Embroidered Bikinis: What They Are, How to Choose and 9 to Buy

An embroidered bikini is a two-piece swimsuit with a pattern stitched into the fabric in thread, so the motif sits raised on the surface instead of being printed flat. Our designer bikinis edit holds the hand-embroidered pieces from the Agua by Agua Bendita brand page, and the same craft runs through our guide to Agua Bendita swimwear. An embroidered swimsuit is the one-piece version of the same idea.

Key facts

• An embroidered bikini is a two-piece swimsuit decorated with thread stitched into the swim fabric.
• Agua by Agua Bendita Coleccionista swim is 81% recycled polyester and 19% elastane and is fully lined.
• The Primavera Isolda and Primavera Castillo bikini tops carry hand-embroidered florals.
• The Agua swim care label says hand wash only, do not wring, do not dry clean and keep sunscreen off the fabric.

This guide explains how the embroidery is made, what to check before you buy, how to keep the stitching in good order and how to wear the pieces from beach to lunch. The picks lead with the Coleccionista collection, which Agua by Agua Bendita tags Resort 2027 and makes in Colombia.

What is an embroidered bikini?

Embroidery is decoration worked with a needle and thread through an existing cloth. On swimwear it usually takes the form of florals, scallops and small motifs along a neckline, across a cup and down the side of a bottom. Because the thread sits on top of the base fabric, an embroidered bikini has texture you can feel with a fingertip, and it catches light differently from a print.

That texture is also why embroidered swim tends to sit in the luxury end of the market. The base is still a stretch swim fabric, so the swimsuit can go in the water, but the embroidered areas behave a little differently from the plain areas around them. Thread does not stretch the way elastane does, so the stitched panel holds its shape while the rest of the fabric moves with the body.

Hand embroidery versus machine embroidery

Hand embroidery is stitched by a person with a needle. Each flower is worked one stitch at a time, so no two pieces are exactly alike, and the stitches tend to be slightly raised and varied in length. Machine embroidery is stitched by a programmed machine that repeats the same pattern with even tension, which gives a flatter, more uniform result.

Both are real embroidery. The difference is in the hand: a hand-worked flower looks drawn, while a machine-worked one looks printed in thread. Agua by Agua Bendita uses both in the current collection and labels each piece. The Primavera bikini tops, the Ebano and Durazno one-pieces and the Tierra pareo carry hand-embroidered florals, while the Cana linen blouse is machine embroidered. Everything else in the swim range carries the house’s hand-illustrated floral print, which starts as a drawing before it is put to cloth.

How to choose an embroidered bikini

Look past the motif first. A swimsuit has to fit and survive salt water before it can look good on a sun lounger.

• Lining. A fully lined suit keeps the embroidery stitches off your skin and stops the base fabric turning sheer when wet. Every Coleccionista swim piece is fully lined.
• Fabric. A swim fabric with elastane holds its shape and dries fast. The Agua swim fabric is 81% recycled polyester and 19% elastane.
• Where the embroidery sits. Embroidery on the cups gives structure to a top; embroidery across a whole one-piece makes it more of a statement and less of a lap-swimming suit.
• Leg cut. Agua offers three named leg shapes: American-cut, full-coverage and Latin-cut. Full-coverage gives the most coverage at the back, so compare the product images before choosing.
• Neckline. A straight neckline frames embroidery cleanly across the bust, while a demi-cup gives more lift and a softer line.

The embroidered bikinis and swimsuits to buy

1. Primavera Isolda Bikini Top

The Primavera Isolda Bikini Top is cut from the recycled polyester and elastane swim fabric in a deep navy colourway of the Isolda print, with hand-embroidered florals and a straight neckline. It is fully lined, and it is the clearest example of hand embroidery on a bikini in the collection.

2. Magenta Isolda Bikini Bottom

The Magenta Isolda Bikini Bottom matches the Primavera top in deep navy. It carries the hand-illustrated Isolda print and an American-cut leg, so the embroidery stays on the top and the bottom stays plain enough to wear with other pieces.

3. Primavera Castillo Bikini Top

The Primavera Castillo Bikini Top takes the same straight-necked shape into a blush beige colourway of the Castillo print, again with hand-embroidered florals and full lining.

4. Promesa Castillo Bikini Bottom

The Promesa Castillo Bikini Bottom pairs with it in blush beige, with the Castillo print and a Latin-cut leg. It is the pick here for anyone who wants the house’s Latin-cut shape.

5. Ebano Isolda One Piece

The Ebano Isolda One Piece is the embroidered swimsuit for anyone who prefers one piece to two. It is deep navy, hand embroidered, fully lined, with a demi-cup neckline and an American-cut leg.

