What to Wear When the Pool Is the Venue

Swimming Clothes Women: The Summer Holiday Edit Worth Buying

There is a particular kind of woman who arrives at a pool — in Positano, in Antibes, in whichever sun-drenched corner of the Mediterranean she has chosen — and looks completely, effortlessly right. She is not wearing more than anyone else.

She is wearing the correct things. The poolside wardrobe is not complicated, but it is specific: a swimsuit that earns its cost per wear across ten seasons, a cover-up that transitions from pool to lunch without requiring a change, a bag that looks expensive wet, and a sandal that does not lie about what it is. This is the edit. Côte d’Azur, Amalfi, wherever you are going — these are the pieces worth packing.

→ For the investment dressing principles behind every pick: Investment Dressing: The Complete Guide to a Wardrobe That Pays You Back

Eres One-Piece Swimsuit — The Investment Swimsuit

The French swimwear house that has been the reference point for considered poolside dressing since 1968. Eres swimsuits are cut for women who intend to wear them rather than photograph them — the proportions are flattering across every body, the fabric maintains its structure and colour across season after season, and the design language is so restrained that no piece ever dates. The one-piece is the specific recommendation: a simple scoop neck, a clean back, no hardware. The most expensive-looking swimsuit you can arrive at a pool in. Buy in black, navy, or the kind of muted terracotta that the Amalfi Coast was designed to complement.

Hunza G Xandra One-Piece — The Accessible Investment

The swimsuit that solves the fit problem most other swimwear creates. Hunza G’s crinkle fabric is cut in one universal size and adjusts to the body rather than requiring the body to adjust to it — which means it fits correctly from the first wear without the negotiation that most swimsuits require. The Xandra’s deeper neckline and clean silhouette place it at the considered end of the Hunza G range. Buy it in the chocolate brown or the ivory and it will work at every pool from here to Capri.

Reiss Printed Bikini — The Print Investment

The bikini for the woman who wants a print without a trend — a polka dot pattern in muted shades for the Mediterranean rather than an Instagram filter. Reiss’s swimwear edit is consistently the most investment-minded on the British high street: the fabric holds its colour, the cuts are flattering rather than fashionable, and the prints are quiet enough to work alongside the rest of a considered holiday wardrobe. The halter top and high-waisted brief combination is the most universally flattering silhouette in the range.

H&M Cotton Muslin Beach Top — The Cover-Up Find

The H&M piece that earns its place in this edit on merit rather than price. The cotton muslin beach top — loose, breathable, completely unpretentious — is the cover-up that does the job of pieces that cost considerably more. Worn over a swimsuit with a woven bag and a flat sandal, it reads as deliberately chosen rather than cheaply reached for. The white and the light yellow shades are the two colours that look best in natural light.

Mango Crochet Beach Cover-Up — The Lunch Cover-Up

The cover-up that transitions from pool to a shaded terrace lunch without requiring a change of anything except shoes. Mango’s crochet cover-up in ivory is the piece the Côte d’Azur seems to have been waiting for — lightweight, airy, completely appropriate for the restaurant at the end of the pool path. The crochet detail catches the light in a way that reads as more expensive than it is, which is the only criterion worth applying to a beach cover-up at any price point.

Hereu Calella Woven Tote — The Poolside Bag

The bag that looks right wet, full of sunscreen, and draped over a sun lounger in a way that most bags do not. Hereu’s Calella is a hand-woven raffia tote made in Spain — the craftsmanship is visible in the weave, the size is genuinely practical, and the natural raffia colour works alongside every swimsuit colour in this edit. It is the poolside bag equivalent of the investment loafer: the one you stop noticing because it is always correct. Leave the designer bag in the hotel safe and carry this instead.

Joseph Silk-Satin Sarong — The Versatile Layer

The Joseph silk-satin sarong, a beach blanket, a lightweight layer for an air-conditioned restaurant, and an emergency picnic blanket. This version is cut generously enough to tie in multiple ways without losing its shape. It is the most versatile single piece in this edit and the one that easily earns its place in a holiday wardobe edit.

Ancient Greek Sandals Taygete — The Flat Sandal

The sandal that belongs at every pool from Mykonos to Malibu. Ancient Greek Sandals has been making leather sandals in Athens using traditional craft methods since 2012, and the Taygete — a simple flat in natural leather — is the version that earns its place in an investment poolside wardrobe permanently. The leather softens and shapes to the foot across the first few wears, and the natural tan develops a patina that makes the sandal look better after a holiday than before it. Buy in natural leather and wear for the next decade.

Havaianas Slim Brasil — The Flip Flop

The flip flop that does not pretend to be anything other than a flip flop — which is precisely why it belongs in this edit. Havaianas in the thin Slim Brasil silhouette is the poolside shoe with the longest track record of correctness: worn by women who know exactly what they are doing at pools across the world for decades. Buy them in black or in the Bright Tomato direction of this Ascot season for a colour note that works equally well poolside. Replace them every two years. This is not an investment purchase. It is a commitment to getting the poolside shoe right.

The Poolside Edit at a Glance

The woman who looks right at a pool in the Côte d’Azur has solved four things: a swimsuit that fits properly and holds its shape, a cover-up that works from pool to lunch, a bag that looks correct wet, and a sandal that is exactly what it is. Everything else is optional.

 → For the CSC lifestyle guide: The Rich Girl Lifestyle Guide

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