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Who's kidding whom? The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is an exercise in soft-core porn where the swimsuits play a supporting role to the beautiful bodies.
On the 2008 cover (available on newsstands until May 20), model Marisa Miller shows off a teensy woven bottom complemented by a strategically placed necklace of sparkly blue rocks. The same look reappears in the table of contents: There's Bar Refaeli in a bib of colourful discs and only the lower half of a gold string bikini.
The reaction of most women? “You can't expect me to actually wear that!”
Yet it is possible to extract a wearable message from these looks – namely that hardware on a swimsuit can be a great way to draw attention to all the right places.
V Del Sol mono-kini, $220 at Holt Renfrew (www.holtrenfrew.com). Lucite bangles, $30 to $65; earrings, $30; necklace, $155, all at Accessity (www.accessity.com). (Charla Jones/The Globe and Mail)
Photogallery
As luck would have it, jewellery bits, moulded plastic pieces and metal gewgaws are popping up this season on one-piece and two-piece suits that are otherwise monochromatic and often modestly sexy.
The look is ideal for women who have grown out of the frilly-bikini stage of life. Hardware looks good because it's a built-in accessory that, with the exception of excessive amounts of gold plate, makes a high-end statement. And solid colours are invariably more sophisticated than polka dots and seashell motifs. Not to mention, they are easier to pull off.
“Most people do like solids,” says Fay Yeung, owner of Sandpipers Sports & Funwear, a Toronto boutique that carries swimwear brands from around the world. “Prints are very personal.”
This is what Véronique de la Cruz realized when developing her hot swimwear brand, V Del Sol (featured in Sports Illustrated this year and last). The former Miss France, who divides her time between Toronto and Costa Rica, started with a collection that was based on tropical flora and fauna. Her second season (in stores now) is predominantly composed of solid colours such as hibiscus red and electric blue with semi-precious stones, Lucite and gold chain.
“We started with prints, but it didn't work as well,” de la Cruz says. “It's not what I was looking for. You know when you know what you're looking for.”
When it comes to hardware, one reason designers are pushing the trend is clear: “You can actually make a suit more expensive by putting jewellery on it,” Yeung acknowledges. While basic suits at her store start at around $100, more elaborate numbers can cost up to $300.
This year, the trend is to a single hardware accent, she says, adding that it feels less showy than the overembellishing of seasons past. “The focal point is a lot more in the details.”
Hardware is also being used on cut-outs (a hybrid between one-pieces and bikinis), an increasingly popular style. Two-pieces joined by decorative yet functional plastic or metal pieces (such as the V Del Sol suit on our cover) even have their own name: mono-kinis.
“People were scared of cut-outs a few years ago and now, even mature ladies are into them,” Yeung says. “They cover the tummy part where we have problems and give shape at the sides.”
Her more than 20 years of experience in the industry tells her that style will continue to get hotter.
“You know,” she says, “how many ways can you do a bikini?”
Finishing touches
Swimwear sans accessories is like cupcakes without frosting. Look for sandals or flip-flops dressed with tortoiseshell, Swarovski crystals and pretty miscellany. Mix and match metals, but keep texture consistent (translation: no shiny gold with matte plastic).
Think of bubbles when choosing your baubles; Lucite beads and bangles look like wearable water. Clear also translates to handbags and hats (we love visor material in a riding-cap style). A vinyl tote keeps contents safe and won't get damaged like leather or suede.
Canvas and straw are beachy options. And terry cloth remains a summer star. Gap has one-upped Juicy Couture's drawstring shorts with cute skirts that will soak up any dampness après swim.
A.V.
In pictures: Summer's suits
