If you're searching for a shell bikini, shell top, or real shell clothing, you're probably wondering what you're actually buying. Are the shells real? Why are shell pieces more expensive? Can you swim in them? And how do you care for them?
Shells have become one of the most recognizable materials in the world of Akua. We're drawn to them because they are exactly what we want our pieces to feel like: shaped by nature, unique, and impossible to replicate exactly.
Here's what you should know before buying and caring for a real shell piece.
What Does a Hand-Sewn Shell Top Actually Mean?
Our shell pieces are made with real shells individually sewn onto the garment by hand.
Rather than applying a finished sheet of embellishment, the shells are individually placed and sewn onto the base. Depending on the design, a single shell top or shell dress can contain hundreds of individual shells.
It's a slow process, but that handwork is part of what makes each piece different.
Because shells are a natural material, there will always be subtle differences in colour, texture, shape, and shine. Combined with hand placement, this means no two Akua shell pieces will ever be completely identical.
For us, that's part of their beauty.
Are Akua Shell Tops Made With Real Shells?
Yes. Akua shell pieces are made using real shells, not plastic sequins or printed shell patterns.
Real shell has a depth and natural variation that manufactured materials struggle to reproduce. Hold one of our pieces in the light and you'll notice that every shell reflects slightly differently. Some are brighter. Some are warmer. Some have more visible natural markings. The surface shifts and catches the light as you move.
Rather than trying to make every shell look identical, we allow those natural variations to become part of the finished garment.
How Can You Tell If a Shell Top Uses Real Shells?
One of the easiest things to look for is variation.
Real shells are created by nature, so they won't be perfectly identical. Look closely at a real shell garment and you should see subtle differences in tone, texture, thickness, and reflection from one shell to another. Plastic sequins and moulded shell embellishments tend to be much more uniform. They can imitate the shine of shell, but they don't have the same natural depth and variation.
Real shell also has a beautiful weight and dimension to it. It's something that becomes much more obvious when you actually hold the garment in your hands.
Why Are Real Shell Tops and Shell Bikinis More Expensive?
The difference comes down to both material and craftsmanship.
A heavily embellished shell garment can contain hundreds of individual shells, each of which needs to be placed and sewn onto the garment. That kind of work takes time.
It also means shell clothing can't be approached in quite the same way as conventional mass-produced clothing. The irregularities of a natural material require a human hand and eye throughout the process.
At Akua, we would rather make fewer pieces this way than remove the details that make them special. These are meant to be the pieces you remember wearing.
Can You Swim in a Shell Bikini?
Yes, our shell bikinis and shell swimwear can be worn in the water, but we recommend treating them differently from an everyday swimsuit.
Think ocean swims, beach days, boats, poolside afternoons, and those moments when you're moving between the water and everything surrounding it. For frequent lap swimming or long periods in heavily chlorinated pools, we'd choose one of our traditional swimsuit instead.
The shells are natural and individually sewn onto the garment, so giving your shell swimwear a little extra care will help preserve it.
How Do You Care for a Shell Bikini or Shell Top?
We like to think of our shell pieces as somewhere between clothing and jewelry.
After wearing shell swimwear in the ocean or pool, gently rinse it with fresh water. This helps remove salt, chlorine, sunscreen, and other products that can build up on both the shells and fabric. Avoid wringing or twisting the garment. Instead, gently remove excess water and lay it flat to dry away from direct sunlight.
When storing a shell top, shell bikini, or shell dress, keep it somewhere the shells won't continually rub against hard jewelry, buckles, or other objects that could scratch or chip them. And when travelling, give your shell pieces a little room in your suitcase rather than compressing them underneath heavier items.
Are Shell Pieces Fragile?
Shell is a natural material, so it deserves care, but that doesn't mean your shell pieces are meant to sit untouched in your closet. We make them to be worn.
Take them on vacation. Wear them to dinner after the beach. Pack them for your honeymoon. Wear the shell bikini into the ocean. Bring the shell top out again years later. The goal isn't to keep something beautiful perfectly untouched.
It's to collect memories in it.
Shell Clothing, Made the Akua Way
Our fascination with shells goes beyond the way they look.
Akua has always been inspired by the forms, textures, and materials found in nature. Shells allow us to take something created by the natural world and transform it into something you can wear. From our shell bikinis and shell tops to shell dresses, skirts, belts, and accessories, each piece is designed to feel somewhere between clothing and art.
Made slowly. Made by hand. Made to be remembered.
Where Our Pieces Fit
Everything in our Shell Collection is hand-sewn shell by shell rather than printed, moulded, or glued. The Shell Halter Top and Shell Triangle Top are hand-beaded onto a soft linen lining. The Shell Belt is hand-strung the same way, designed to layer over pants, dresses, skirts, or swim rather than stay confined to one use. The Shell Maxi Skirt and Shell Halter Dress pair organic cotton with a hand-sewn shell waist and neckline, built for a full-coverage silhouette rather than swim alone. And The Isla Shell Bag is shell from front to back.
Every piece is one of one, because the shells that went into it were too.
If you want the story behind why we started working with shell in the first place, that's here: Signature Shells: The Inspiration Behind Akua's Shell Tops.
