Summer is just on the horizon, and that means one thing: time to shop for a new swimsuit.
And recently, Australian designers debuted their fresh new looks on the catwalk for online giant THE ICONIC.
With the help of celebrity stylist, Donny Galella, we’ve put together a guide for picking the most flattering style based on your body shape.
‘Don’t leave your hunt to the peak of summer. Start looking now because everything will sell out when the heat hits,’ Donny said.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at how you can shop the latest swimwear trends and style these to your body shape, so you can hit the beach looking cool, chic and confident.
Stylist Donny Galella has revealed there are a few key things to think about buying bathers to suit your body shape
LARGER LOWER HALF/PEAR SHAPE
Donny is a great believer in using the tried and tested stylist’s trick of drawing the eye towards parts of the body you want to accentuate.
‘You may not like your hips or your thighs for example, so what you want to do is take the focus away from this area.
He said choosing a brightly-coloured bikini top, paired with a plain black bottom, is the perfect way to create an illusion of a proportioned body.
‘The eye automatically goes toward the brighter piece, so you’re drawing the focus away from the lower half,’ he explained.
This two piece by Sea Folly uses a patterned bikini top to draw the eye upwards, and a solid coloured bottom helps give the illusion of curves
SMALLER BUST/SLIMMER FRAME
Women with a smaller bust, often want their bathing suits to help them look a little fuller – which the expert said is easily achievable with a little clever detailing.
‘Anything that has ruffles or pleating or ruching detail, that’s going to cleverly make your bust look bigger.
‘Or you can choose a swimsuit that has horizontal stripes, because the stripes running across your bust can help create the illusion of a bigger bust.
There are also some swimwear brands that come with ‘little boosters’ – additional insets that can be added to enhance cleavage or a bust-line.
Nip Tuck Swim’s one-piece uses horizonal lines which helps create the appearance of a larger bust
ATHLETIC/RECTANGULAR SHAPE
Choosing swimwear that gives an illusion of curves can do wonders for a body shape that’s athletic, Donny said.
‘The best kind of swimsuit is a monokini – it’s almost a one piece but it has two cutouts around the hips.
‘It creates lines on the body which make the body look curvier,’ the expert said.
The monokini such as this one Suboo is perfect for creating curves if your body shape is athletic
MINIMISING MID-SECTION
For women wanting to minimise their stomach or mid-section, a singlet bikini is ‘a fabulous compromise,’ said Donny.
The tankini – as it’s more commonly known – has the flexibility of being able to be worn as a one piece, but can be styled in a way that’s slightly more revealing.
‘It feels like a one piece but you can roll up the singlet a fraction to show some skin so it feels like a two piece,’ he said.
The tankini is the perfect way to cover a troublesome mid-section
CURVY/FULLER FIGURED
Curvier women with a preference for a two-piece are advised to take advantage of retro-style bikinis, not because they come in a range of playful prints and fun colours but also because they are great for showing off an hourglass figure.
Pick bathers that have a high waist, Donny suggested, because Not only do they offer coverage, but they can also provide support.
If your preference if for a one piece, printed, ruching and ruffles, along with details like a deep V neck can help define and streamline the silhouette.
The stylist also added there are some well-designed costumes that feature an internal control panel which offer extra support.
‘It’s made from similar products used in shapewear so it helps to suck everything in and smooth everything out,’ he explained.
Model Robyn Lawley has designed a range of swimwear for the fuller figured woman that’s flattering and fashionable
Those wanting to shop the trends this season, should keep their eye on a few key details, said Mareile Osthus, Chief Category Management Officer for THE ICONIC.
She said shoppers should think versatility and rather than buy a costume that’s just for swimming, let it do double duty as a body suit.
‘One-pieces with a 90s influence have had a huge revival, and not just as a swimsuit either, but worn as a top,’ Ms Osthus said.
Bathing suits aren’t just for swimming, shop styles that can do double duty as a body suit as well
Take your cue from the 90s: One piece styles are higher cut and feature a V neckline
With this in mind, Ms Osthus said, swimwear is moving away from prints and heading towards textured details including shirring, ribbed and velvets.
If you are a fan of printed bathers, gingham is on-trend for 2018
If you are wedding to wearing prints, choose on-point gingham ‘it’s one of the very few patterns of the season’ she said.
While there’s the temptation to think you can get endless wear out of your costume, bare in mind shapes reveal how on point your fashion sense is.
Ms Osthus noted cheeky bottoms should be paired with a bandeau, bralette or fixed tri bikini top.
For those wanting more coverage choose a full piece with a high cut and plunge neckline.
Statement colours for the coming year include red and yellow, but tonal shades and neutrals continue to