You knot your hair up before the sand gets hot and the water takes the rest of the morning

The set goes on in the shade of the palm, before the beach fills up. Two pieces, nothing to zip and nothing to pull over your head. The straps run thin across the shoulder, the cups meet in a narrow V at the centre front, and the bottoms sit on slim strings at the hip. It is a small amount of fabric, and that is rather the point of it.

The pieces themselves are plain on purpose. Each cup carries a soft pad and the maker states no steel support, so the top folds flat into a bag and nothing presses on the ribs after an hour on your back. The leg line is cut high and the maker calls the bottom a thong. White, pink and red are the three colours you can order, each one a flat solid with no print, no logo and no hardware anywhere on the set.

Key Benefits

• Wire free cups The sheet lists a chest pad with no steel support. The shape comes from the padding and the seam, not from a wire, so nothing digs in when you lie down.
• Narrow V centre front The two cups join in a sharp V in the middle rather than meeting flat, and that is where the low neckline comes from.
• Slim string hips The bottoms run on thin side strings with a high cut leg opening, so there is very little waistband to sit under a sarong.
• Nylon rich swim knit The maker gives 80 percent nylon and about 200 grams per square metre in size M, a mid weight rather than a flimsy one.
• Three flat solids White, pink and red, all plain dyed, so the set works with whatever shirt or wrap is already in your bag.
• Sold as a pair Top and bottom ship together in sizes S to XL, one packing line for the two pieces.

Best for: Swimmers and sunbathers who want a light two piece for hot weather, who already know they prefer a thin strap over a halter, and who want a plain colour that will still look right next summer.

Why It Works

Cheap two pieces tend to fail in one of two ways. Either the cup is a stiff moulded shell that keeps its own shape and ignores yours, or it is a flat triangle with nothing inside it at all. This one sits between the two: a soft pad inside a cup that still folds, joined at a narrow V that keeps the neckline low without a wire to hold it there. The bottoms apply the same idea to the hip, a thin string instead of a wide band. Nothing here is clever. It is cut small, dyed flat and left alone.

Quick Product Facts: Two piece bikini set, top and bottom; padded cups with no steel support per the maker; narrow V at the centre front; thin shoulder straps; high cut leg on the bottoms, described by the maker as a thong; 80 percent nylon shell with the remaining fibre not named; about 200 grams per square metre in size M; cotton blend lining per the maker; colours white, pink and red; sizes S, M, L and XL; packing list reads bikini times one.

How It Fits Your Routine

Day one is a fitting day. Try it on dry at home, check where the strap sits and where the leg line falls, and remember that swim knit relaxes a little once it is wet. If you fall between two of the four sizes, the smaller one holds better in the water and the larger one is kinder over a long afternoon.

After that it lives in the same corner of the bag as the sunscreen. Rinse both pieces in cold fresh water when you come off the sand, because salt and chlorine are what wear swim fabric out, not wearing it. Squeeze rather than wring, then lay it flat in the shade.

By the end of a week away it will have been put back on more times than anything else you packed. Keep it out of a hot car boot, keep it away from the tumble dryer, and store it flat rather than screwed up inside a wet towel.

FAQ

Is this a one piece or a two piece? Two pieces. You receive a padded top and a separate bottom, and the packing list reads bikini times one for the pair.

Are the pads removable? The soft pads sit inside each cup for a smooth, rounded shape and stay put through the water.

Can I order the black one in the photos? No. The maker photographed a black version and it appears in several images, but the colours on sale here are white, pink and red. Order by the option name.

Is there a size chart? Sizes run S to XL with the US and EU equivalents shown on each option, so choose your usual letter size and measure yourself if you are between two.