Swim toward this season’s hottest suits

Although the brisk Bloomington weather might tell us otherwise, spring break is just around the corner.

And with warm destinations at the top of some lists, finding the right swimsuit is a priority.

For women, basic structures such as the bikini, the tankini and the one-piece are still all the rage. But let’s not forget that a relatively recent invention called the monokini is becoming hot as well.

To make these classic cuts exciting, look for this season’s fresh take on prints and accents.

The most popular style right now for women is swimwear with horizontal stripes. Whether the stripes are thick or thin doesn’t really matter – it’s just about the incorporation of lines.  

A majority of designers seemed to have a similar goal of bringing out your inner sailor, pairing the horizontal stripes with nautical colors such as red, white, blue and gold.

Ralph Lauren directly alludes to this through large, graphic anchors or small, embroidered ones.

Animal print is another recurring style this season. Some designers such as Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors feature leopard and zebra print in classic colors. However, the majority of designers are straying from the natural and making their leopard prints blue and pink.  

Although the vibrantly colored animal prints are popular, I say they’re tacky. It would be in your best interest to shy away from them. If you’re an animal print type of gal, stay chic by sticking with the classic tones.

Flowers are usually a classic swimsuit print for women, but there was just no room for the print this season. Instead, polka dots and tie-dyes are higher on the trend list.

While prints and patterns are nice, designers made clear that there is still nothing wrong with a solid suit. Look for teals, pinks, yellows and blacks.

To update a solid even more, look to accents and structure.

Captivate the eye through asymmetrical suits such as the one-shouldered style, or look to the runway’s bandage-style suit and find a cutout that mimics this body wrapping approach. A perfect example of this is the Gottex Halter Maillot sold at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Other visually interesting elements of the season include ruffles, ties, gems and beads. Just be careful not to use these accents against yourself by having them over-accentuate problem areas.  

Now, onto the men.

I thought guys had it easy when it came to picking out swimwear, but I was wrong. This season, stores are unanimously stocking several different styles.

Of course, there are the usual swim trunks and board shorts. But these styles yell for attention through bold Hawaiian flower and leaf prints and drastic color choices.

Prominent colors include blues, greens, reds and even oranges.

Then there is the infamous Speedo.

Unless you are Michael Phelps, please do us all a favor and resist the urge to pull out a man-thong.

But have no fear, guys, if you are in the mood for showing a bit more leg this season, you are in luck. The popular style is what some are calling the boxer cut, which is basically a board short or swim truck falling mid-thigh.

Personally, I think this is just too short. Still, the cut is spreading fast and already appearing across stores. Urban Outfitters and Saks Fifth Avenue sell this style in numerous colors and patterns.

Whoever said fashion statements only dealt with everyday clothing was seriously mistaken. Be the center of attention with your swimwear by following this season’s designer trends. Even if you are just going to party on the beach all spring break, you might as well look hot while doing it.