The Best Gingham & Stripe Swimwear

There are two prints that never spend a summer on the sale rail, and you already know them both. Gingham, with its kitchen-table innocence and its faint whiff of mischief; and the stripe, that endlessly elegant shorthand for somewhere better than here — a deck, a lido, a town in the South of France whose name you can only half pronounce. Together they form the most quietly chic corner of any swimwear drawer. This season, the houses we love have leaned in: smaller checks, crisper navies, gelato pinks, and a stripe for every mood from boardwalk-jaunty to almost severe. Below, the pieces worth packing.

The Picnic-Pretty Gingham: Frankies Bikinis

If gingham has a spiritual home in modern swimwear, it is here. Frankies Bikinis treats the print the way it deserves to be treated — sun-bleached, slightly nostalgic, never twee. Expect ditsy little checks in lemon and lilac, scooped triangle tops and high-cut bottoms cut to flatter rather than to test your nerve. There is a whisper of Seventies coastline in every piece, the kind of thing you wear with wet hair and an Aperol you have no intention of finishing. Shop Frankies Bikinis for the print at its most romantic.

The Architectural Stripe: Hunza G

No edit of stripes would dare proceed without Hunza G. The cult crinkle fabric was practically engineered for the print — those ripples catch the light along each line so the stripe seems to move when you do. Better still, the brand's famous one-size-fits-most magic means a bold seersucker stripe forgives a long lunch and a second helping of everything. A navy-and-white Hunza G one-piece is the swimwear equivalent of a Breton jumper: it will outlive every trend and never once embarrass you. Shop Hunza G and buy the one you'll still love in a decade.

The Riviera Stripe: Melissa Odabash

For stripes with a passport and a yacht booking, Melissa Odabash is the only address. This is grown-up glamour — gold hardware, plunging maillots, the sort of striped one-piece that looks frankly criminal under a wide-brimmed hat. The palette tends toward navy, ivory and a particular dusty terracotta that flatters a tan within an inch of its life. These are pieces designed to be photographed at golden hour on a sun-lounger you are paying far too much for, and worth every penny of the fantasy. Shop Melissa Odabash for the full Côte d'Azur.

The Effortless Stripe: L*Space

Some days you want spectacle; most days you want to throw something striped into a tote and feel marvellous with no further input. That is the L*Space proposition. Their Californian stripes come in soft, sherbet-adjacent tones and clever ribbed knits, with bandeaus and balconettes that stay put through an actual swim — a rarer quality than the brochures admit. There's an easy, salt-in-your-hair confidence to the label that suits a long weekend far more than a fortnight of fuss. Shop L*Space for the print, perfectly unbothered.

The Considered Check: Vitamin A

If you like your gingham with a conscience, Vitamin A makes the case beautifully. The California label cuts its checks and fine stripes from recycled, sustainably minded fabrics that feel substantial in the hand and hold their shape season after season — exactly what you want from a piece you intend to keep. The shapes are clean and a touch retro: square necklines, gentle ruching, the sort of high-leg one-piece that does quiet, undeniable work. Eco credentials aside, it simply looks expensive, which is rather the point. Shop Vitamin A for checks that mean it.

The Sun-Worshipper's Stripe: Monday Swimwear

Founded by women who clearly spend a great deal of time horizontal beside a pool, Monday Swimwear understands the brief: full coverage where you want it, proper support, and stripes engineered to read as elevated rather than nautical-cliché. Their one-pieces are the secret weapon of anyone who wants to look polished poolside without a single adjustment all afternoon. Pack one in a tonal cream-and-camel stripe and it will quietly become the most-worn thing in your case. Shop Monday Swimwear for the long, easy days.

How to Wear It: Fit, Flattery & the Finishing Touches

A few rules, lightly held. With gingham, scale is everything — a smaller check reads refined and grown-up, while an oversized one tips deliberately playful, so choose your mood before your size. Stripes, meanwhile, are a quiet styling trick: vertical lines lengthen, horizontals on a one-piece can flatter beautifully when the seams curve with you rather than cutting straight across. Keep accessories deliberately plain so the print does the talking — a raffia tote, a linen shirt left open, gold hoops, sunglasses with actual gravitas. And remember that fit beats everything: a £200 suit that gapes will always look worse than a well-chosen classic that simply stays where you put it. When in doubt, size up on a one-piece for length through the body, and trust the brands above to do the rest. For more of what we're packing this season, wander through the edit — and if it's pure, fuss-free flattery you're after, our full Hunza G guide is the place to begin.