The Best Vintage & Retro Swimsuits

There is something about a retro swimsuit that no amount of barely-there string can replicate. It is the wink of a high-waisted brief, the architecture of a ruched maillot, the unhurried glamour of a woman who looks as though she might, at any moment, be photographed stepping off a yacht in 1962. The vintage silhouette has never really left us — it simply waits, patiently, for each generation to rediscover that a little more fabric is often a great deal more chic. This season it returns in earnest: scalloped edges, sweetheart necklines, polka dots and the kind of bottle-green and saffron palettes that belong on the Amalfi Coast. Below, our edit of the brands cutting the throwback shapes worth packing.

Hunza G — The Crinkle That Conquered the Riviera

No house has done more to make retro feel modern than Hunza G. The original crinkle fabric — that gloriously stretchy, one-size seersucker invention from the late eighties — has a distinctly Slim Aarons quality to it, all clean lines and confident colour. The square-neck one-pieces and high-leg maillots channel a vintage sensibility while flattering, frankly, everyone. It is the rare swimsuit you can buy without a fitting room and still feel certain of. Start with a classic in black or the much-photographed butter yellow. Shop Hunza G

Melissa Odabash — Old-Hollywood Maillots

If your reference point is Brigitte Bardot rather than the Gen-Z beach club, Melissa Odabash is your woman. Beloved by a certain jet-setting crowd for decades, the label specialises in the deeply flattering ruched one-piece, the plunge halter and the kind of gold-hardware detailing that reads as expensive from across the pool. These are swimsuits engineered to sculpt — boning, clever ruching, structured cups — without ever announcing the effort. For a retro maillot that will outlast every trend cycle, this is the safest of bets. Shop Melissa Odabash

Frankies Bikinis — The High-Waisted Pin-Up

For the bikini purist who wants the silhouette of a fifties pin-up without the corsetry, Frankies Bikinis cuts a high-waisted brief that is equal parts nostalgic and knowing. Expect gingham, ditsy florals, tie-front tops and the occasional ruffle — the kind of pieces that look as good with a sundress thrown over as they do on the sand. The waistlines sit flatteringly high, lengthening the leg and nipping the middle in the most forgiving way. Shop Frankies Bikinis

Vitamin A — Seventies California, Sustainably

Vitamin A makes the retro swimsuit for the woman who reads the label as carefully as the cut. Working largely in recycled fabrics, the California label leans into a sun-faded seventies palette — terracotta, ochre, deep olive — with scoop-back maillots, belted one-pieces and the occasional ribbed texture that feels straight out of a Malibu beach house circa 1974. The fit is sporty yet soft, ideal if you want a vintage shape you can actually swim in. Shop Vitamin A

Tori Praver — Polka Dots & Sweetheart Necklines

Few designers do romantic, fifties-inflected swimwear quite like Tori Praver. This is where to look for the sweetheart neckline, the underwire bandeau, the smocked bikini top and — yes — the polka dot, rendered in soft, sun-washed tones rather than anything garish. There is a hand-touched, almost lingerie-like quality to the construction that elevates the whole thing from costume to wardrobe. Pack one for the holiday where you intend to be photographed. Shop Tori Praver

L*Space — The Scalloped, the Belted, the Beautifully Made

L*Space rounds out the edit with retro details done properly: scalloped trims, halter necks, belted waists and the high-cut leg that defined the late eighties without tipping into pastiche. The brand's strength is versatility — many of its one-pieces double convincingly as bodysuits under linen trousers, which is precisely the sort of off-duty Riviera dressing the vintage woman did so well. Reliable sizing, considered tailoring, and just enough nostalgia. Shop L*Space

How to Wear It — A Note on Fit & Styling

The secret to vintage swimwear is that it does the styling for you, provided the fit is right. With high-waisted briefs, size for your natural waist rather than your hip and let the fabric sit where it wants — pulled too low, the whole effect collapses. Ruched maillots are forgiving by design, so size down rather than up if you are between sizes; the ruching is meant to skim, not swamp. For the full retro tableau, add an oversized straw hat, a pair of round tortoiseshell sunglasses and a kaftan in a clashing print — confidence, after all, was always the real vintage essential. For more of our seasonal picks and styling notes, browse the edit.