textured Bikini Top, Size: £16.00 BONMARCHE UK

SNEAKIN UK Non-wired padded triangle bikini top for women Lisca Osaka £45.76 SNEAKIN UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Brown Zebra Print Adjustable String Tie Padded Triangle Bikini Top, Tan £5.25 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Cream Thick Strap Padded Bikini Top £11.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Black Thick Strap Ruched Bikini Bottoms £9.80 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

SOCK SHOP Love Luna Pack Girl's First Period Bikini Brief Pink - £9.99 SOCK SHOP

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK White Frill Edge Padded Bikini Top £8.40 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

HUNKEMOLLER_UK Hunkemöller Scallop Padded Underwired Bikini Top Black £10.00 HUNKEMOLLER_UK

BONMARCHE UK Bonmarche Women's Black & White Mono Leaf Print Bikini Top, Size: £16.00 BONMARCHE UK

HUNKEMOLLER_UK Hunkemöller Scallop Padded Strapless Underwired Bikini Top Cup E + Pink £10.00 HUNKEMOLLER_UK

SNEAKIN UK Underwired bikini top for women Brigitte Bardot Floral £26.85 SNEAKIN UK

LA REDOUTE UK Tahiti Bikini Top £7.50 LA REDOUTE UK

Pink Bikinis That Hold Up in the Water

Pink reads differently in water than it does on a hanger. It either stays beautiful or it reveals exactly how little effort went into the construction. We have been through enough faded, stretched, and misshapen bikinis to know that the colour is only worth committing to if the swimwear itself is built to last. That is what this edit is about. Not just pink bikinis that look good in a changing room mirror but ones that survive an actual holiday. The kind where you swim properly, where you rinse and repeat daily, where the elastic still does its job on day ten and the colour has not bled into something apologetic. We have pulled together styles across the full range of pink, from barely there blush to a hot pink that is genuinely bold, because the shade you choose says something. Some of these are structured and supportive. Some are more minimal and relaxed. All of them are made well enough to justify the investment. A pink bikini that holds its shape and its colour is not a small thing. It is the whole point.

MONSOON Ditsy Floral Smocked Bikini Set Black £12.00 MONSOON

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Sarinaa Foil Stripe Bikini Bottom £10.50 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

LITTLE WOMEN LINGERIE Moontide Reversible Tie Side Bikini Bottoms - AquaPink £10.00 LITTLE WOMEN LINGERIE

LA REDOUTE UK Nuco Palmrose Triangle Bikini Top £12.00 LA REDOUTE UK

THE_DOUBLE_F Pink bikini with floral print £96.00 THE_DOUBLE_F

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Hot Pink Metallic Tie Side Bikini Bottoms £7.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

LITTLE WOMEN LINGERIE Moontide Reversible Tie Halterneck Bikini Top M - AquaPink £10.00 LITTLE WOMEN LINGERIE

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Pink Tie Side Ruched Bikini Bottoms £7.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

MONSOON Kora Floral Triangle Bikini Top Pink £28.00 MONSOON

SNEAKIN UK Bandeau bikini top without underwire for women Lisca Florida £33.66 SNEAKIN UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Pink Micro Contrast High Leg Bikini Bottoms £4.80 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

LA REDOUTE UK Dimka Palmrose Bikini Bottoms £7.80 LA REDOUTE UK

Polka Dot Bikinis Worth Bringing Along

Polka dots on a bikini should not work as well as they do, and yet here we are, completely convinced. There is something about the pattern that feels simultaneously retro and completely current, the kind of print that looks considered rather than accidental. It reads well in photographs. It holds its own against a busy beach background. And unlike some prints that demand a very specific body shape or colouring, dots are genuinely democratic in a way that stripes, for example, are not. What we have been careful about with this edit is scale and placement. Tiny dots read differently from bold ones. A classic navy and white combination does something quite different from black on cream or red on white. We have picked the ones where those decisions have been made thoughtfully, where the cut actually flatters and the fabric has enough substance to keep its shape in the water. These are not novelty pieces. They are proper bikinis that happen to be printed in one of the most enduring patterns in swimwear history. The dot earns its place every single time.

