It’s about that time - time to put on a teeny-weeny bikini. OK, maybe I’ve exaggerated just a bit. We all know that it’s still snowy on the sidewalks, and temperatures in East Lansing this week have been cold enough to think twice about draping ourselves in any fabric that shows an inch of skin.
Instead we must keep hope alive and continue dressing up in our favorite faux fur coats and leather hip-hugger jeans. I could have sworn that it was almost time to throw my funky winter pieces to the back of the closet. But, despite the obvious dip in the weather, for some reason I still have bathing suits on the brain.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that today marks the start of a few days of pure bliss - no classes, no papers and no Caf-II-Go. This also means that some of us will be on our way to hot spots like L.A., Miami, Cancun and Jamaica, where bathing suits aren’t an option - they’re a necessity.
I must confess. I’m what you call a die-hard, shop-til-you-drop fashionista. I spend my free time sifting through fashion publication upon fashion publication in search of the flyest threads. I read all types of magazines: Honey, Essence, Cosmo and Elle, hoping to cling onto the next big thing. So when I started doing a little bathing suit shopping I thought it was only fair to share the news of my findings with my fellow Spartans.
Bathing suit apparel has been around for more than 2,000 years. And just as the times changed, so did bathing suits. We’ve gone from swimming suits consisting of bloomers and black stockings in the 1860s to in-your-face suits with attitude - more skin and less fabric.
This spring, swimwear is about being all-out sexy and making a statement while you’re doing it. No longer will the dull one-piece suit our mothers wore in the ’80s do the job. You have got to be daring, bold and fun.
Swimsuits come in a variety of styles to flatter any body type: bikinis, one-pieces, mix-and-match separates, halter-neck suits, square-neck suits and tank suits.
The most eye-catching suit for spring is the bikini. Have no fear - you can pull it off. This season the bikini can be found in super-skimpy triangle styles, side-tie bottoms, breast-enhancing versions and barely-there thong bottoms.
Whether you prefer the bikini, tankini, the bandini or the camikini there is a bikini style for you. The bandini (a bikini with a straight, strip-like piece of fabric for a top) seems to be a fly number.
As far as colors and patterns -the more color the better. Hawaiian blues, sea greens, pulsating oranges and hot pinks rule for any beach babe. Tie-dye patterns, terry-cloth suits and anything with rhinestone embellishments screams trendy. And, as usual, bold, flowery patterns have been used to spruce up an otherwise plain suit.
Another fashionable trend on the swimsuit runway is graffiti. Hip-hop heads in the Bronx started the trend back in the ’80s, and Louis Vuitton has revived it with the introduction of his graffiti-printed handbags this winter. Now the trend has swam its way into the trend pool. Black-and-white graffiti suits can be found in Victoria’s Secret 2002 swimwear line.
Be sure to check out the swimsuit collections of these designers when deciding what exudes style: Burberry, Baby Phat, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, XOXO and Diesel.
As we all should know, no swimsuit ensemble is complete without a few accessory essentials.
Funky flip-flops in striking colors, bold flower hairpins, tinted, rimless Gucci-inspired glasses and racy sarongs spruce up any swimsuit. Don’t forget the straw hat and bag to keep your essentials in.
A bathing suit must look good dry or wet. It must be attractive day or night and needs to make you look like a diva at the pool, lake, beach, water park, jacuzzi or on a cruise.
Michelle Matthews, a State News intern, can be reached at matth102@statenews.com
