The 6 Swimwear Trends For 2019 That Will Have You Ready To Suit Up & Stand Out
Every year, starting around April or May, I'm officially done (like, cut-you-out-of-my-life done) with whatever half-winter, half-summer weather is happening. Drastically changing temperatures within the day? Literally bye. Not knowing how to dress because it's freezing AF in the morning and scalding hot later in the day? Get out of my life. All I can think about is manifesting an extra 30 degrees to the temperatures each day for consistent warmth and mentally poring over all the biggest swimwear trends for summer my friends and I will cover in sand and salt water at the beach. These daydreams are great and all... until I'm standing in front of a million racks of jumbled swimsuits at a mall three days before a tropical vacation, totally unpacked and wondering what TF I'm gonna wear.
Hands up if that sounds like you, too. Do you also end up saying, "Screw it," and throwing any old mismatched bikini tops and bottoms you scrounge up from the depths of your drawers into your suitcase before vacation, hoping for the best? Well, not this year — if not because you deserve the cutest swimsuits for the ~hottest~ experiences of your life — think of the Instagrams, people — then definitely because I did all the work of picking out the most popular swimwear trends of the season to make your shopping trip that much easier. (You're welcome.)
Before you get ready to ditch every responsibility you have for a drink in your hand and your butt in the sand, keep the following six swimsuit trends in mind as you and your squad prepare to #SuitUp.
Like Neon Lights
From left: Swimsuit: Zara. Shoes: Zara. Sunglasses: Kim Kardashian West Carolina Lemke. Bracelets: SHASHI; Swimsuit: Chromat. Shoes: Dolce Vita. Sunglasses: Kim Kardashian West Carolina Lemke. Bracelets: SHASHI.
If you've been able to avoid the neon color trend slowly infiltrating every aspect of fashion — from scrunchies to full-on dresses — I truly don't know how you did it, and I'm #sorrynotsorry to ruin your streak right now. From the KarJenners matching their neon hair and 'fits to their cars to the likes of Alice + Olivia and Chromat hitting the runways with head-to-toe slime-adjacent looks, neon is a trend that's not going anywhere for a while, especially for summer.
"Bright and bold neon colors reflect the vibrancy of summer, hot sweaty nights, and bright Miami neon," Chromat founder Becca McCharen-Tran tells Elite Daily. "It makes me makes me feel tropical and energetic, and neon swim looks amazing on bronzed skin."
From left: Swimsuit: Zara. Shoes: Zara. Sunglasses: Kim Kardashian West Carolina Lemke. Bracelets: SHASHI; Swimsuit: Chromat. Shoes: Dolce Vita. Sunglasses: Kim Kardashian West Carolina Lemke. Bracelets: SHASHI.
Ryan Gale, a freelance stylist in New York City, notes that brands like Off-White have also helped catapult highlighter hues into the spotlight, and she loves the neon trend for swim, specifically, for a few reasons. "I think that it just adds a pop when you're on the beach or when you're out ... and I think it adds [a] personal touch to your everyday style," she says.
Both McCharen-Tran and Gale say they prefer to go all-in for summer and rock an all-over neon look. However, if the thought of slipping into a swimsuit in a color that’s brighter than the sun beating down on you gives you a stress rash, I understand you on a personal level, but please don’t let the fear of immediate stares keep you from wearing the trend. You can work smaller pops of neon into your swim look via tinier neon details on a suit or with accessories like sunglasses and sandals.
I'm Dyeing
Swimsuit: Polo Ralph Lauren. Shorts: Zara. Body Chain: Boohoo. Sunglasses: Raen. Necklaces: Baublebar. Bracelets: SHASHI.
From shaggy haircuts to far-out patterns, the fashion and beauty trends of the '60s and '70s are making a comeback, and that includes tie-dye. Yes, the print you and your camp friends rocked way back when is fully mainstream now, thanks to brands like Ralph Lauren and R13. And if you love it in old, worn-out T-shirt form, you'll love it in swim form, too, because it's just as easy to wear.
"One of my favorite trends is definitely tie-dye ... I think it's a really easy thing that everyone can pull off — [from] string bikinis to one-pieces to coverups," stylist Annebet Duvall tells Elite Daily. "It's something you don't really have to embellish a lot. You don't have to wear a lot of jewelry. You don't have to wear a lot of crazy shoes, because the pattern is kind of crazy already, so it styles itself. It makes a statement."
