The Buying Guide
Luxury Swimwear Under \u00a3100
By The Swim Edit · June 2026
There is a particular kind of alchemy to a beautifully made swimsuit — the way the right cut of fabric can flatter at the poolside and read as quietly expensive across a dinner table. The happy secret, and one the most well-travelled women guard rather closely, is that this sort of polish rarely requires a four-figure outlay. Below, the pieces we would happily pack first: genuine designer swimwear, each under £100, each capable of looking like rather more.
The Crinkle Classic That Started It All
No edit of this kind could begin anywhere but Hunza G. The cult London label built its reputation on a single, clever idea: a crinkle-stretch fabric cut in one size that genuinely flatters most figures, sculpting where it should and forgiving where it must. A seersucker one-piece in nostalgic ice-cream shades is the sort of buy you will still be reaching for in five summers' time, and most styles sit comfortably under the £100 mark — extraordinary value for something this design-led.
Californian Cool, Considered
For the woman whose holiday wardrobe leans sun-bleached and a little undone, Frankies Bikinis is the name to know. The Malibu label has a gift for the perfectly imperfect triangle top and the tie-side bottom — pieces that look effortless precisely because they are so carefully cut. Individual bikini separates frequently land beneath £100, which means you can mix a printed top with a solid bottom and look as though you planned it all along (you did).
The Sophisticate's Separates
If your taste runs cleaner and more architectural, L*Space deserves a place in your case. The Laguna Beach label does ribbed textures, smart colour-blocking and ingeniously reversible bottoms — two looks from a single piece, which is rather the point when you are travelling light. Most separates sit well under £100, and the construction punches considerably above it.
For something with a touch more drama, Tori Praver brings a romantic, almost vintage sensibility — think shirred bandeaus and a softer, body-skimming line. Her bikini tops and bottoms regularly come in beneath the threshold, individually priced and endlessly mixable.
Shop L*Space · Shop Tori Praver
The Quietly Expensive One-Piece
A maillot is the most grown-up thing you can wear by the water, and Vitamin A makes some of the loveliest. The Californian label works in recycled, buttery fabrics with subtle ribbing and clever scoop backs — the kind of swimsuit that slides under a linen shirt and walks straight to lunch. Keep to the classic solids and a one-piece can be yours for under £100, looking every inch the investment.
Riviera Glamour, Within Reason
And for the woman whose holiday mood board is all white-washed walls and Aegean blue, Melissa Odabash is the connoisseur's choice. The British designer has dressed poolsides from Mykonos to Saint-Tropez, and while her embellished pieces climb, the simpler triangle bikinis and tie-side bottoms slip in under £100 — that unmistakable jet-set polish, minus the eye-watering invoice.
Hunting for a particular silhouette? The Swim Edit journal keeps a running view of the season's best, so you can find the cut before you commit to the colour.
A Word on Fit and Styling
The trick with affordable luxury swimwear is to let the piece do the talking. Choose one hero — a sculpting crinkle one-piece, say, or a single striking bikini in a saturated solid — and let the rest of your beach wardrobe stay quiet: a crisp white shirt, gold hoops, a straw tote, the right sunglasses. Buy separates in your true bust and hip sizes rather than splitting the difference, and when a brand offers one-size or generous shirring, size to comfort, not to a number. A swimsuit that fits beautifully always looks more expensive than one that merely cost more — and at under £100, that is a rather satisfying piece of arithmetic.