A large towelling bag, red with a huge white disc, held all the necessaries for a trip to the beach. A navy towelling pull-up dress warmed a small shivering body post-swim. A thin rough candy-striped towel with a ragged edge covered sunburned shoulders while knotty hair was gently untangled. It was 1976 and for weeks there had been an uninterrupted heatwave: endless days of sun, seas, sand, picnics, play. Freedom. And a practical, comfortable fabric – towelling: easy to wash, dry, pop on again. No fiddly fastenings, just soft rolled edges, a piece of elastic or a drawstring at the most. Slipped over a wet swimsuit on the beach, it gathered little pockets of sand, easily shaken out in a silvery shower.

There is the nostalgia of the nursery about towelling, a soft breeze of babyhood, baby powder, childhood, simple comfort quickly conjured. We had drifted away from towelling as a fashion fabric – too childish, too utilitarian, too cheap? No wonder this enduring classic has made a comeback this summer, when we need to be both comforted and set free, four years old again. 

Sean Connery in Goldfinger, 1964.

Look and you’ll find post-swim dresses and playsuits, loose terry shirts, roomy beach bags, sunny slides, even bucket hats, because everyone knows, it’s silly to bring a panama to the beach. Towelling says summer as well as an ice lolly, a pair of sandals or a fishing net. If you won’t wear towelling, at least wrap yourself in a beautiful bath towel, post-swim, post-bath. Choose a bright shade for a sunny mood.