Bikinis & swimwear.

Orlebar Brown may have the understated, English side of the mens swimming trunk market covered, but for something with a little bit of European flair it’s worth checking out the latest from Robinson Les Bains. Christophe Vérot – an ex-water polo player – started up the brand in 2007 after experiencing that frustration we all feel from time to time: the kind where you search…

Confidence may be key to rocking any swimsuit - but sometimes having that confidence comes down to finding the right piece that flatters your body. To help you on your swimwear quest for summer, here's a guide to choosing swimwear for your body type.

It’s hard to believe that British men’s swimwear label Orlebar Brown has only been around for 5 years; it seems like the “OB way of life” has been on top of our mind for, well, ever. And that’s the beauty of the swimwear brand: it found a niche, and filled it in a way that one could only assume it had always been there. To celebrate half a…

It’s the little variations that count when it comes to swimwear. The best swimwear labels are the ones that have a grasp of that; the ones that work to cuts that are both unique and flattering, that pay attention to the finer details. Judging by Amore & Sorvete’s spring / summer 2012 / 2013 collection, they’re one of those labels. They also know that the…

Suboo’s Resort wear is the kind that’s made to play games with the wind. Their 2012 offering is dominated by lightweight fabrics that catch breezes and reveal silhouettes when lit up by the sun. Some pieces lean to a classical, Grecian style; others capture the modern definition of glamour with prints. Summer’s biggest trends don’t get neglected, either: skirts with high double slits, crochet and…

There are plenty of ways to style vintage swimwear, but most that have crossed our desk have played heavily to a 40s / 50s vibe. They’re soft and cutesy, oft interpreting vintage as girly. Few have played to the other end of the spectrum: the bombshell. Few have tried to capture what it was that the likes of Brigitte Bardot gave to the 1960s and,…

Swimwear pictorials normally follow a recipe. One part photographer, one part model, one part waterside location (preferably a beach), several parts swimwear and so on. The colours of the resulting photo shoot are usually both intense and saturated, all communicating the beauty of summer and the intensity of its sun. Few pictorials venture elsewhere. Return to the Sea by Michael David Adams does however. It…

Mesh fashion, and the lace and perforations that it entails, is perfect for summer. Particularly this summer. The finish to the cloth lending itself to the season’s heat and the liberalism it brings with it. Moreover, it lends itself to other trends of this season, amongst them the Olympically-timed sports fashion motif. Los Angeles label Minimale Animale have picked up on this, releasing a 2012…

Victoria’s Secret might have done much to reintroduce the topless monokini to an internet-age but modern conservatism being what it is, this was one cut of swimwear never likely to be seen outside the realms of advertising. As much as people like to profess otherwise, not all of society’s values are waning and Rudi Gernreich’s topless swimsuits of the early 1960s would be just as…

There are a number of things Zimmermann do well, as we’re reminded in the lead up to their Australia fashion week (MBFWA) showing (one I’m personally looking forward to) and with the release of their Resort 2012 campaign. One of their strengths is the ability to seamlessly mix glamour with understated cool in their collections, both swim and clothing. The other is the campaigns themselves.…