Cool off in the season's best swimwear

Hunting out swimwear at the start of summer is a time-honoured ritual as embedded as a new white shirt in spring, or party shoes in November. The prospect of morning swims and sundowner dips, a cabana with a horizon view and games of bat and ball on the beach are often balm enough to shake down the actual ordeal of trying on styles. But try on, one must. Different body shapes require a panoply of designs that, this season, range from sporty, squared off-cuts, to plunging, high-legged goddess versions and, at the other extreme, embellished suits with pretty rosette twirls – not made with vigorous swims in mind.

Then there’s the destination/s to consider. Wild coastline vs architect-designed poolside; yacht deck vs beach club; Atlantic vs Med vs Aegean all impact choices. The designer’s background can often give clues to suitability. Where Italian brands like Versace and Pucci revel in prints that embrace the vivacity of Southern Italy, Chanel (white piped monotones), Alaïa (lace-up) and Courrèges (cut-out) champion the sporty simplicity of Biarritz and Cote d’Azur. Meanwhile, Colombian native Johanna Ortiz veers to tropical with ruffle details and palm-tree appliqués.

‘In Ibiza, life moves at its own rhythm between swims, slow afternoons on a lounger, long days at sea and lingering dinners as the light begins to fade,’ says interior architect Brigitta Spinocchia Freund, who holidays on the Spanish island. ‘For me, swimwear has to feel effortless and I am drawn to the sculptural and flattering: pieces that I can swim in, not simply pose. I return again and again to a Hunza G one-piece, layering it with a linen shirt, a sarong, a beautiful pair of sunglasses, a raffia bag and a little jewellery. That is the mood I love – sun-warmed and unstudied,’ adds Spinocchia Freund, who also favours Miu Miu triangle bikinis, Alex Eagle swimsuits and sustainable styles from Agora boutique at Six Senses Ibiza.

Just looking at images of treasured spots – the infinity pool at the Maybourne Riviera with views of Monaco, or pebbly coves on the Cycladic island of Schinoussa – is enough to trigger a yearning. The V-necked Icône suit by Eres, perhaps? Lou Stoppard’s book Pools (Rizzoli, 2020) is an excellent primer, bringing together imagery from greats such as Louise Dahl-Wolfe and Sølve Sundsbø to explore the lure of water.

‘For swimming, I rely on athletic silhouettes – usually a racerback or a minimal one-piece that feels unfussy and doubles as a body suit for evening,’ says Sarah Harris, editorial director of EE72, who rarely strays from black, chocolate and navy. ‘For lounging, it’s almost always a bandeau bikini. Halterneck triangle shapes are messy when you take the straps down for sunbathing. I’ll add a men’s shirt over the top, Uniqlo have some great ones, otherwise I borrow from my husband. Gold jewellery helps elevate and I recommend Tiffany hardware chains,’ says Harris, who adds a vintage silk scarf by Versace or Hermès as a sarong. All agree, it’s worth investing in great fabrics because they hold their shape and colour.

‘Swimming, like love, is hard to pin down,’ writes Stoppard in her book. Agreed – time to flirt with a new suit.