6. Durazno Castillo One Piece

The Durazno Castillo One Piece carries hand-embroidered florals on a rose pink colourway of the Castillo print, with a straight neckline. Our guide to designer one-piece swimsuits sets it beside other labels.

7. Zucchini Isolda Bikini Top

The Zucchini Isolda Bikini Top is printed rather than embroidered, in cream, with a demi-cup neckline. It is useful as a second top to wear with an embroidered piece on the days you want less texture.

8. Melocoton Isolda Bikini Bottom

The Melocoton Isolda Bikini Bottom matches the Zucchini top in cream, with a full-coverage leg and full lining.

9. Tierra Castillo Pareo Maxi

The Tierra Castillo Pareo Maxi is the cover-up to wear over all of the above. It is pure linen with hand-embroidered florals in rose pink, and our guide to tying a sarong shows the knots.

Embroidered swim compared

Source: the Agua by Agua Bendita product pages, care labels and size chart, read by Coveti Editorial on 8 November 2026.

How do you care for an embroidered swimsuit?

The Agua swim label is short: hand wash only, do not wring, do not dry clean, and keep sunscreen off the fabric. Each rule protects something specific. Chlorine, salt and sunscreen all break down elastane over time, so a quick rinse matters more than any detergent.

• Rinse the suit in cool fresh water as soon as you are out of the sea and the pool, before the salt dries into the fibres.
• Hand wash with a mild soap, then press the water out between two towels. Wringing twists the thread against the base fabric and can pull stitches loose.
• Dry it flat in the shade. Direct sun fades colour, and hanging a wet suit by its straps stretches them.
• Apply sunscreen and let it sink in before you dress, so the oil does not stain the embroidery.

How to wear an embroidered bikini

Embroidery is the detail, so keep everything around it quiet. A plain linen shirt worn open, a pareo knotted at the hip and flat sandals are enough. At lunch, add a long skirt over the bottom and keep the top on; the Tierra pareo and our edit of beach cover-ups work for this. For a longer day at a beach club, a one-piece under a wrap skirt goes from the water to the table without a change, and our guide to wearing a wrap skirt covers the tie. For the bag and hat, see designer beach bags and wide-brim straw hats.

Embroidered swimwear around the world

In the US, embroidered swim sits most naturally at resort pools in Florida and on long summer weekends on the East Coast, where a cover-up comes out for lunch. In the UK, most embroidered bikinis travel abroad, though a fully lined suit is a sensible choice for cooler British water too. Across Europe, the Mediterranean summer from June to September is the long season, with boat days in Greece, Italy and the south of France.

In the Gulf, hotel pools and private beach clubs run for most of the year, and an embroidered one-piece with a long pareo covers the walk from the water to the restaurant. In Latin America, the Caribbean coast of Colombia is the home ground for this house; our guide to what to wear in Cartagena has the full picture.

Sizing an embroidered bikini

Agua by Agua Bendita cuts in letter sizes from XS to XL. On the house body chart an XS fits a 84 cm bust, 65 cm waist and 90 cm hips, and an M fits a 94 cm bust, 75 cm waist and 100 cm hips. The brand gives no advice on sizing up and down, so take your usual size; the models on the product pages are 177 and 178 cm tall and wear an XS. Full charts are in our Agua by Agua Bendita size guide. Bikini tops and bottoms are sold separately, so you can take a different size on top and bottom.

For further browsing, Zimmermann, Christopher Esber and Cult Gaia also have swimwear at Coveti, and our Christopher Esber swimwear guide covers that label in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

What is an embroidered bikini?

It is a two-piece swimsuit decorated with stitched thread motifs, usually florals, worked into the swim fabric. The stitching sits raised on the surface, unlike a flat print.

Can you swim in an embroidered bikini?

Yes, when the base is a true swim fabric and the suit is lined. The Agua by Agua Bendita pieces use a recycled polyester and elastane swim fabric and are fully lined.

How do you wash an embroidered swimsuit?

Rinse it in fresh water after every swim, hand wash it with mild soap and press the water out without wringing. Dry it flat in the shade.

What is the difference between hand and machine embroidery?

Hand embroidery is worked stitch by stitch with a needle, so each piece varies slightly. Machine embroidery repeats one programmed pattern with even tension and a flatter finish.

Which Agua by Agua Bendita swim pieces are hand embroidered?

In the Coleccionista collection, the Primavera Isolda and Primavera Castillo bikini tops and the Ebano Isolda and Durazno Castillo one-pieces carry hand-embroidered florals.

Does sunscreen damage embroidered swimwear?

It can. Sunscreen degrades elastane and can mark thread, and the Agua care label asks you to keep sunscreen off the fabric.

Read next: Agua Bendita swimwear, Designer one-piece swimsuits, Agua Bendita pareos and cover-ups.

By Coveti Editorial. Updated 8 November 2026.