The annual winter beach parade has begun. Wealthy celebrities are migrating en masse from damp, chilly climes to soak up the sun in destinations such as the Bahamas, Barbados and St Barts.
This year, however, there’s a remarkable sea-change happening on the seashore — and it’s one that will have women of all ages sighing with relief.
Whereas for the past few years, winter bathing beauties on the jet-set islands of the Caribbean have been flashing their all-but-naked bodies on Instagram as they contort themselves to get the best ‘belfie’ (short for ‘bottom selfie’), 2018 is already shaping up as the year of the big cover-up.
Stella McCartney, 46 and her stepmum Nancy Shevell, 58. Here comes the sun: In St Barts, Stella (above left) wears — you guessed it — Stella McCartney (£191) to show off the power of the one-piece, while Paul’s wife (above right) takes a stroll along the sand, looking lithe in a feminine, embroidered costume
From trendy teens to well-preserved sixtysomethings, from the shores of Mexico to Australia’s Byron Bay, the new message is clear: just because you’ve got it, you don’t have to flaunt it.
And while it may be premature to predict the death of the bikini, certainly the one-piece is back with a vengeance and — as these pictures demonstrate — can look just as sexy, as well as a whole lot classier, than a couple of barely-there scraps of flimsy fabric.
For those of us who are well past our bikini best, knowing we won’t look frumpy or out of place when we sport a one-piece this summer is just the confidence boost we need at a time of year when shedding those extra Christmas pounds feels like an impossible dream.
Princess Mary of Denmark, 45. The one-piece trend gets the royal seal of approval with this rich blue one-shoulder swimsuit from Melissa Odabash
Holly Willoughby, 36 Team ing her scallop-edged Marysia cossie (£325) with a cut-off denim skirt, the This Morning presenter is at the forefront of summer’s hottest trend
Emma Forbes, 52. Superfit and sexy, TV and radio presenter Emma Forbes soaks up the Barbados sun in a stylish £300 one-piece by Adriana Degreas
Fashion designer Stella McCartney, 46, and stepmum Nancy Shevell, 58, both look toned and fabulous in their modest swimsuits.
Equally sizzling are 40-year-old Lauren Silverman, girlfriend of Simon Cowell, and her 59-year-old mum Carole Davis.
But it’s not just women in their 40s and 50s who are abandoning bikinis: teens and twentysomethings are setting the same trend.
Lauren Silverman, 40, and her mother, 59. Simon Cowell ’s girlfriend looks simply stunning in a plunging, curve-flattering one-piece in a bold, kaleidoscopic print (left). The £345 cossie by Emilio Pucci certainly gives her the X Factor Carole Dav is (right) sizzles in a one-shoulder purple one-piece that combines glamour and style
Witness influencers like Kaia Gerber, 16 — model daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford — who has 2.6 million followers on Instagram, looking cool and sporty in her bright red one-piece. Ditto Destry Allyn Spielberg, 21, model daughter of director Steven and actress Kate Capshaw, looking super-fit in another flattering red swimsuit.
And if they don’t feel pressured to reveal all to their followers on social media in order to grab some attention, perhaps other young women will feel liberated enough to tone down the over-exposure that’s become almost de rigueur if you want to be accepted by your peers.
This new decorum on the beach is the trickle-down effect of what’s been happening in fashion in general. As big-name designers have moved on from bodycon to maxi dresses, it’s perhaps not surprising that swimwear is following suit.
Naomi Watts, 49, looking every inch the Baywatch babe in Byron Bay, actress Naomi proves one piece is better than two wearing Solid and Striped (£159)
What joy to see rising star models Kaia Gerber, 16, (left) and Destry Allyn Spielberg, 21, (right) having the confidence to pose in classy one-pieces, rather than show-all bikinis
After a year in which sexual harassment has dominated the headlines, the new cover-up is also something of a feminist statement. One that says women can be strong, feisty and sexy without having to reveal all.
When it comes to choosing swimsuits this summer, the choice will be better than ever. You can do what the celebs do and buy a cossie costing several hundred pounds — a piece from the likes of Emilio Pucci, French label Eres and hot U.S. brands such as Marysia and Flagpole.
Or head for High Street stalwarts including Marks & Spencer, which is promising a better-than-ever range of one-pieces this summer.
And when it comes to holiday daywear, you can team your one-piece with shorts, skirts or jeans — just like TV’s Holly Willoughby has done with her cut-off denim skirt.