‘Beach towel nails’ are the perfect manicure for summer holidays

With summer well and truly underway, you’ve probably already saved our summer nail trend suggestions, but ahead of the holiday season we've got another: beach towel nails.

Striped just like beach towels you’d see scattered around the poolside, these nails feel perfect for summer travels or those wishing they were lounging by the beach instead of stuck at their desk. When it comes to the stripes, this nail trend is really versatile. You can go simple – adding stripes to nudes or jelly tones – maximal, graphic, or combine it with your fave nail trends from fruity nails to ombre.

So, how can you achieve beach towel nails at home? Pick your colours – classic or clashing combinations both work well – and paint your base as usual. For the stripes, whether they’re horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, a nail art set will be your BFF.

Let the brush do all of the hard work to create straight, symmetrical lines. Slow and steady at first, going over them again if you want a thicker stripe. It’ll take a bit of practice if you’re not a nail artist, so patience is key!

Here’s 33 of our fave stripy beach towel nails to inspire you ahead of the summer holiday season…

Multicolour stripe nails

This multicolour manicure is like a packed beach in the summer, filled with beach towels of different coloured stripes. More is more.

Lemon stripe nails

These super summery blue stripe nails are accessorised with cute mini lemons.

Double stripe Frenchies

A minimal take on the trend, give your French tips a twist in contrasting colours. It’s giving watermelon!

Glitter stripe nails

Bold bright colours not enough for you? Add some extra sparkles with lines of glitter to catch the sunlight.

Chunky stripe nails

Supersize your stripes with this jumbo mix-n-match coloured manicure.

Double trouble stripe nails

This is one for any indecisive nail lovers out there. Why decide on one colourway when you can have two – one for each hand.

Pink and red stripe nails

A classic colour combination, these pink and red stripe nails feel like summer personified.

Jelly stripe nails

Let the colours of your striped nails shine with a clear jelly nail underneath.

Blue stripe nails

Blue on blue stripes, perfect for the poolside.

Airbrush stripe nails

Blurring into one another, we love the airbrush effect used to create the horizontal stripes for this set.

Super stripe nails

XXL long nails means one thing, even more space for stripes.

Asymmetric stripe nails

Not only is this set flipped horizontal, we love the varying thickness of the stripes to add dimension.

Candy cane stripe nails

Sweet as a candy cane, this pink and white stripe set is a classic colour combo.

Fruit salad stripe nails

Fruit nails will always pop up every summer and this set is the bumper pack – every fruit you could imagine on a striped background.

White stripe nails

Coconut milk nails meets glossy nudes in this demure stripy set.

Circus stripe nails

Just like a striped Big Top tent, this circus set is complete with stars and clowns.

Crab stripe nails

Calling all Cancerians! There’s still time to rep your crabby sigil via this cute crustacean manicure before Leo season starts.

Charcuterie stripe nails

This delicious summer spread is backdropped by various striped tablecloths and the cute pinky nods to the Sardine Summer trend.

Diagonal stripe nails

Turn beach towel nails on its head by orienting your stripes diagonally.

Black stripe nails

Easy to achieve at home, these thin black stripes are a great starting point for hopping on the beach towel nails trend.

Black and white stripe nails

A twist on classic stripes, this mind-bending black and white manicure melts as it reaches the tip of the nail.

Cherry stripe nails

Sweet as cherry pie, these cherry topped striped nails are perfect for the summer.

Wallpaper stripe nails

We love the different colour combos of these vintage wallpaper-inspired striped nails.

Swirly stripe nails

Not a fan of bold stripes taking over your entire nail? Dip your toe into the trend with these gold-tipped swirls that offer a cheeky glimpse of blue and white stripes.

Stars and stripes nails

Just in time for July 4th!

All the stripes nails

Leaning into the mismatched manicure trend, there’s no limit to the colours, shapes or styles in this set.

Polka dot stripe nails

We already told you that polka dot nails were going to be big this summer and they pair perfectly with beach towel stripes.

Butter yellow stripe nails

Butter yellow is still an inescapable shade this summer, so naturally butter yellow stripes are in too.

Blue ombre stripe nails

Recalling the rippling waves of the sea, we love the multiple blue tones that make up this ombre stripe set.

Cat-eye stripe nails

The only way these cat-eye stripe nails could be improved is to see them sparkling in the summer sun.

Pride stripe Frenchies

Pride month might have come to an end, but celebrate the LGBTQ+ community all year long with these reimagined flags as striped Frenchies.

Pastel stripe nails

Spring, summer, autumn or winter – pastels look cute all year round.

Holographic stripe nails

Despite its minimal single stripe design, the holographic effect makes this set a showstopper.