Full-Cover 3-Piece Burkini Set (Hood, Tunic & Pants)
The volume product in most markets and the style that carries a whole burkini range. Three separate pieces — a fitted swim hood or cap, a long-sleeve tunic that reaches mid-thigh, and full-length pants — sold as a set or split into individual SKUs. Because the three pieces are cut from the same dye lot in the same order, the match between hood, tunic and pants is the first thing a customer checks on delivery.
Construction notes: tunic body cut as a single front and single back panel to avoid a wet shade line down the centre. Sleeve and pants hem finished with a narrow cover-stitch or flatlock, never a folded hem — a folded hem on swim knit wicks water and stays heavy. Pants have an elasticated self-fabric waistband rather than exposed elastic, and ankle cuffs are fitted with a soft elastic so the leg does not balloon in water. Hood is cut on the cross-grain for stretch direction across the head. All seams are 4-needle 6-thread flatlock so the seam sits flat on the skin and does not chafe under a wetsuit or rash vest.
Typical fabric: 80% polyester / 20% spandex, 190–220 g/m², UPF 50+, with a matching opaque tunic lining at 150 g/m² power mesh or self-fabric.
Two-Piece Burkini (Swim Hood + One-Piece Body)
The streamlined, athletic option. A separate hood plus a one-piece body suit with long sleeves and full-length legs. Two pieces instead of three means less bulk, faster drying and fewer places for water to weigh a garment down — which is why this is the shape competitive and recreational swimmers choose. It is also the easiest burkini to merchandise online because it photographs as one clean silhouette.
Construction notes: body suit cut as a one-piece with a centre-front and centre-back seam for stretch control, or as a 4-panel torso where the print requires panel-matching. Gusset is double-layered and flatlocked — this is a non-negotiable on any one-piece swim garment and is where cheap burkinis fail first. Neckline sits close to the collarbone with a narrow self-fabric binding that stays put when wet. Inseam runs 26–29 inches as standard; we grade to your market.
Typical fabric: 78% nylon / 22% spandex for a softer hand and better recovery, or chlorinated-water PBT for training use.
Zip-Front & Zip-Side Burkini
Preferred by resort, hotel and spa buyers, and by any market where the customer is changing poolside rather than in a cabin. A zip changes how the garment goes on and off, and it is the single feature most requested by buyers serving older customers or customers with limited shoulder mobility.
Construction notes: the critical detail here is the zip itself. A standard metal or moulded nylon zip corrodes and stiffens in chlorinated and salt water within a season — we specify a chlorine-resistant nylon coil zip with a plastic or coated puller on all swim garments, and we test it through 40 wet-dry cycles before approving the spec. The zip tape is stabilised with a knitted tape and the surrounding seam is flatlocked, not overlocked, so the zip does not pucker when the garment stretches. On front-zip styles we add an internal zip guard so the puller does not contact skin when the suit is wet, and a lock-down tab at the top of the zip. On side-zip styles the zip is placed on a princess seam line so the seam is doing the work.
Typical fabric: 80% polyester / 20% spandex, 200–230 g/m², or Italian swim knit for premium resort lines.
Sport & Chlorine-Resistant Burkini
This is the build for swim schools, triathlon-modest ranges, aqua-fitness, and anyone in the pool three or more times a week. What separates it from a fashion burkini is the fibre, not the styling — and it shows up after a season, not on the hanger. Standard elastane breaks down in chlorinated water, which is what leaves ordinary swimwear baggy at the knees and seat. Sport burkinis run on PBT polyester or chlorine-resistant elastane, and hold their shape across hundreds of pool hours.
Construction notes: PBT polyester or Xtra Life LYCRA® blend at 180–210 g/m² with 18–22% elastane for genuine four-way stretch. All thread is polyester, never cotton — cotton thread rots in chlorine and takes the seam with it. Seams are 4-needle 6-thread flatlock throughout, with bar-tacks at every stress point (armhole, crotch, waistband join, zip end). We add a power-mesh bra shelf or a sewn-in soft cup where the buyer wants support without a separate bra. Thumbholes and extended sun sleeves available for open-water and surf ranges. Chlorine-resistance tested to AATCC 162 and stretch-recovery tested to a minimum 85% recovery after 5 cycles.
Typical fabric: PBT polyester–spandex, 180–210 g/m², chlorine resistant; or Xtra Life LYCRA® blend for a softer hand at the same durability.
Swim Hijab, Khimar & Separate Swim Turban
Sold three ways: as part of a set, as a stand-alone accessory SKU, and as a replacement piece. A swim hijab is the hardest single item in the range to get right because it has to stay in place in moving water, drain fast, and not pull at the hairline or ears. Buyers who get this piece right sell it as an repeat-purchase accessory; buyers who get it wrong get it returned.
Construction notes: cut from the same four-way stretch swim knit as the body, with an elongation factor matched to the body fabric so the hood and the suit age at the same rate. The inner edge is a narrow self-fabric band rather than a bulky elastic casing, so it grips without leaving a mark. Cross-grain cutting across the crown gives lateral stretch over the head. Khimar-length swim hijabs (shoulder or chest length) need a slightly heavier fabric — 210–230 g/m² — or the back panel floats up in water. Swim turbans for under-cap use are cut tighter and often lined with a lightweight mesh for drainage. We test every hood design by submerging a mannequin head and checking for displacement and cling before bulk.
Typical fabric: 80% polyester / 20% spandex, 190–230 g/m², colour-matched to the body of the set.
Kids & Teen Burkini (Ages 4–14)
Kids is a fast-growing part of this category in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Gulf, and it does not behave like adult swimwear. Parents buy on coverage and sun protection first, and a child grows out of the garment long before wearing it out. That combination punishes anyone who treats kids as a scaled-down adult, and it puts the sizing curve at the centre of the order.
Construction notes: graded in a dedicated children's block rather than scaled from the adult pattern — the torso-to-leg proportion is different and a scaled adult pattern rides up at the shoulder. Sizes 4–14 years in two-year bands. Higher elastane content (20–24%) for easier dressing. Chin-strap or tie-back hood options so the hood stays on a moving child without pinching. Neck opening has a wide soft binding, no exposed elastic. UPF 50+ is tested on the finished fabric, not assumed from the fibre. Prints run through sublimation so the pattern does not crack when the fabric stretches, and all trims are pull-tested to the applicable children's safety requirement for the destination market.
Typical fabric: 82% recycled polyester / 18% spandex, 190–210 g/m², or standard polyester–spandex for volume price points.
Modest Swim Dress & Swim Leggings Sets
This is the shape for buyers whose customer is not a swimmer at all — she is at the beach, at a spa, or at a water park with her children. A swim dress is a one-piece with a skirted hem over an integrated brief or legging. You get the coverage without the assembly of a three-piece, and it flatters a wider age range than a fitted burkini. Swim leggings sell on their own, or as a co-ord with a swim tunic or rash top.
Construction notes: the dress shell needs a light fabric (170–190 g/m²) or the skirt becomes heavy in water and drags the bodice down — the skirt is attached at a waist seam with a cover-stitched join rather than a gathered join, which would trap water. Integrated briefs are double-layered and flatlocked. Swim leggings are cut with a contoured waistband and a gusset panel; the knee area is where bagging shows first, so leggings use the highest-recovery fabric in the range. Skirt lengths run 34–40 inches total garment length as standard.
Typical fabric: 80% polyester / 20% spandex, 170–200 g/m², with a lighter power-mesh skirt lining.