The Beach Towel Color Guide: Match Your Towel to Your Swimsuit, Tote and Mood
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The best beach towel color is one that either matches your swimsuit or plays against it on purpose: navy and white for a classic look, teal for a Mediterranean feel, coral and orange for sunset energy, yellow for pure happiness, pink for playful, and beige or grey for a calm, minimal vibe. Bright, distinctive colors also make your towel easy to spot on a crowded beach. At Riviera Towel Co. in Santa Barbara, you can shop every one of these palettes by color with our Colorful Search tool.
Turkish towels are made for this kind of styling. They are thin, flat-woven and light enough to double as a sarong, scarf or picnic cover, so your towel is often part of the outfit. Here is how to pick a color you will love.
What color beach towel should I get?
Pick a color that suits your swimsuit wardrobe and your mood. If most of your suits are black, navy or white, almost any towel color works. If you wear prints or brights, choose a towel in one shade pulled from that print.
A good rule: one bold piece, one quiet piece. A loud striped towel looks great with a solid suit, and a printed suit pairs best with a simpler towel. If you share beach days with family, giving everyone their own color is a practical trick that ends the "whose towel is this?" debate.
How do I match my beach towel to my swimsuit and tote?
Repeat one color across all three pieces, then let the rest be neutral. A pink stripe towel with a pink suit and a natural straw tote reads polished without trying too hard.
Woven and jute bags are the easy neutral. The Medina French Market Basket (from $58) and the Concon Crochet Straw Basket (from $94) go with any towel color. If you want the bag to be the pop, the Lemon Beach Bag (from $98) pairs naturally with a yellow or white towel. Browse more beach bags and totes, then see our beach bag packing list for what goes inside.
Which beach towel colors go together? A pairing table
Use this table as a starting point. Each palette links to Colorful Search with those colors already selected, so you only see towels, throws and robes that are in stock in those shades.
| Mood | Towel colors | Pairs with | Shop the palette |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic nautical | Navy and white | Red, white or striped suits; a canvas tote | #col=navy,white |
| Sunset | Coral, orange and pink | White or gold suits; a straw basket | #col=orange,pink |
| Mediterranean | Teal and white | White, black or turquoise suits | #col=teal,white |
| Happy | Yellow | Navy, white or blue suits | #col=yellow |
| Playful | Pink and red | White, green or pink suits | #col=pink,red |
| Fresh | Green | White, pink or neutral suits | #col=green |
| Minimal | Beige, grey and white | Black, brown or cream suits; jute bags | #col=beige,grey,white |
| Bold and chic | Black and white | Any bright suit | #col=black,white |
Colorful Search uses 14 color families (pink, red, orange, yellow, green, teal, blue, navy, purple, white, beige, brown, grey, black), and you can mix as many as you like.
Which Riviera towels work for each color mood?
Start with a style you like, then pick the shade. Most of our towels come in many colorways, and each product page shows photo swatches with how many are in stock in Santa Barbara.
- For a single bold color: the Essential Turkish Towel (from $29.98) comes in dozens of colors, so it is the easiest way to match a suit exactly.
- For crisp, bright stripes on white: the Capri Turkish Towel (White Base) (from $29.98) keeps things light and fresh.
- For a softer, sandy look: the Capri Turkish Towel (Natural Base) (from $29.98) sets color against a natural background.
- For two-tone stripes: the Amalfi Coast Turkish Towel (from $28.98) and Biarritz Turkish Towel (from $28.98) are cheerful, classic picks.
- For pattern lovers: the Diamond Turkish Towel (from $34.98) offers its diamond design in many colors.
- For a free-spirited mood: the Modern Tie Dye Towel (from $42.98) brings the color mixing for you.
- For a towel that doubles as a wrap: the Santa Margherita Sarong | Towel (from $26.98).
Do light or dark beach towels hide sand and stains better?
Mid-tone colors and stripes are the most forgiving. Very pale towels show sunscreen and dirt more, while very dark towels can show dried salt and sand.
The good news is that flat-woven Turkish towels shake out easily, because sand does not cling to them the way it does to thick terry loops. Wash in cold water with like colors, tumble dry low or line dry, and skip fabric softener so the cotton stays absorbent. Our full guide on how to wash Turkish towels covers the details.
What color beach towel makes the best gift?
The recipient's favorite color, every time. If you are not sure, navy and white or a soft neutral is the safest choice, and a bright, happy color is the most fun.
Search their color on Colorful Search, then add gift wrap with a handwritten card for $10 on any product page. Buying for two? "Buy 2, save 10%" applies automatically on Riviera towels, blankets and robes, which makes a coordinated pair (one bold, one neutral) an easy win. Our best beach towels for Santa Barbara guide has more ideas, and our Colorful Search how-to explains every feature of the tool.
Where can I buy colorful beach towels in Santa Barbara?
Visit Riviera Towel Co. at 17 W. Gutierrez St. in downtown Santa Barbara, just off State Street, where our showroom holds the largest collection of Turkish towels in America. You can also shop the beach towel collection online and filter by color.
We ship nationwide with free shipping on orders over $95. Our towels are hand-loomed from Turkish cotton in Turkey, and every colorway is chosen right here in Santa Barbara.
FAQ
What color beach towel should I buy?
Choose a color that matches your swimsuit or contrasts with it on purpose. Navy and white is classic, teal feels Mediterranean, coral and orange feel like sunset, yellow is cheerful and beige or grey is calm and minimal.
Should my beach towel match my swimsuit?
It does not have to match exactly. Repeating one color across your towel, swimsuit and tote looks polished, and pairing a bold towel with a solid suit is an easy, reliable formula.
What beach towel color hides dirt best?
Mid-tone colors and stripes are the most forgiving. Very pale towels show sunscreen and dirt more, and very dark towels can show dried salt and sand.
How can I find Riviera beach towels in a specific color?
Use Colorful Search at rivieratowel.com. Tap one or more colors, or use a link like rivieratowel.com/#col=teal,white, to see only in-stock pieces in those shades.
Where can I buy colorful Turkish beach towels in Santa Barbara?
Riviera Towel Co. at 17 W. Gutierrez St. in downtown Santa Barbara carries Turkish beach towels in many colors, and you can also shop online at rivieratowel.com with free shipping on orders over $95.
Ready to find your beach color? Visit our shop at 17 W. Gutierrez St. in Santa Barbara or call 805-560-1571. We offer free shipping on orders over $95, and 5% of our net profits go to organizations that heal and protect the ocean we all love, with $76,439.30 donated so far.
