How to Refresh Your Swimwear for a New Season: 6 Steps

Quick answer

Refresh swimwear for summer by working through your drawer before you buy anything: sort every piece, check elastic and fabric for wear, wash and store what survives, then replace only the cuts and colors you actually reach for. Most people need one or two well-chosen additions, not a whole new bikini collection.

Swimwear gets a rough life. Chlorine, sunscreen, salt, hot sand and repeated stretching all take a toll, and a suit that looked fine last August can feel limp by the time the new season starts. Rather than guessing what to replace, run a short routine that tells you exactly what is still good and what has quietly given up.

This six-step process takes about an hour plus laundry time. It works whether you own two bikinis or a full drawer, and it keeps you from buying duplicates of something you already have in good shape.

Start with an honest sort, not a shopping list

Empty the drawer or bin completely and lay everything out where you can see it. Group by set: tops with their matching bottoms, one-pieces on their own. Anything you have not worn in two summers goes in a separate pile, because unworn swimwear is usually unworn for a reason — it rides up, the color washes you out, or the straps dig in.

The goal here is information, not decluttering for its own sake. You are building a short list of what you own, what fits, and what is missing. That list is what stops you from buying a third black bikini bottom when what you actually need is a top that stays put.

• Keep a notepad or phone note open — you will refer back to it in step six.
• Try each piece on briefly rather than judging it flat on the bed; stretch changes how a suit sits.

Check each piece for wear before you trust it again

Stretch the side seams, leg openings and straps gently and look for the telltale signs: elastic that stays wavy instead of snapping back, thin or see-through patches, pilling, and color that has faded unevenly. Sunscreen and chlorine damage usually shows up first around the edges and under the arms.

Lining is the most overlooked failure point. Hold the suit up to a light — if you can see your hand clearly through the front panel, the fabric has thinned. A suit in this condition will not survive another season of swimming, no matter how good it looks dry.

• Common mistake: judging wear by color alone. Elastic fatigue is invisible until the suit is wet.
• Checkpoint: if a piece fails two or more of these tests, retire it rather than packing it again.

Wash everything properly before it goes back in the drawer

Even suits that were rinsed at the beach carry residue from sunscreen, body oils and sand. Hand wash in cool water with a small amount of mild detergent, squeeze gently — never wring or twist — and rinse until the water runs clear. Skip the washing machine and dryer entirely; heat and agitation are what break down swimwear elastic.

Lay pieces flat on a towel in the shade to dry. Hanging a wet suit by its straps stretches them out, and direct sun fades prints faster than anything else. If a suit smells faintly of chlorine even after washing, wash it once more; trapped chlorine keeps working on the fibers while it sits.

• Turn printed pieces inside out before washing to protect the print surface.
• Checkpoint: dry suits should feel smooth and slightly springy, not stiff or tacky.

Store the keepers so they hold their shape

Store swimwear flat or loosely folded in a drawer, not compressed into a tight vacuum bag and not hung by thin straps for months. Stack tops and bottoms separately so you can see what you have, and keep sets together with the bottom tucked inside the top if you want to grab a full look quickly.

Avoid storing damp suits in a closed bag, even overnight — that is how mildew spots start. If you keep swimwear in a beach bag between uses, air it out first. A breathable cotton pouch or a drawer divider works better than plastic.

• Common mistake: storing a slightly damp suit 'just until tomorrow' — it will smell by the weekend.
• Keep a small mesh bag for wet suits on beach days so dry pieces stay dry.

Decide what to replace based on fit, not just damage

Some pieces pass the wear test but still do not get worn. That is a fit problem, and replacing it with the same cut will not help. If a bottom rides up, the side height or coverage is wrong for you. If a top needs constant adjusting, the band or strap style is the issue. Note the specific problem so your replacement solves it.

This is also the moment to think about coverage honestly. A brief cut that leaves part of the buttocks exposed is a deliberate style choice, not a flaw — but if you find yourself tugging at it, a different cut will get far more use. Match the replacement to how you actually swim, not how you imagine you will.

• Write down the problem, not the product: 'rides up at the back' is more useful than 'don't like it'.
• Checkpoint: if you cannot name why a piece goes unworn, try it once more before deciding.

Fill the real gaps in your bikini collection

Now look at your list. Most people find they are missing one of three things: a bottom in a cut that actually suits them, a top that offers enough support, or a one-piece for days when a bikini feels like too much effort. Buy for that gap and stop there.

If your gap is a bottom, the choice usually comes down to side height and coverage. Tied sides let you adjust the fit exactly, which suits bodies that sit between two sizes. Fixed 5 cm sides give steady coverage across the hips and groin without any adjusting. High waist styles cover the lower belly and create a longer line. Pick the one that matches how you swim, and choose a print or color that works with tops you already own.

• Common mistake: buying a whole new set when only the bottom needed replacing.
• Checkpoint: every new piece should work with at least two things you already own.

Your six-step swimwear season prep

1. Step 1: Empty and sort the drawer: Lay every piece out, match tops to bottoms, and set aside anything unworn for two summers. Write down what you own. Checkpoint: you should be able to name your most-worn set without looking.
2. Step 2: Test elastic, lining and seams: Stretch seams and leg openings, then hold each suit to a light to check for thinning fabric. Retire anything that fails two checks — it will not survive the season.
3. Step 3: Hand wash in cool water: Use a small amount of mild detergent, squeeze gently, rinse clear, and never wring or machine wash. Mistake to avoid: hot water and the dryer, which break down elastic fastest.
4. Step 4: Dry flat in the shade: Lay pieces on a towel out of direct sun rather than hanging them by the straps. Checkpoint: dry suits should feel springy, not stiff.
5. Step 5: Store flat and breathe: Fold loosely in a drawer or breathable pouch, keeping sets together and never packing anything damp. Mistake to avoid: sealed plastic bags, which trap moisture and odor.
6. Step 6: Replace only named gaps: Match each replacement to a specific problem — side height, coverage, or support — and check it works with two pieces you already own. One or two targeted additions beat a full new collection.

Pieces that solve common refresh gaps

• tie and bow bikini bottom: The Paradisa tie and bow bikini briefs have adjustable side ties and a cut that leaves just enough of the buttocks exposed for a flirty finish, in a soft recycled-yarn microfiber with a tropical print. Adjustable ties are the practical answer if your current bottoms sit between two sizes or ride up because the fit is fixed.
• 5 cm bikini bottom: The Paradisa 5 cm bikini briefs have 5 cm sides that provide flattering coverage for the buttocks, groin and hips, in soft recycled-yarn microfiber. If you are replacing a brief that felt too skimpy, a fixed 5 cm side gives steady coverage with no ties to retie after a swim.
• high waist bikini bottom: The Bellini high waist bikini briefs cover the lower belly, hips and buttocks, with a flower print applied digitally to recycled fabric — a method that saves 50-60 liters of water per meter of fabric. A high waist cut is the straightforward fix when your gap is coverage across the lower belly rather than at the hips.
• plunge balcony bathing suit: The Acapulco plunge balcony bathing suit has a plunge balcony top with halter neck straps that create a subtle décolleté, made from recycled fabric with a digital flower print. Worth adding if your list shows no one-piece at all — the halter straps and balcony shape give support without a bikini's two-piece adjusting.

A season refresh is mostly maintenance: sort, check, wash, store, then buy only what your list says is missing. Do that and your swimwear drawer starts the summer in better shape than it ended the last one — and you spend on the pieces you will actually wear.