21 great beach towels that stand out from the crowd

Your might be a slave to neutrals in everyday life, but the one place they definitely don't work is the beach. If you step up your colour palette in the swimwear department, make sure you've got a vibrant beach towel to match. This lot really are kaleidoscopic – which is why we've limited the old seaside faithful, blue and white stripes, to one selection. But no one loves a nautical stripe as much as HKWT, so if you're pining for a style failsafe, also try the blue and white striped towels at Zara, Soak & Sleep, M&S, Christy and Dalfilo.

This exudes Cote d'Azur spirit – it's a oui, oui, oui from us. Printed cotton, 102 x 178cm. £48, Anthropologie

British textile designer Margo Selby's Quex print towel for John Lewis. 100 x 180cm. £35

A double-sided towel, with hamman fabric on one side and terry towelling. From the Barra range by Torres Novas, which was inspired by the stripes on the Barra lighthouse at Aveiro, Portugal's tallest lighthouse, it comes in 12 other colours. 100 x 180cm. £39.99

Yves Delorme called this range of towels Croisière, meaning 'cruise'. But an oceangoing vehicle is optional – this would brighten up any beach in Blighty. It's extra long, at 92 x 200cm, and available in seven other colours. £109

A fab design made, improbably, in Italy. But £6 for fish and chips? I'm guessing Burberry hasn't been in a chippy any time lately. Printed cotton, 100 x 170cm. £395

A two-sided towel, with Turkish hamman fabric on one side and terry towelling on the other. Also available in white with blue stripes. 90 x 180cm. £45, Initially London

Think chic 1950s resort glamour, with a dose of added French stylishness, and you have Jonathan Adler's printed cotton velour masterpiece. 102 x 178cm, £98

Suite702 is a Dutch firm that majors in sustainably made luxury linens. Designed in Amsterdam and made in Portugal, its beach towels are both soft and lightweight, but on the smaller side at 70 x 140cm. Also available in a zesty yellow and blue combo, £65.

Signature Paul Smith stripes in soft, absorbent cotton. 80 x 160cm, £90

Cotton towel with Club Tropicana vibes. £14, Next

Turkish beach towel in cotton that's 100 x 180cm. Seven other patterns/colourways available. £23, Amazon

You don't need to be a surfer to dig this cool, retro printed cotton towel, 102 x 178cm. £42, Anthropologie

Add some citrussy zing to your life courtesy of Mango's tasselled towel, 100 x 180cm. Also available in rich maroon, deep green and navy – would happily buy one in every colour. £29.99

Truly enormous square beach towel with its brand name, Perfect Moment, running along the bottom. A style statement and a real treat-yourself choice. £165

Effortlessly stylish cotton terry 'Moro' towel from Danish label Tekla. 100 x 180cm. £90

Cabana stripe beach towels are a bargainous £20 for two. The downside? They're on the bijou side, at 76 x 152cm. But don't those colours just lift your spirits?

Jacquard 'Saltillo Sunset' beach towel from American heritage brand Pendleton, which has a wide range of textiles inspired by Native American designs. 102 x 178cm. £80

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