Instead of being heavily constructed with panels and pads to push in and round out your body, the new wave of swimsuits is borrowing more subtle forms of flattery right off the runways. This means that the suits now hitting stores are more in step with fashion trends than ever before, and can put a figure in its best light without looking contrived.
“The key silhouettes are very flattering,” says Nicole Fischelis, vice president and fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue stores, citing one-shoulder, halter and bandeau-top styles. Colors are sophisticated, steeped in the greens and blues of the sea, or fashioned in earthier tones, such as brown and eggplant.
Overall, suits are cleaner, uncluttered by busy prints, surplice wraps and other distractions. Tanks are updated with camisole straps, square necklines, piping or textured fabric. Even the near-classic triangle bikini–about as bare and spare as a bathing suit can get–is enjoying renewed popularity.
Diagonal stripes visually slim the torso without requiring power panels. Bandeau bodices, as part of a one- or two-piece suit, are making the biggest splash, thanks to the popularity of the tube top on designer runways. A variation with boned sides and a gathered front tied at the top “is a great style for a smaller bust,” says designer Malia Mills. Its versatility extends beyond the beach, as it’s easily paired with a cardigan and pants or a side-slit skirt for evening.
Seaming, on bandeaus and around camisole bodices, is a great detail to watch for if you have a full bust. “The seams show off a feminine shape while giving good support,” Mills says.
Waist-skimming tank tops teamed with moderately cut, dipped-front or shorts-style bottoms–dubbed the “tankini” in the swimwear industry–offer a flattering option for women skittish about bikinis. “If your midriff and tummy are small and firm, buy a scoop bottom,” advises Anne Cole, who sells the pieces as separates. “Otherwise, get a full trunk, up to the waist.” And like the bandeau, these tanks can find a place in your wardrobe even when water is nowhere in sight.
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Resources
1. Anne Cole floral tank, $86; at Saks Fifth Avenue. 2. Sassafras bikini with shorts, $58; at Marshall Fields. 3. Striped tankini top, $38, bottom $34; at J. Crew. 4. Turquoise tank with white piping, $75; at Ann Taylor. 5 . Malia Mills bandeau bikini, $138; at Saks Fifth Avenue. 6. Halter-style blue tank, $140; at Wolford, 54 E. Oak St., 312-642-8787.
