The Forever Edit
The Best Black Swimsuits \u2014 The Forever Edit
By The Swim Edit · June 2026
There is a particular kind of confidence that comes from owning the right black swimsuit — the one you reach for without thinking, that flatters on the worst-slept morning and looks just as considered on the best. It is the small black dress of the poolside: never quite in fashion because it is never quite out of it. Below, the pieces we return to season after season, and the houses that do black better than anyone.
The Sculpting Classic: Hunza G
No black-swimsuit edit begins anywhere but here. Hunza G built its reputation on a single, ingenious crinkle-stretch fabric that moulds to the body and — crucially — stretches to fit nearly everyone, which is why you have seen the same square-neck one-piece on every woman you admire. In black, that signature texture reads as quietly architectural rather than loud. Buy one, and you will understand why people buy three.
The French Lesson: Eres
If Hunza G is the easy classic, Eres is the connoisseur's choice. The Parisian house has been cutting swimwear like couture since 1968, using a double-faced fabric so dense and matte it behaves more like fine jersey than swim. An Eres black maillot is an exercise in restraint — no hardware, no fuss, just an immaculate line that holds its shape for a decade. This is the one you wear on a yacht and, frankly, to dinner afterwards.
The Resort Workhorse: Melissa Odabash
Few designers understand the sun-lounger-to-lunch transition as instinctively as Melissa Odabash. Her black one-pieces lean into gold hardware, plunging necklines and clever ruching that does discreet, flattering work where it counts. There is a reason her pieces have become a uniform on the Amalfi Coast — they photograph beautifully and never look as though you tried too hard.
The Considered Investment: Bondi Born
For black with a more sculptural, fashion-forward sensibility, Bondi Born is the Australian label to know. Cut from a substantial Italian Lycra and finished with bonded seams, its one-pieces have a clean-lined, almost minimalist confidence — high-cut legs, elegant backs, nothing extraneous. It is the swimsuit equivalent of a beautifully tailored coat: expensive-looking precisely because it refuses to shout.
The Californian Cool: Vitamin A
When you want black that feels relaxed rather than formal, Vitamin A is the answer. The label pioneered sustainable swim made from recycled fabrics, and its black maillots have a soft, sun-warmed ease — think low backs, ribbed textures and the kind of effortless cut that looks at home on a Malibu beach. Quietly principled and genuinely beautiful, it is the black swimsuit with a clear conscience.
The Modern Two-Piece: Monday Swimwear
A black bikini deserves the same reverence as a one-piece, and Monday Swimwear cuts the best of them. Founded by two women who knew exactly what they wanted to wear and could not find it, the label specialises in supportive, beautifully proportioned shapes that actually stay put. A black triangle or balconette here is the foundation of a holiday wardrobe — mix it, layer it under linen, wear it for years.
How to Choose — and How to Wear It
The trick with black is texture and fit, not colour. Because the shade is so forgiving, the eye goes straight to the cut, so let that be the thing you invest in: a square neck elongates, a high leg lengthens, and a little ruching at the waist flatters universally. If you swim properly, prioritise a thicker, double-lined fabric — it holds shape and stays opaque. And then style it as you would a black dress: gold jewellery, a straw hat, a crisp white shirt thrown over the top, and absolutely nothing else to prove. For more pieces worth keeping forever, browse the edit.