Talisman Beaded Bikini Bottoms - Mint

The Talisman Beaded Bikini Bottoms are pale mint and high-cut, with beaded side straps in acrylic resin beads of turquoise and marbled amber, set between rounds of polished gold. They come in UK sizes 6 to 14 and pair with the matching Talisman bandeau top.

Most embellished swimwear puts its beading somewhere safe, along a waistband or clipped to a ring. Here the beaded strand is the strap itself. The mint fabric stops at the hip, a run of turquoise, amber and gold picks it up and carries across the hip bone, and the fabric resumes at the back. From across a pool it reads as body jewelry. Up close it reads as the reason you bought them.

That is only possible because the beads are acrylic resin. Stone or glass at this scale would be too heavy to hold a strap line, and would drag the moment they were wet. Acrylic keeps the run light enough to sit where it should on the hip and stay there.

The cut is high on the leg with cheeky rear coverage and a ruched centre back seam. The front rise is low, which keeps the beaded straps sitting exactly where they should, on the hip rather than the waist. The fabric is double-layered, which is what lets a shade this pale stay opaque wet or dry.

One colorway, one run of 66 matched sets, and only four pairs in XL. This style cannot be restocked before the end of the season.

Details

• High-cut leg with cheeky rear coverage and a ruched centre back seam
• Structural beaded side straps: the beaded strand forms the strap across the hip, it is not a trim sewn onto a fabric strap
• Beads: acrylic resin in turquoise and marbled amber tones, with round polished gold
• Double-layered fabric
• Low front rise, straps sit on the hip bone rather than the waist
• Pale mint
• UK sizes 6 to 14
• Limited run, one colorway, no restock this season. Only four pairs in XL

Fit and sizing

True to size. The high-cut leg and low front rise run smaller across the hip than a classic brief, so if you are between sizes or prefer more coverage, take the larger size.

Caring for the beading

Rinse in cool fresh water after the pool or the sea. Hand wash cold with a mild detergent, supporting the beaded straps rather than wringing them. Dry flat in the shade, since direct sun fades pale colors fastest. Keep sunscreen and oils off the beads where you can, and do not machine wash, tumble dry, or iron over them.

Questions

Does pale mint go see-through when wet?
Not this one. The Talisman is double-layered, which is what keeps a pale shade opaque in and out of the water. Pale swimwear that turns translucent is almost always single-layer fabric.

What are the beads made from?
The beads on the Talisman bottoms are acrylic resin, in turquoise and marbled amber tones with rounds of polished gold. Acrylic is used deliberately: because the beaded strand forms the side strap rather than decorating one, it has to stay light enough to hold its line on the hip. Stone or glass would be too heavy.

What is a high-cut bikini bottom?
A high-cut bottom sits high on the hip and is cut steeply at the leg opening, which lengthens the leg and shortens the look of the torso. The Talisman bottoms are high-cut with a low front rise, so the beaded side straps rest on the hip bone rather than at the natural waist.

Do beaded bikini bottoms sit comfortably?
On the Talisman bottoms the beaded strand forms the side strap, so the beads sit along the hip bone rather than under a fabric waistband. They are light acrylic rather than stone, which is what makes that work. As with any beaded swimwear, avoid lying directly on the beaded side for long stretches on a hard sun lounger.

Can I buy the top and bottoms in different sizes?
Yes. The Talisman top and bottoms are sold separately for exactly that reason, so you can take a size 12 top with size 10 bottoms if that is your shape. Both come in UK 6 to 14.

How do I look after a beaded bikini?
Rinse it in cool fresh water as soon as you are out of the pool or the sea, since chlorine, salt and sunscreen are harder on beaded trims than on plain fabric. Hand wash cold, dry flat in the shade, and store it flat rather than folded over the beading.