These swimwear styles are heating up for summer.
By Ashley Ryan
When summer arrives, there’s nothing better than relaxing at the beach or lounging poolside while soaking up the sun. But with swimwear trends evolving each year, it’s hard to know which suits to select.
“A good swimsuit needs to have … three things: fit, fabric and fashion,” says Blen Arciniega, store manager at Vix Paula Hermanny’s Fashion Island boutique. “Your swimsuit should make you feel your all-time best by hugging your silhouette, [plus] providing you with comfortable support and coverage and—of course—radiant confidence.”
Carly Landig, a Newport Beach-based personal stylist, agrees. “Fashion aside, what’s most important is feeling like yourself and as comfortable as you can in a suit,” she says.
With comfort at the forefront of everyone’s minds since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, one-piece swimsuits with interesting silhouettes have taken center stage in recent years and that trend is continuing into the current summer season. Landig says a belted one-piece that cinches your waist can be ideal if you have an hourglass figure, but colorblocking is popular for any and all body types and is a great way to add some excitement to your swim outfit.
One-piece suits don’t have to be boring though. Landig recommends finding options with cutouts, contrasting piping or asymmetrical straps while Arciniega suggests seeking out suits in rich jewel tones or bold prints that have high-cut legs or strappy details. “It’s all about compliment-inducing pieces and capturing the eye-catching moment this summer,” she adds.
Another popular element this summer is texture. “It takes on an almost clothinglike sensibility and is an easy way to elevate your swim game,” Landig says. According to Arciniega, ribbed fabrics, crocheted materials and even seersucker have become popular in the swim industry.
As a stylist who deals with all types of apparel, Landig says that swimwear follows the same trends as the fashion runways, just with the beach in mind. From mermaid-inspired sparkles to silky, lingerie-style suits, adornments have heavily infiltrated the swim sector. She says that 1990s minimalist pieces are also having a moment, complete with balconette tops, square necklines and a high cut on the hips to elongate the leg.
For those in-between sizes, Arciniega recommends sizing down since swimwear typically expands when wet, and adds that trying suits on can be pivotal when choosing pieces because it gives you a chance to see how it fits—especially with so many styles to choose from.
“It used to be that you would only see a couple of styles in an assortment of colors and maybe a print or two,” Arciniega says. “Now, [swimwear] … is a statement piece. It’s an opportunity to showcase your personal style with designs that incorporate unconventional textures, like knits or trims that incorporate gold hardware, leather, sequins, resins and even embroidery. It’s a whole new exciting world.”
Stylish Swimwear
These fashionable finds have got you covered whether you’re lounging at the beach, swimming in the pool or simply working on your tan.
