A look at trending swimwear for summer 2017
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
As the sun sneaks its way past the clouds and that summer heat inches ever closer, a lot of you are probably looking to spend some time at the beach!
Now I know what you’re thinking—I’m going swimming, so obviously my number one priority should be how fashionable is my bathing suit! No, you weren’t thinking that? Oh well. In any case, if you are in the market for a new swimsuit, here are some of the trends you’ll be seeing pop up in stores this summer!
The mono-kini is not going anywhere. For those of you absolutely in love with the resurgence of this bikini/one piece hybrid, don’t worry—you’ll still see them everywhere! What differentiates a mono-kini from other bathing suit styles is that it will often by styled like a bikini; featuring fringe or tie details, while still having the safety and comfort of a piece of fabric over the belly. This style looks great on almost everyone; curvy girls will see their shape highlighted, creating a sexy silhouette, while this cut will create the illusion of curves for thinner or less shapely women.
Extravagant ties will be a big thing for both men and women’s swimwear this season. Women will find that lace-up sides and criss-crossing straps over the cleavage and hips will be popular, while all genders can enjoy the fun of tassels, beads, and other decoration on their drawstrings, or as trim along the seams.
Linking in with the extravagant ties is the come-back of boho chic. Boho (or bohemian) styles will by hippie-fying your local swimshops. Expect to see a lot of earth tones and warm colours inspired by Indian or Bollywood fashions.
Pattern-wise, you might not see a lot. As per boho chic rules, there will be some paisley prints—but the focus this year seems to be on strange textures, or textures outside of those common in swimwear. Obvious spandex and neoprene will be out the window, and instead you may find yourself in a sea of faux linen or faux suede. As such, expect a lot of swimsuits to rely on drawstring gathers, or be made with gathered hems.
Lastly is the question of the cover-up. Cover-ups won’t be a huge thing this year. Instead, the fashion world has gone back to attempting to style their swimwear as a key component of an actual outfit. So if you want to remain on top the fashion world, stock up on your denim shorts and maxi skirts, as these will be the go-to items for pre-swim/sun stylization.
