Velvet Bikini

What is a velvet bikini?

A velvet bikini is cut from plush velvet fabric — the same material family as evening wear, applied to swim shapes. The surface has a soft sheen that shifts with the light, which a woven nylon set does not do.

This edit runs 7 styles, about $25 to $38, on the cuts the fabric suits.

The styles in this edit

• High waist versions with the plush band
• Ruched fronts that gather the velvet texture
• String and knot constructions on the fine line
• Bandeau and cheeky cuts across the same fabric
• Leopard and metallic color options in the velvet finish

Velvet at the beach

The honest note: plush fabric holds more water than a woven nylon, so it dries slower. A velvet set is at its best for the walk to the water, the water itself, and the after — plan the towel time accordingly.

The sheen is the payoff. In the sun, the fabric reads deeper and richer than a flat print.

Caring for velvet swimwear

• Do not wring. Squeeze the water out gently — twisting pulls the plush surface
• Dry flat or hang by the body of the set, not a single tie
• Keep away from rough surfaces — bags, deck chairs, towels with texture — the plush picks up snags that a smooth fabric shrugs off