The Best Swimwear for a Pool Party

There is a particular kind of invitation that asks more of a swimsuit than the average beach day ever will. A pool party is, after all, a social occasion that happens to involve water — somewhere between a garden lunch and a dip, with rosé in one hand and a phone camera trained on you from across the terrace. Your swimwear has to do double duty: it must look exquisite dry, draped on a sun lounger, and behave impeccably the moment someone suggests a swim. The trick is choosing pieces that were designed for exactly this — fabrics that hold their shape, cuts that flatter standing up as much as lying down, and a colour that sings against turquoise water. Below, our edit of the swimwear worth packing for the next time the invitation reads poolside, all afternoon.

The Showpiece Bikini: Frankies Bikinis

If a pool party has a uniform, it is the triangle bikini — and no one cuts a triangle quite like Frankies Bikinis. The Los Angeles label has a near-magical talent for the pieces that look effortless and photograph like a dream: smocked textures, sun-faded florals, a butter-soft ribbed knit that flatters every figure. This is the bikini you wear when you want to look as though you simply threw it on, even though you chose it weeks ago. Reach for a tie-side bottom you can adjust to your exact comfort, and a top with enough structure to stay put through a champagne toast. Shop Frankies Bikinis.

The One That Actually Holds You: Hunza G

Some swimwear is built to be admired; Hunza G is built to be trusted. The cult British label's signature crinkle fabric stretches to fit a remarkable range of bodies — the famous "one size" pieces really do flatter almost everyone — and crucially, it stays exactly where you put it. No riding up, no readjusting, no anxious glance over your shoulder before a swim. A Hunza G one-piece in a saturated tomato red or classic black is the most quietly confident thing you can wear poolside, the kind of suit that lets you forget about your swimwear entirely and simply enjoy the party. Shop Hunza G.

The Sophisticated High-Waist: Vitamin A

For anyone who prefers a little more coverage without sacrificing an ounce of glamour, the high-waisted bikini is the most elegant answer — and California's Vitamin A does it beautifully. There is something wonderfully retro and self-possessed about a high-rise bottom paired with a structured top; it nods to the Slim Aarons era of poolside dressing, all sunglasses and slow afternoons. Vitamin A's eco-conscious fabrics have a luxurious, sculpting weight to them, in earthy neutrals and deep jewel tones that look extraordinary on tanned skin. This is swimwear for the host, not the guest. Shop Vitamin A.

The Va-Va-Voom Bandeau: Monday Swimwear

When the dress code is unapologetically glamorous, a strapless bandeau is the move — and Monday Swimwear, the brand behind some of the internet's most coveted suits, has perfected it. Their pieces are cut with serious support engineered in, which means you can wear a bandeau confidently rather than nervously, and avoid the tan-line geometry that comes from fussier straps. Think clean lines, rich solids and a fit that feels custom. Pair the bandeau top with a matching high-leg bottom and you have a silhouette that elongates the whole body — ideal for the parties where the swim is more theoretical than actual. Shop Monday Swimwear.

The Effortless String Bikini: Tori Praver

There is an art to the barely-there bikini, and Tori Praver — a former model turned designer with a true Hawaiian sensibility — understands it instinctively. Her string styles have a soft, sun-bleached romance to them: delicate ties, dreamy prints, and just enough nostalgia to feel timeless rather than trend-led. A string bikini rewards a certain ease, so save this one for the relaxed, golden-hour sort of pool party, where everyone has stopped checking their reflection and started actually enjoying themselves. It is the swimwear equivalent of letting your hair dry in the sun. Shop Tori Praver.

The Cover-Up That Earns Its Place: Melissa Odabash

A pool party is rarely only a pool party — there are drinks to be poured, canapés to be circulated, and a moment, eventually, when you'll want to be dressed without quite getting dressed. This is where the cover-up does its most important work, and no one designs a cover-up like Melissa Odabash. Her embroidered kaftans and crochet dresses are genuinely beautiful garments in their own right, the sort you could wear to a beach-club lunch and never once feel underdressed. Choose one in white or a sun-faded print, throw it over your bikini, add gold hoops, and you have transformed swimwear into an outfit. Shop Melissa Odabash.

How to Choose, Fit and Style It

The single most useful thing to know about pool-party swimwear is that fit beats everything. A modestly priced suit that fits you precisely will always outshine an expensive one that gapes or rides; spend your attention on the cut before the label. Look for adjustable ties if you fall between sizes, structured or underwired tops if you want genuine support standing up, and ribbed, crinkled or double-lined fabrics — the kind Hunza G and Vitamin A favour — which hold their shape and never turn sheer when wet. For colour, jewel tones and crisp whites read most expensive against blue water, while a clever print forgives the inevitable splash of sunscreen.

When it comes to styling, restraint is everything. Let the swimwear lead and keep the rest deliberately undone: a linen shirt or a Melissa Odabash kaftan thrown over, a raffia tote, oversized sunglasses, gold jewellery you don't mind getting wet, and bare, sun-warmed skin. Skip the heels — flat espadrilles or simply bare feet are far chicer poolside — and resist the urge to over-accessorise. The goal is to look as though you belong by the water, glass in hand, entirely at ease. For more of the pieces we're wearing this season, browse the edit — and may your next invitation always read poolside, all afternoon.