Plaid Bikini

What is a plaid bikini?

Plaid is the checked print — the crossed lines in two or more colors that read as the pattern. In swimwear it runs from the fine gingham check to the bold tartan line, and it is one of the prints that keeps coming back.

This edit runs 6 styles, about $33 to $38, on the cuts the checked print works.

The styles in this edit

• Gingham checks in the fine line
• Bold tartan versions for the loud read
• Ruffled plaid fronts with the check gathered
• Halter and bandeau cuts on the checked base
• Metallic accents against the pattern

Styling a plaid set

• One print per outfit. If the set is plaid, the cover up and the accessories should be solid
• White and the check colors are the natural partners — pull the base colors of the plaid into the rest of the look
• Keep the hardware simple. The check is already the texture, and loud accessories compete with it

Caring for checked prints

• Rinse after the water — the light end of the check fades first
• Dry in shade. The crossed lines of the print show fading unevenly if one color goes before the other
• Store away from solid dark fabrics. A damp plaid next to a dark print can transfer at the line edges