The grayish mannequins in the Nordstrom windows strutted their swimwear weeks ago. So why am I just now taking the Swimsuit Search ’12 seriously? Experience has taught that if one can hold out until after July 4, there will be bargains (will the suit you’ve been eyeing still be there in your size? Well, that’s another matter).
The photo below is of yours truly at Priest Lake, Idaho, in August 2011. I wore a two-piece I picked up a couple of years ago at Macy’s: a blue and white polka dotted bikini bottom, with a blue, green, and white striped tankini style top with an open back. It’s flirty without revealing too much of Wanderchic to the great world. The photo was taken by Brytton Bjorngaard. The rest of the photos are from polyvore.com‘s parade of swimsuit options, from maillots to monokinis. (Can i just say that I love the word “monokini”? It sounds like an adorable rain forest creature. I’ll try to incorporate “monokini” more often in conversation).
I enjoy snooping around Polyvore, a site that combines the joys of catalogs, fashion magazines, and collage-making. It’s a trifecta of procrastination opportunities if say, you’ve got a deadline approaching.
Some of the swmsuits I liked were already sold out in my size, or I could find the swimsuit bottom but not the corresponding top. This might not be a problem in some beach situations, but if I’m headed to Florida with my parents and brother next month, well, not so much.
There’s hipster delight in this We Are Handsome one piece. I could have worn it when I was eight, and I could wear it now. That’s got to count for something. Less Cat Lady, more Lioness. A good thing.
The older I get, the more ardently I believe that modest is hottest, less is more, etc, so I’m all for the resurgence of retro swimwear. Here’s a recent story on NPR about the trend.
Consider how retro you want to go. If you’re feeling a 1980s yearbook vibe, check out this TAVIK Bridget Women’s Spliced Swimsuit from Tilly’s. “1980s yearbook” could ring of a backhanded compliment, but believe me, my admiration is for real. I’m less excited about the tie back (hence, not pictured). But neon and lace? I didn’t grow up with Barbie and the Rockers for nothing.
A casual Polyvore browser will have no trouble finding suits redolent of an earlier vintage, such as this one from Anthropologie:
This one from H&M is a bit more affordable, listed at under $50.
What’s your swimsuit strategy for 2012?
