Scampi Swimwear

Scampi Swimwear is a Swedish swimwear brand founded in Stockholm in 1983, known for mix-and-match swimsuits, bikinis and beachwear designed for women of all ages and body types. The company publishes little beyond that core statement, but it is clear about its starting point: an active life, in its words, should never have to compromise on either fit or style.

Stockholm, 1983

Sweden is an odd place to start a swimwear label, and a revealing one. The Swedish summer is short and the water is cold, and swimming happens as often in lakes and in the archipelago off Stockholm as on any beach. A swimsuit in that setting has to cope with rocks, wooden jetties and a bracing first plunge, as well as the odd sunlounger.

Scampi describes itself, in Swedish, as "ett exklusivt svenskt badklädesmärke från Stockholm grundat år 1983," an exclusive Swedish swimwear brand from Stockholm founded in 1983. The museum could not find the names of its founders or details of its early years in any source it could check, and the company does not publish them.

Scampi's mix-and-match system

The idea Scampi puts first is combination. Tops, bottoms, one-pieces and beachwear are designed to be put together into a personal set rather than sold only as fixed outfits. For a brand that says it designs for every age and body type, that is the practical answer to a problem every swimwear maker faces: very few women take the same size above and below the waist.

The same logic runs through lingerie, where bras and briefs are sized separately. It lets a wearer pair a supportive underwired or triangle top with whichever bikini bottom cut suits her, from a full brief to a higher leg. It also lets a brand carry fewer full sets in stock while offering more combinations, which matters for a smaller company.

Silhouettes and Scandinavian restraint

Scampi's own description promises "smickrande silhuetter, exklusiv kvalitet och tidlös skandinavisk design," which translates as flattering silhouettes, exclusive quality and enduring Scandinavian design. The language is familiar from Nordic fashion marketing, but it does point to a real house style in the region: clean lines, solid colors or restrained prints, and little hardware or ornament.

The current range covers swimsuits, bikinis, separate bikini tops and bottoms, and a beachwear line of cover-ups, dresses, shorts and sarongs. The company describes its customer as someone with "ett äventyrligt sinne," an adventurous mind, which fits a country where a swim is as likely to involve a rowing boat as a resort pool.

What the record does not show

Scampi does not publish its fabrics, factories, size range or store list on the pages the museum could read, and no Wikipedia article or trade-press profile turned up. That leaves gaps a lingerie historian would like to fill, such as where the suits are cut and sewn and how the brand's styles have changed since the 1980s.

What is clear is the brand's age. Scampi has been trading under the same name since 1983, through more than four decades of swimwear trends.

Scampi Swimwear in the museum archive

The museum's archive lists close to 60 Scampi products. Seen next to the larger European swim houses, such as France's Eres, Scampi sits closer to the practical end of the market: swimsuits built to be worn for a cold-water swim, combined freely, and kept for more than one summer. Four decades after it was founded in Stockholm, the company still describes itself exactly as it began, as a Swedish swimwear brand from the capital.

Last updated October 7, 2026