The Swim Edit \u00b7 Texture
The Best Crochet & Textured Bikinis
By The Swim Edit · June 2026
There is a particular kind of swimwear that looks less like it was bought and more like it was found — at a market in Capri, perhaps, or folded into a grandmother's drawer. Crochet and textured bikinis trade the high-shine of conventional Lycra for something softer and more tactile: a little artisanal, a little nostalgic, and quietly more expensive-looking for it. This is our edit of the pieces worth packing.
The Hand-Crochet Original: Frankies Bikinis
No brand has done more to make crochet feel covetable again than Frankies Bikinis. Their Marley and Tia styles — all open scallops, picot trims and tiny shell buttons — have become a shorthand for that easy, golden-hour Californian glamour, the sort of thing that photographs beautifully and somehow improves the longer you wear it. The crochet runs sheer, as crochet always does, so this is firmly a sunbathing-and-aperitivo bikini rather than a serious-swimming one. That is rather the point.
The Ribbed Texture Everyone Owns: Hunza G
If crochet is the romantic, the crinkle-ribbed seersucker of Hunza G is the pragmatist — and arguably the most flattering texture in all of swimwear. That signature waffle stretch hugs and smooths in equal measure, and the genuinely one-size design means it works across a remarkable range of bodies. The texture does the quiet work that smooth fabric never quite manages, skimming rather than clinging. Stick to a single saturated shade — chocolate, oxblood, butter-yellow — for that off-duty supermodel effect.
The Boho-Luxe Crochet: L*Space
L*Space occupies the sweet spot between festival and yacht: crochet and macramé details, fringed ties, open weaves and shells, but cut with enough structure that nothing feels like a fancy-dress costume. Their textured pieces tend to come with thoughtful linings where it counts, which makes them the more wearable choice if your idea of a beach day involves actual water. Look to them for a crochet bandeau or a halter with a little crafted edge.
The Elevated Knit: Vitamin A & Tori Praver
For texture that whispers rather than shouts, Vitamin A is the grown-up's choice — ribbed knits and subtle eco-fabric weaves in a palette of sand, terracotta and sea-glass, all cut with that clean Californian restraint. Tori Praver, meanwhile, leans into a softer hand-knit romance: shirred bandeaus and gently textured triangles that feel made for a Hawaiian sunrise. Both labels prove that "textured" needn't mean "loud" — sometimes it's simply the difference between a bikini that looks good and one that looks considered.
Shop Vitamin A · Shop Tori Praver
The Resort Polish: Melissa Odabash & Monday Swimwear
When the texture needs to read "five-star pool" rather than "sandy festival field", Melissa Odabash is the name. Her seersucker and ribbed sets carry that unmistakable European-resort confidence — clean lines, beautiful hardware, the kind of pieces you wear with oversized sunglasses and absolutely nothing to prove. Monday Swimwear brings a similar polish with a little more support built in: their textured and ribbed styles are cut for fuller busts without sacrificing the look. Together they're the answer when you want texture that still feels distinctly luxe.
Shop Melissa Odabash · Shop Monday Swimwear
How to Wear It (and Make It Last)
A few honest notes from the edit. First, the truth about crochet: it grows. Open-knit cotton blends stretch and sag once wet, so size down where you can, and treat a pure-crochet style as a lounging piece rather than a diving one — go for a ribbed or seersucker texture if you genuinely intend to swim. Second, texture flatters by catching light, so let it lead: pair a busy crochet bottom with a plain bandeau, never two competing weaves. And finally, rinse in cold fresh water after every wear, dry flat in the shade, and keep it well away from sun cream and chlorine — the things that turn an heirloom-feeling bikini into a sad one. Looked after, these are the pieces you'll still be reaching for three summers from now.