EGO (UK) Lace Trim Triangle Bikini Top In Black Polka Dot, Women's Size £12.00 EGO (UK)

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Espresso Polka Dot Triangle Bikini Top £9.80 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

LA REDOUTE UK Polka Dot Bikini Bottoms £13.19 LA REDOUTE UK

EGO (UK) Lace Edge Triangle Bikini Top In Lemon Polka Dot, Women's Size £11.00 EGO (UK)

EGO (UK) Lace Trim Tie Side Bikini Bottoms In Black Polka Dot, Women's Size £11.00 EGO (UK)

EGO (UK) Triangle Bikini Set In Blue Polka Dot, Women's Size £15.00 EGO (UK)

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Black Polka Dot Triangle Bikini Top £9.80 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Wovcor Polka Dot Printed Triangle Adjustable Strap Bikini Top £39.61 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

SNEAKIN UK Underwired bikini top for women Lisca La Paz £21.56 SNEAKIN UK

BOUX AVENUE Boux Avenue Ibiza polka dot tie side brief bikini bottoms - Chocolate £20.00 BOUX AVENUE

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Red Polka Dot Tanga Bikini Bottoms £3.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

SNEAKIN UK Women’s non-wired triangle bikini top Lisca La Paz £20.42 SNEAKIN UK

Push Up Bikinis Worth a Spot in the Case

A good push up bikini top does something that most swimwear cannot: it creates shape rather than simply containing it. That distinction matters enormously when you are packing for a holiday and want to feel genuinely good poolside rather than just covered. We have strong feelings about this category because the difference between a push up top that works and one that gaps, slips, or flattens by midday is significant. Padding placement is everything. So is underwire that actually supports rather than digs. The tops we have gathered here pass both tests. They create a lifted, rounded silhouette that looks intentional and stays put through actual swimming, not just posing. We have included styles across a range of cuts too, from classic balconette shapes that suit most figures to more structured bandeau options for people who want coverage without straps interrupting a tan. The bottoms paired with them are chosen to balance the proportions properly rather than as an afterthought. A push up bikini should make you want to take your cover up off. These ones will.

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Red Push Up Cupped Underwired Mix & Match Bikini Top £6.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Black Mix And Match Push Up Cupped Bikini Top £11.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

HUNKEMOLLER_UK Hunkemöller Scallop push-up underwired bikini top Cup A - E Green £10.20 HUNKEMOLLER_UK

HUNKEMOLLER_UK Hunkemöller Tropics Push-Up Bikini Top Cup A - E White £10.20 HUNKEMOLLER_UK

HUNKEMOLLER_UK Hunkemöller Cannes Push-Up Bikini Top Brown £34.00 HUNKEMOLLER_UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK White Mix And Match Push Up Cupped Bikini Top £11.20 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

HUNKEMOLLER_UK Hunkemöller Yucatan Push-Up Bikini Top Red £10.20 HUNKEMOLLER_UK

INSTOCK UK Solid Color Bikinis Push Up Swimwear Women Halter Bikini Set Shiny Swimsuit Push Up Bathing Suits Bandage Beachwear Thong £17.06 INSTOCK UK

MADE IN PARADIS UK Women's push-up bikini top Lisca Nice £28.11 MADE IN PARADIS UK

MADE IN PARADIS UK Women's push-up bikini top Lisca Okinawa £28.11 MADE IN PARADIS UK

BOUX AVENUE Boux Avenue Agadir push up bikini top - Black Mix - B £40.00 BOUX AVENUE

LA REDOUTE UK Calmo Fantaisy Push Up Bikini Top £31.19 LA REDOUTE UK

Red Bikinis That Fit Where They Should

Red is the only colour that makes sense on a beach if you want to actually be seen, and we mean that literally. It reads from a distance, it photographs without effort, and against sun and water it looks like it was designed for exactly that setting. The problem has never been whether red works. The problem is finding a red bikini that fits properly rather than one that looked good on a model but gaps at the back, slips at the shoulder, or offers support that is essentially theoretical. That is what this edit is about. We have been genuinely ruthless here. Every bikini in this collection holds where it should, adjusts where adjustment matters, and comes in enough sizes to account for the fact that most real bodies need a top and bottom that do not necessarily match. Some are bold and minimal. Some have more coverage. All of them are red in a shade that earns it, from warm tomato to deep cherry to the kind of true red that needs no qualifier. A good red bikini is a summer decision you will not regret.

SPARTOO.CO.UK Tommy Hilfiger CLASSIC BIKINI women's in Red £36.55 SPARTOO.CO.UK