Summer 2026 swimwear has evolved beyond the shoreline and become a key player in the modern wardrobe with a blend of fashion meets function.
In that vein, the four biggest swimwear trends of the hot weather season touch on nostalgia through cabana stripes; performance-meets-trend via sportif styles that riff on surf culture; organic beaded accents on bikinis and one-piece suits that offer a playful, beachy sensibility or jewelry-esque look, and crinkled textures that bring dimension to solid-hued styles.
Designers and retailers alike are embracing a versatile approach, where swimwear is no longer reserved solely for vacations. According to Bloomingdale’s fashion director Marissa Galante Frank, Shopbop’s senior fashion director Caroline Maguire and Net-a-porter’s chief buying and merchandising office Brigitte Chartrand, styling swimwear to become a full look to span the beach to street has been key for summer 2026.
At Bloomingdale’s, clients are achieving this by leaning into one-piece silhouettes with cover-ups that style back to their maillots — perfect “from the beach to sunset cocktails,” Frank said. Ditto at Net-a-porter, where Taller Marmo’s brightly colored one-pieces with matching fringed pareos have been incredibly popular with customers. Chartrand added amid the hot temperatures this season, she has seen an uptick of laying bikini tops in lieu of tops, or layered under lightweight shirts, as a styling element in the city.
In addition, Maguire said beaded accents are extending beyond hardware on swimwear and range, “from necklaces and bags to sandals and bikini details — which adds a playful, nostalgic touch that feels perfectly suited to resort dressing. It’s all about pieces that feel special and make your vacation wardrobe work a little harder.”
Here, WWD breaks down the top four swimwear trends that are making a splash throughout summer 2026, spanning from nostalgic cabana stripes and sportif swim to crinkled textures and organic, beaded hardware accents.
Sporty
Free People’s Free-est, Lido, and Triangl.
Courtesy of Free People’s Free-est, Lido, and Triangl
Sport-inspired silhouettes are having a major moment.
Take, for example, Roxy’s ’90s and early ‘2000s surf inspired collaboration with Miaou this summer and the uptick of rashguard-inspired styles, with great colorful options available from Left on Friday. Swim shorts and tankinis also are playing into the summer’s trending retro sport nostalgia. Cartrand also noted colorful triangular bra bikinis and maillots with piping contrasts, as seen in Lido’s athletic swimsuits, are also hot styles playing into the sportif look.
“There’s a genuine athletic current running through swim, with rash guards, zip-fronts, and board shorts — sporty silhouettes that once lived in performance and now read as fashion,” said Bloomingdale’s Frank. Brands like Free People’s Free-est are playing into the trend with playful printed swim T-shirts while the likes of Triangl are offering an abundance of little swim shorts.
“We’re loving the return of micro shorts styled over swim as an easy, versatile layer that takes you from the beach to lunch without missing a beat,” Maguire noted.
Cabana Stripes
Le Bop, Solid & Striped, and Haight.
Courtesy of Le Bop, Solid & Striped, and Haight
“Stripes are always a summer mainstay, and this season they feel cleaner and more European-inspired, rather than costumey,” Frank said of this summer’s popular striped swimwear look, which channels beach nostalgia through classic cabana stripes.
The look spans from sleek, like Anemos’ streamlined maillots, to playful, as in Shopbop’s ultra-popular Le Bop maillot and Solid & Striped reversible bikinis.
Maguire added that color is setting the mood this season, while prints are adding a playful touch, such as the classic deckchair stripes that bring a “fresh, elevated take on beach dressing,” she said. To achieve this balance of uplifting hues in the timeless, fun pattern, look no further than Haight’s lime green striped set.
Dolla for Fwrd, Sara Cristina, Staud
Courtesy photos
Beaded Accents
Texture is one of the biggest stories in swim this summer, Maguire noted.
“Crochet and woven details add that handcrafted, artisanal feel everyone is looking for, while shell-inspired hardware and natural stone embellishments bring a refined, jewelry-like finish,” she said. “We’re also seeing beaded accessories everywhere — from necklaces and bags to sandals and bikini details — which adds a playful, nostalgic touch that feels perfectly suited to resort dressing. It’s all about pieces that feel special and make your vacation wardrobe work a little harder.”
Popular styles from Shopbop include Staud’s Laird one-piece, tankini and bikini tops with colorful beachy beads adorned on each style’s straps. The youthful, playful sensibility is also available from the likes of Adriana Degreas, Dolla for Fwrd, Sara Cristina and Same Swim, with colorful bikinis and maillots decorated with varying shapes and sizes of the organic “jewels.”
Crinkle Textures
Monday Swimwear, Bond-eye, and Skatie.
Courtesy of Monday, Bond-eye, and Skatie
Adding to the textural swim look is the ongoing popularity of crinkled swimwear.
“For clients with a more minimalist POV, texture is the trend driving everything. Ribbed and crinkle fabrics, subtle embroidered details, and stitch interest are giving solid-colored suits more depth. A “non-solid solid” is always a customer favorite,” Frank said.
Known for its bold colors, cutout silhouettes and crinkle fabrications, Hunza G is one of the leading brands of the trend. The brand’s first iconic cultural moment circa 1990 centered around Julia Roberts’ now famous Hunza G white and electric blue minidress in “Pretty Woman,” and has since evolved into Original Crinkle, one-size-fit swimwear with proprietary, ultra-stretch tubular knit fabric styles. Chartrand noted the brand’s collaboration with Burberry, featuring crinkle maillots and bikinis finished with Burberry check trims, performed exceptionally well for at Net-a-porter.
In addition, brands like the Australian Bond-Eye, who recently collaborated with Gurney’s Montauk; Los Angeles’ Monday Swimwear, founded by Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman, and Skatie are also dishing out strong, stretchy and ultra-flattering swimwear in the material.
