Tied Up in Style: The Strappy Bikini Edit Worth Bookmarking
There is something quietly powerful about a strappy bikini. It is not the loudest thing on the beach — it doesn't need to be. The strap, the tie, the delicate hardware detail: each one draws a line, frames a silhouette, and signals that you've given this some thought. The strappy bikini set is, in every meaningful sense, the edit within the edit — a choice made by someone who understands that swimwear is as much about architecture as it is about attitude.
This season, the strappy moment is fully realised across the designers we carry at Lola Dré. From rope-linked hardware to botanical lace, the most compelling interpretations share one thing: intentional construction that earns its reveal.
The Case for White
A white strappy bikini is perhaps the clearest expression of the form. Nothing obscures the line — you see exactly where the strap sits, how the tie falls, the precision of the cut. Melissa Odabash's Salerno set does this with characteristic restraint: ribbed fabric that adds texture without distraction, clean lines, and a fit that's been engineered over decades of getting it exactly right.
Salerno White Ribbed Bikini Top
Melissa Odabash — $320
Salerno White Ribbed Bikini Bottom
Melissa Odabash — $320
Sunstone Lace Halter Bikini Top
PatBO — $198
Explore the full White Bikinis collection →
Hardware as Detail: The Link Strap Moment
NAU Bikinis have built their entire identity around one idea: the decorative strap as the point of the piece. Their link strap construction — corded, interlocked, graphic — turns the functional tie into the design statement. It's an approach rooted in Brazilian swimwear craftsmanship, where the relationship between body and fabric has always been treated as a serious art form. The black-and-white colourblock iteration is the one that stops people mid-sentence.
Corded Contrast Link Strap Bikini Top
NAU Bikinis — $70
Black Corded Link Strap Bikini Bottom
NAU Bikinis — $65
Explore the full NAU Bikinis collection →
The Side Tie: Effortlessly Adjustable, Endlessly Wearable
The side-tie strappy bikini bottom has outlasted countless trends for good reason — it flatters nearly every body, sits wherever you want it to, and carries that relaxed coastal ease that no fixed waistband can replicate. BAOBAB's Kaia Ribbed Side Tie is the refined version: the ribbing adds a sculptural quality, while the straps are long enough to bow properly. Verandah's Blush Floral interpretation takes the same silhouette and layers in a print that reads as both feminine and effortless.
Kaia Ribbed Side Tie Bikini Bottom
BAOBAB — $50
Blush Floral Side Tie Bikini Bottom
Verandah — $84
Sage Green Floral Triangle Bikini Top
Verandah — $90
When the Strappy Bikini Goes Haute
Not all strappy bikini sets are concerned with restraint. MISSONI's Micro Flower Bandeau set brings the house's iconic chevron and 3D floral print into the swimwear conversation — the result is joyfully maximalist, with strappy detailing that frames rather than competes with the print. ZIMMERMANN's Aster Spliced Triangle Bikini, meanwhile, takes spliced florals into the sea with their signature lightness of touch. These are strappy bikini sets built for the woman who isn't worried about standing out — she's too busy having a magnificent time.
Micro Flower Bandeau Bikini Set
MISSONI — $305
Aster Spliced Floral Triangle Bikini Set
ZIMMERMANN — $275
A Final Word on Styling
The strappy bikini rewards considered styling above everything else. When worn with a sheer pareo or a simple linen shirt, the straps become a detail that peeks through rather than disappears. Layering the top under a slip dress for a coastal dinner is an increasingly mainstream choice — the visible strap has become as acceptable as the visible bra strap once became, and it carries far more intention. Whatever your colour preference — from a white strappy bikini on a sun-bleached terrace to a bold red on a volcanic black-sand shore — the key is treating the tie as the focal point rather than an afterthought.
