A burkini is a swimsuit that covers the body, the arms, the legs and the hair while still working as swimwear: it has to move in water, dry quickly, resist chlorine and salt, and stay opaque when wet. Riccitelli Milano develops and manufactures modest swimwear and burkinis in Italy for brands in the Gulf, in Europe and worldwide.
It is the hardest garment in the modest category, because water is unforgiving in ways air is not, and most of what goes wrong only appears after the customer has already swum in it.
Why water changes everything
Drag. Every extra square centimetre of fabric is resistance. A burkini that is comfortable standing on the sand can be exhausting to swim twenty metres in. Managing drag is about how the garment is cut and where the volume sits, not about using less fabric, because the coverage is the point.
Weight when wet. Fabric absorbs water and gains weight, and that weight pulls the garment down and away from the body. A tunic that sits correctly dry can drag at the shoulders and expose the neck the moment it is wet. This is solved with low absorption fabrics and with construction that carries the load, not with a tighter fit.
Cling and transparency. A wet fabric can turn transparent and can outline the body precisely, defeating the entire purpose of the garment. Opacity has to be tested wet as well as stretched, and a lining or a double layer is often the only reliable answer.
Chlorine and salt. Chlorine destroys standard elastane, and a burkini that has lost its recovery after eight swims is a returned product. Chlorine resistant fibres are not optional for anything sold for pool use.
What we produce
Two and three piece burkinis: hooded or separate hijab, tunic, and full length leggings. One piece full coverage swimsuits. Swim hijabs and caps. Modest swim dresses worn over leggings. Long sleeve rash guards and swim leggings for surf and watersport. Beach and poolside cover ups, kaftans and robes in quick drying cloth. Modest swimwear for children.
Related: modest sportswear production, swimwear and beachwear and modest fashion production.
Fabric, where the product is won or lost
Swim fabric is a specification, not a colour. What we work to: chlorine resistant fibres, typically polyamide or polyester with a chlorine resistant elastane, because standard elastane degrades in a pool. Low water absorption, so the garment does not gain weight. Opacity when wet, verified on the finished garment. UPF 50 plus, since a burkini is worn in strong sun for hours. Colour fastness to chlorine, salt water, sunlight and sun cream, which is the one most often skipped and the one that produces the most complaints. Quick drying, because a garment worn in public has to stop being wet.
Recycled polyamide made from reclaimed fishing nets is well established in swim and is increasingly expected by buyers, with the certification alongside it. See fabric sourcing in Italy and quality control and compliance.
Construction
Seams are flatlock or bonded, so nothing rubs against skin that is wet and in motion for hours. Elastic at the neck, the cuffs and the ankles is applied under controlled tension, because elastic that relaxes lets water in and lets the garment shift. Drawcords and internal ties are placed where a swimmer can reach them, and hoods are cut so they stay put without gripping the throat.
The hem of the tunic gets a split or a shaped line so it does not wrap around the legs mid stroke, and the leggings get a stirrup or a cuff so they do not ride up. These are small decisions that decide whether the garment is swum in twice or all summer.
How a burkini project runs
Flats drawn with seam types, elastic placement and closures specified. First patterns drafted with negative ease calculated against the specific fabric and its behaviour when wet. The prototype is then tested in water, which is not optional in this category: the garment is swum in, checked for drag, for shift, for cling and for opacity wet, and then judged after drying. Corrections go into the pattern, a second sample confirms them, the size set is proven across the range, and the approved sample becomes the production reference. See pattern making and grading and sampling and prototyping.
Calendars
Swim runs on a fixed season and the fabric is the long pole. Chlorine resistant knits in specific colours book out early, and a delay there moves the whole delivery. For a summer season, development belongs in the previous autumn. Ramadan and Eid holiday travel also concentrate demand, so a brand selling into the Gulf should plan two peaks rather than one.
Quantities
Minimums follow the fabric, since swim knits are dyed in lots. See low minimum order production and capsule collection production.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a burkini?
A swimsuit that covers the body, arms, legs and hair, usually in two or three pieces: a hooded or separate hijab, a tunic, and full length leggings. It has to work as swimwear as well as coverage, which means moving in water, drying quickly, resisting chlorine and salt, and staying opaque when wet.
Why does modest swimwear need different fabric?
Because it is worn wet, in sun, for hours. It needs chlorine resistant fibres since standard elastane degrades in a pool, low water absorption so the garment does not gain weight, opacity when wet, UPF 50 plus, and colour fastness to chlorine, salt, sunlight and sun cream. A standard swim fabric fails at least one of those.
Why does a burkini get heavy in water?
Because fabric absorbs water and the weight pulls the garment down and away from the body, which is how a tunic that sat correctly dry ends up dragging at the shoulders. The answer is a low absorption fabric and construction that carries the load, not a tighter fit.
Do you test the garment in water?
Yes, and it is not optional. The prototype is swum in, then checked for drag, for shift, for cling and for opacity while wet, and judged again after drying. Everything that goes wrong with a burkini goes wrong wet, so approving one dry tells you almost nothing.
How do you stop the tunic wrapping around the legs?
With a split or shaped hem so the fabric releases instead of catching mid stroke, and with leggings finished with a cuff or a stirrup so they do not ride up. Small construction decisions, and the difference between a garment worn twice and one worn all summer.
Is chlorine resistance really necessary?
For anything sold for pool use, yes. Chlorine destroys standard elastane, and a burkini that has lost its recovery after eight swims comes back as a return. Chlorine resistant elastane costs more and removes the most common failure in the category.
Can you produce modest swimwear in small quantities?
Yes, though the minimum follows the fabric rather than the garment because swim knits are dyed in lots. A focused range in one or two colourways is a realistic way to launch.
When should a modest swim collection be developed?
For a summer season, in the previous autumn. Chlorine resistant knits in specific colours book out early and the fabric is the long pole in the project. Brands selling into the Gulf should also plan for the Ramadan and Eid travel peaks, not just the summer one.
Produce your modest swimwear in Italy
Send a reference garment, a fabric or a finished tech pack and we tell you what it takes to build it: which knit, which construction, what calendar. Contact our Milan studio, or see all fashion production services.
Start your production with Riccitelli Milano
Tell us about the collection you would like to create. Our team will get back to you to begin your production in Italy.