My search for the ‘perfect’ all-round swimsuit

When searching for a “perfect” piece of classic clothing, such as a winter coat or black trouser, the less perfection I come across, the more firmly I believe it exists. Nothing represents this bind more acutely than the endless, expensive hunt for a great swimsuit, adaptable to different bodies of water (for the sake of argument, let’s say from shivering cold river to rooftop pool).

The sheer volume of costumes to choose from is not the problem. It’s the maddening specificity of one’s own figure, skin tone and self-confidence. It would be nice to imagine a swimwear El Dorado where this issue could be solved by one magic costume — a flattering item that can chameleon between high- and low-stakes swim scenarios. 

Last year I bought the Belooga by Irish brand Orca Board (€59, orcaboard.ie), a black, long-sleeve one-piece that was ideal for sitting in a sea sauna with friends and getting folded under by the waves. I still like and wear this suit, but it’s too sporty to be a definitive all-rounder. 

The swimwear market handily seems full this season of pieces that incorporate enough glamour and practicality to achieve a wearable, versatile midpoint between the two. Eres, the French brand that was acquired by the Chanel Group in 1997, has long danced a line between daring and flattering.

Its new collaboration with Chloé creative director Gabriela Hearst uses its proprietary Peau Douce fabric made of polyamid and spandex that promises “elasticity, resistance, shape and comfort”. The capsule as a whole features subtly feminine shapes in beautiful, sun-faded colours. The Pacific one-piece in Red Ochre (£530, eresparis.com) has discreet broderie anglaise detailing and the immediate handfeel of luxury — a thick but not cosseting fabric weight and a well-cut, square-scoop neckline. This style didn’t work as well for me, however, as the higher-backed Philippine version (£655, eresparis.com), which I tried in a pale colourway bravely named Iconic Milk. I set aside my prejudices to even consider this one, since it also has capped sleeves, which I expected to look like a child’s leotard, but in fact did good things to balance out my curves. The only downside is the white fabric’s slightly see-through effect.

Hunza G, the 1980s brand brought back to life by Georgiana Huddart in 2014, is another swimwear trailblazer, famous for its thigh-slashing panache. The brand now produces a simple but bright colour palette of square-neck, high-leg (but not too high) one-pieces and bikinis that are sturdy but sensual. The Hunza G “coverage” collection, launching in June, offers the brand’s four bestselling styles adapted to fit longer torsos and bigger busts. There’s only one size, the idea being that the material moves and stretches with your body. 

Instead of the one-piece, I tried the Hunza G Jessica bikini in a summery, cornflower blue (£160, hunzag.com), which looked intimidatingly itsy-bitsy on the hanger. But the crinkled fabric was magically elastic and simultaneously slimming. This is a fun, cheerful piece of swimwear, but as I would for any bikini, I would hope to dust off my gym membership before actually wearing it, even if it is 1950s-playful (with a low-spangle silver heart detail at the bust) rather than outright revealing.

At the sturdier side of the market are brands such as Davy J, inflected by the trend for cold-water swimming. Founder Helen Lofts says: “We wanted great looking, stylish holiday pieces to sit on the spectrum between resort wear and active swimwear so you could go to the spa with friends or dive through the waves. Swimwear shouldn’t be a difficult area — women want to feel comfortable.” 

Davy J’s spring/summer collection includes what it claims is a fully biodegradable swimsuit called Zero Trace (£140, davyj.com), made from biodegradable polyamide and elastane with plant-derived rubber trims. (The brand says the swimsuit would take five years to decompose at end of life, if you chose to bury it in the garden — not that you necessarily should.)

Made in a specialist factory in northern Portugal, this swimsuit is not messing about with any of its promises. It says it’s deliberately tight-fitting, and so it proves as I pour myself into it, wondering if the matronly, winter-tights feel of the fabric is going to translate into something unflattering. The opposite proves true, and although it has a classic swimmer’s high neck and semi-scooped back, the shape is elegant — though the vibe is more windswept British beach than the spa Loft suggests.

A surprising result came from the Watertex black one-piece ($199, shopwatertex.com), a new sports style from the rip-resistant Canadian tights brand Sheertex. Made in Montreal from a “hydrophobic” fabric (a claim I haven’t tested), it’s another square-neck design but notably sleek and cinching, with a not-too-low back that I find is more flattering on meatier hips. 

The square-scoop neckline, redolent of modest vintage cocktail dresses, is everywhere in swimwear at the moment. Cossie + Co’s collaboration with fashion brand Beulah London puts a faded ’70s haze on several bestselling styles, including the square-necked one-piece Poppy (£150, cossieandco.com). The design features a very pretty pale blue flower trellis, and would look lovely on someone taller than me — the (non-adjustable) straps fell down my arms in a way that could easily vex a holiday mood.

Humblingly, it was Marks and Spencer that came closest to the very specific form of perfection I sought. A fashion insider recommended the M&S Collection Tummy Control padded square neck swimsuit (£29.50, marksandspencer.com), which I bought in the copper colour. Yes, it is named drily, but the colour is an excellent, muted tomato, and the shaping is brilliantly discreet. It also has SPF protection and adjustable straps. All that’s missing is the Amalfi coast, or equally suitable, a British beach.

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