BANISH the bikini, the one-piece is the one you want
“We are seeing a definite move toward one-pieces,” designer Nicky Zimmermann says.
“The bikini is still a big seller, but people are buying quite detailed and glamorous one-pieces in a way that we haven’t seen before.”
The one-piece trend echoes the return to a more sophisticated 1940s and ’50s-style glamour in fashion, as it channels screen sirens such as Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe and Katharine Hepburn, who revealed her seductive side in a sleek swimsuit in the 1940 classic The Philadelphia Story.
“The one-pieces we are selling are for lounging around the pool or on a yacht rather than swimming,” Zimmermann says.
“People now see swimwear as an outfit: they will buy their designer dress and buy their designer swimsuit.” Not that fashion is ever really practical, but one-pieces have the added advantage of often featuring supportive panels to suck in waists and underwire to give a shapely uplift to the bust. Ironically, the new pin-up girl for the one-piece is pin-thin British actor Keira Knightley, who sports a white ’30s swimsuit with matching cap in the film Atonement. It is sure to spark a rush on retro bathers and beach accessories.
Sea Folly, Jets and Gorman are among the local swimwear labels already churning out halter-neck, bandeau and ruched styles in anticipation of a resurgence of interest in vintage school swimming-pool chic. Zimmermann in particular will be well placed to meet demand: the label has nine stand-alone stores in Australia, with another two planned for this year, and is stocked in 20 overseas outlets, including US department stores Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue. Nicky Zimmermann and her co-designer, sister Simone Zimmermann, also design summer dresses, shorts and tops, and beach cover-ups.
“Our customer is a fashion-forward girl who wants to look good whether she is in the pool or at a party,” Nicky Zimmermann says. We can’t all look like Emma Ishta, the model in these photos, but with a little effort you can stroll along the beach or around the bar with confidence. Sadly, if like most women you have left it until five days before your holiday to do something, 100 abdominal crunches on the morning of your flight will not a washboard stomach make. Counsel in your hour of need is to skip the skimpy one-piece, with its cutaway sides and plunge-to-the-navel halterneck, and find something that is well cut and supportive, such as the ’40s styles mentioned earlier.
It’s also a good idea to have a body exfoliation and to get yourself spray-tanned, by which we don’t mean an all-over tandoori number, but a light-golden hue that can create the illusion of muscle definition by careful shading from an accomplished beauty therapist (for DIY try ModelCos Tan in a Can). A professional manicure and pedicure will also do wonders for morale. Armed with a few tricks of the trade, anyone can look (or at least feel) beach-body confident.
It’s absolutely crucial to find the right swimwear for your body type. A lightly padded halterneck top is the most universally flattering shape because it gives great contouring to any size bust, while hoop-sided bottoms create the illusion of longer legs. If you require a little more support, try a deep halterneck with a hipster-cut bottom, in either a one-piece or a bikini.
Resist the temptation to cover yourself in extra layers: boy-shorts (unless you have a body like the model in these photos) can add unnecessary bulk. Instead, cover up with a pretty sarong tied around your chest or a caftan by Camilla Franks. I have never understood why bikinis are sold according to dress size and not bra size; having a larger top half than bottom half has made buying swimwear a nightmare for me. Fortunately, Zimmermann does sell tops and bottoms separately, as does Sue Rice, the mistress of the perfect swimsuit fit, who holds court in Glebe in Sydney.
Her fitting service is exemplary, with sales assistants suggesting styles to suit your shape as well as sizes. High-street bikinis in the past seemed never to fit properly, but thanks to the new Country Road range of swimwear, that has changed. And they are so reasonably priced, you’ll be able to pick up several swimsuits to see you through summer. American Apparel in Melbourne also offers a good range of basic bikinis and one-pieces. For small busts, go for tropical swatches or choose a style with patterns or stripes to create the illusion of curves. Anna & Boy and Lover both have covetable cossies for small breasts, and boyish figures also benefit from cutaway styles and anything with plenty of detailing. The more well-endowed should opt for underwire and wide straps so they don’t dig in at the back of the neck, and draw the eye downwards by wearing a brief with detailing.
If a large stomach is your figure flaw, the one-piece reigns supreme, although the tankini, which is great for taller women who don’t fit the average one-piece or who want to do more than sunbathe, is also an excellent option. Whatever your waist or wallet size, there is a style that will see you through the summer.
