Design your own bandeau and custom swimwear

Beautiful Customized Bandeau Bikini Tops Designed By You

Why go for a standard bandeau top, that can be picked up from any store, when you can design your own bikini online? Printed, cut, sewn and made to order in-house, our bandeau will give your summer look personality and unique style. Designed by you, made by us with next day delivery available. If you have trouble finding your perfect size, then don't worry: at Contrado, size is never an issue. We make all of our unique Bandeau Tops to order, from sizes ranging from a UK 6 to a UK 32, so if you are looking for petite bikini tops or plus size bikini tops, then you can create them easily with us.

Your label, your brand

Brand your bandeau, with our custom printed labels. We’ve left space on the elasticated hem of your bandeau that you can customize with your logo or brand name. Because we make every bandeau from scratch, you can even personalize with the name of your recipient, or a personalized message. Unlike a traditional label, this printed label won’t irritate the skin or fade with washing.  

Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage

We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.2" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 39.37" x 39.37", you will need to order a size of 39.96" x 39.96" to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:

• Light Fabrics (0.59oz-2.95oz): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 0.24" - 0.32" / 6mm-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.48"-0.56""/ 12-16mm
• Medium Fabrics (2.98oz-5.90oz): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.4" - 1.6" / 35-40mm
• Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm

All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage, it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.

How Would you Like the Edge?

• As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border. 
• Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem, as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to choose whichever you prefer. 
• Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your design. This means that if you have a border around your design we will cut around that border, if your design takes the whole space of the fabric, then we will neatly cut around the edge of that image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile. 

All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfectly straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Please note: As we make everything by hand, all sizes may vary slightly.

For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.

Does the bandeau provide support?

Our personalized bandeau top is made from a choice of 2 Lycra fabrics. If you are looking for a more supportive crop top, then we suggest using the Slinky Matt Lycra fabric, which is a firm favorite for custom sportswear and swimwear. The slinky drape and firm resistance, combined with its highly elastic nature, does help make our designer bandeau quite supportive, especially considering that there is no under wiring.

How can I style this top as swimwear?

As well as making a gorgeous customized boob tube or crop top, our bespoke bandeau makes a fun and sexy bikini top. As it can be made from Slinky Matt Lycra, it will dry relatively fast and provide support. You can team it with our Customized Hot Pants or Custom Bikini Bottoms, to create a range of flirty looks, which are perfect for swimwear. Best of all, as the bandeau is strapless, so you won't get any annoying tan lines.

What is the fit of the bandeau top like?

Both the Lycra Soft Sheen and the Slinky Matt Lycra fabric options fit beautifully on the body. The fit is secure and very comfortable. There is a strip of woven elastic sewn into the top and bottom hem of the printed tube top, which provides support and a form-fitting finish. For additional comfort, there is a mesh layer sewn into the lining, which gives an additional layer of comforting support.