The warm weather is finally here! That means having BBQs with friends, poolside parties, and lazy days at the beach. The common denominator for these events? In addition to having fun, it is likely that you’ll need nice swimwear that looks great and makes you feel confident.
Dora Lau, Founder and President of Dora L. International, an intimate apparel global sourcing and design company, shares the following insights on shopping for swimwear. Trending swimwear styles have an emphasis on street to swim and swim to street styling. This trend is popular because swimsuits are comfortable enough to wear all day from brunch to beach. If there’s anything that the past two years have taught us, it’s that we won’t be letting go of comfort anytime soon!
Style preference, body shape, and activity level can vary widely depending on the person. Finding that perfect one or two-piece swimsuit can take a bit of patience! Luckily, new fabric innovations and understanding a few universal principles related to fit and comfort make the task attainable.
What’s New For 2022? Fabrics Offering Fashion and Function
Just like many areas of fashion, our love for soft fabrics and easy to wear styles has made its way into swimwear. The best bathing suit is the one that a person feels good wearing and that’s why fabric innovations are leading the way.
Four-way Stretch
Are you struggling with putting on last year’s bathing suit? You’re not alone if you gained a bit of weight over the pandemic. Keep your confidence and look great in swimwear styles that have tummy control and define your waist. In a way it’s like wearing waterproof shapewear! Today’s bathing suits offer everything that you love about your lingerie wardrobe, in trending and fashionable styles.
One of the biggest trends is in four-way stretch fabrics. This means that a fabric stretches and recovers both width and lengthwise, so it moves with the wearer and will retain its shape better than ever. Considering that a bathing suit is close the skin and has lasting contact, women are embracing these skin friendly fabrics.
Why does everyone love it? Because the elastic stretches without being uncomfortable. That means more shape, better comfort, and maximum confidence.
Sustainability
Sustainability is moving from a desire to a demand and one of the biggest trends are recycled fabrics. For example, Econyl® is made entirely from ocean and landfill waste, including industrial plastic and fabric scraps from clothing manufacturing companies. Part of this eco-friendly approach is to implement processes that use less dye stuffs and less water too.
Trending this summer season are sun shirts and rash-guards which also help to protect coral reefs. Shirts come in fun colors and styles, allowing to wear less sunscreen which can be harmful to the coral’s ecosystem.
Protection from the Elements
Once a person has made an investment with their time and money to find the perfect swimwear, they will want it to last season after season. Important fabric innovations include stretch fabrics that offer sun, saltwater and chlorine resistance.
This is truly important as those of us who have put away our favorite swimwear try to come back to it the following year, only to find out that the elastic has lost its stretch and the colors have faded to another hue. Many swim fabrics are also including SPF factors for skin protection.
Understanding Comfort, Construction and Shape
How do you achieve comfort and confidence in a swimsuit? Start by taking into consideration your body type.
A Modern Take on the Tankini
Body shapes like pear and apple are embracing the comeback of the tankini. This style adds a level of flexibility for top and bottom shape and is a versatile style to pair with shorts or a skirt. The new iteration of the tankini has a fresh feel and offers the flexibility of purchasing a different sized top and bottom.
The tops come in a shorter length. It makes them more flattering and are even being designed with trending cut-out styles in bright colors and patterns.
It’s Your Pick: Underwire or Wire-free
Favorite no wire bras are being transformed into our favorite no wire bathing suits. This allows you to feel the same comfort and shape that you are happy from your bras, transformed into your swimwear.
For those needing support in the bust, many automatically look to styles with underwires. Truly, underwires are purely a matter of preference. They can be helpful to provide support or lift but if the swimsuit is not constructed with proper band support that helps to anchor the wire to the body, it will not perform like a bra, as the wearer may hope.
Swimwear cups with underwires give the bust a better definition and uplift if fitted correctly. However, there are many options without an underwire. New structured swimsuits feature floating shelf bras have made great strides. Taking from new innovations in bras, new technology for swimwear offers a graduated pad for more support and lift from the bottom of the cup. In fact, many bra molds can be used for swimwear with waterproof liners and offer flexibility for strapless and asymmetrical strap options. In addition, a light foam cup offers modesty and support both with and without underwires.
Perfect Plus Size
Swim innovations in plus-sizes focus on offering control or sculpting using a discreet power mesh tummy panel smoothen the silhouette. Are you finding it difficult to find a swim top? Now your favorite no wire bras are being transformed into swim tops including specially designed pads that work well for water and swimming.
As the weather warms up, stress levels related to finding the ultimate swimsuit can go down. Swimwear is all about trending styles and colors ! Powered by innovations in fabric and fit, it truly brings out an inner self-confidence to enjoy a day at the beach, pool, or vacation.
