The Fashion Statement: Take the Plunge

by Kristin Young (RSS feed)
Apr 8th 2010 at 9:00AM

Summer is bearing down upon us and so is the most fearful word in the English language -- swimwear. Sooner or later we all have to buy a swimsuit and we women like this seasonal ritual about about as much as filing our tax returns.

But this season offers hope. For those among us who aren't blessed with Gisele's bod, now is as good a time as any to hit the fitting rooms. Why? Because, one-pieces, like the throng Dolce & Gabbana (pictured above) sent down the runway, have the ability to cover up imperfections without a whiff of dowdy. If bikinis are more your thing, there are plenty of boy bottoms cut à la Marilyn Monroe that hide a lot more than the essentials. Of course, if you are a Gisele, there are still plenty of ways to show off your assets.

Here's a cheat sheet on who's doing what in swimwear. Then, ladies, gather up your courage, go forth and shop!

RETRO '50s: Designers have gone back to the days of Harry Truman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and the birth of Rock 'n Roll. Maurizio Pecoraro, Stella McCartney, Moschino Cheap & Chic, and Hervé Leger all presented swimwear that jumped out of the mid-century. These silhouettes sit oh-so-low on the leg, but still read sexy because of their emphasis on the waist.

CUTOUTS: Not for the faint of heart. If the retro style is Marilyn Monroe, swimwear with cutouts are more like Grace Jones. Tim Hamilton, Gucci, Roksanda Ilincic, Jen Kao, and Yigal Azrouël sent out suits with a touch of the '80s and a good dose of fierce.

THE DEEP V: The swimwear equivalent of J. Lo's famed Versace dress, deep Vs are de rigueur. Jasmine di Milo, Milly and Twenty8Twelve showed V necks plunging down there that promise to boost the sex appeal of the waif-ish, in particular.

ONE SHOULDER: Gone are the days of the matronly one-piece. Taking a cue from evening wear over the last several seasons, Emporio Armani, Unique, Michael Kors, and Diane von Furstenberg designed swimwear that drape over one-shoulder, with some incorporating cutouts.

ITSY BITSY: Gisele's milieu. Jean Paul Gaultier, Dsquared2 and Emporio Armani used fabric sparingly in their swim collections. Waists are as low as they can go while tops are tiny triangles held together by a string. One-pieces take cutouts to another level -- one from Gaultier is in a harlequin pattern.

Check out the gallery for the latest looks.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: In The Swim

Tags: Dolce Gabbana, DolceGabbana, Stella McCartney, StellaMccartney, swim trends for 2010, swimsuits, SwimTrendsFor2010, swimwear, Twenty8Twelve, Yigal Azroul, YigalAzroul

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

lhvpc Apr 12th 2010 12:07PM

hideous.

lhvpc Apr 12th 2010 9:33AM

I stand corrected. Very Hideous.

ajschrod Apr 12th 2010 11:17AM

Fine, but way too ?busy". Now if only the designers would shorten up MEN'S suits----

tony caudill Apr 12th 2010 11:31AM

These girls are TOO skinny.If my wife was this skinny I , #1. would not have dated her. #2. would hide her under a lot more clothing until she started to look healthy, not fat,either.

lawrencefishberg Apr 12th 2010 12:24PM

I HEAR THAT KARL ROVE PLANS TO MODEL A SPEEDO.

Bonbon Apr 12th 2010 12:46PM

Rove got ya all excited huh?

Crystal Matask Apr 12th 2010 6:29PM

Ewwwwwwww

harry Apr 12th 2010 1:23PM

nice ! Down here in Miami when you go to the beach these days all you see are huge obese cuban girls with rolls of flab hanging out everywhere. They are very hard on the eyes. They have no shame and think they are hoy looking but in fact look like Miss Piggy in her tutu. Miami has turned into a south american ghetto !

Rob M Apr 12th 2010 1:41PM

This is repulsived and despicably sick. Women don't need to "Take The Plunge." They need to TAKE A STAND and stop thesefasion industry control freaks from turning models and compelling young women into PLUNGING themselves into anorexic life styles. I f I saw one of these models on the street I'd be compelled to call 911 to get them ambulanced to the nearest emergency room to save them from. They look like the dug up skeletal remains of Stalin's mass Ukrainian starvations. They are not attractive. They are repulsive. And they are not feminine women; they are the skin and bone slaves of an industry we need to boycott until their fashions rot on the retail vines and they go bankrupt. Women, I am your average white male, and I'm telling you, please: It's not the swim suit that makes you sexy, it's you that makes ANY swim suit or any clothing look good. Tell these guys to go to hell by clsoing your purse to them. And get these models to the closest Italian Restaurant and a stacked plate of spaghetti and meatrballs. Hurry!