As if you needed any more proof that tie-dye is going to be hotter than the summer sun this season, tons of celebs you probably already follow on Instagram are all up in the trend. Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner, and Rihanna have all been spotted in various tie-dye items, and Gigi Hadid was photographed wearing the T-shirt version of the suit pictured above.
In Stitches
From left: Swimsuit: Solid & Striped. Bag: Lulus. Earrings: ASOS. Bracelets: SHASHI; Swimsuit: Aerie. Shorts: American Eagle. Hat: ASOS. Bag: Lulus. Earrings: Baublebar. Necklace: Baublebar.
This time last year, I bet you heard the word "crochet" and immediately pictured your grandma sitting in a rocking chair with yarn and a crochet hook. Well, I hate to break it to you, but grandma is onto something. Brands like Altuzarra and Ulla Johnson, among many others, took a page out of her book, sending countless colorful crochet designs down the runway. When it comes to swimwear, buzzy brands like Solid & Striped, Aerie, and She Made Me have translated this runway trend into some of the cutest suits I've ever seen with such a unique texture for swimwear.
From left: Swimsuit: Aerie. Shorts: American Eagle. Hat: ASOS. Bag: Lulus. Necklace: Baublebar. Earrings: Baublebar. Bracelets: SHASHI; Swimsuit: Solid & Striped. Bag: Lulus. Earrings: ASOS. Bracelets: SHASHI.
Erin Rittling, senior manager of styling at Aerie, echoes that crochet is having a "big resurgence" this season. "The comfy fabric gives off a playful vibe by taking a classic style and updating it with modern crochet details for a statement-making look," she tells Elite Daily.
What's clutch about the crochet trend is how seamlessly it translates into other aspects of beach and pool attire, like coverups and accessories. Even without a crochet swimsuit, you can easily dip into this trend with a crochet crop top and denim shorts over your regular suit, or throw all your beach necessities into a netted or crochet bag, which Rittling says is perfect "if you’re looking to add crochet in a smaller way."
Animal Instinct
Swimsuit: H&M. Shoes: ASH. Sunglasses: Kim Kardashian West Carolina Lemke. Necklace: Baublebar. Earrings: ASOS. Ring: Mio Harutaka. Bracelets: SHASHI.
If you're like me, then you have faux animal print coats, shirts, skirts, shoes, bags, and you're not afraid to use any of them. So you better do everyone, including yourself, a favor and carry that mindset into the summer, because animal print in swimwear is just as, if not more popular than, animal print in, well, everything else fashion-related.
Swimsuit: H&M. Shoes: ASH. Sunglasses: Kim Kardashian West Carolina Lemke. Necklace: Baublebar. Earrings: ASOS. Ring: Mio Harutaka. Bracelets: SHASHI.
Animal print is another trend Duvall is amped about for summer. "It really helps you stand out on the beach," Duvall says. As for the most popular types of animal print, Duvall says she likes leopard print, but suits in snake prints, cow prints, and tiger prints have also started popping up everywhere. And who doesn't love options, amirite?
Swimsuit: H&M. Shoes: ASH. Sunglasses: Kim Kardashian West Carolina Lemke. Necklace: Baublebar. Earrings: ASOS. Ring: Mio Harutaka. Bracelets: SHASHI.
She continues that, while the tie-dye trend basically styles itself, you can "really play [animal print swimsuits] up" by adding on some gold accessories or rocking the trend in varying colorways. "[I've seen] tonal animal prints, too, like whites and creams and grays ... and I think that's a cool way of wearing [the trend]."
Cut That Out
From left: Swimsuit: Swimsuits For All. Earrings: ASOS. Necklace: Baublebar. Bracelets: SHASHI; Swimsuit: BCBGMAXAZRIA. Coverup: COLLUSION via ASOS. Necklaces: Baublebar. Bracelets: SHASHI.
When choosing between a bikini and a one-piece feels damn near impossible, swimsuits with cut-outs have your back (and your front) this season. Brands like Swimsuits For All have chic monokini options, like the one pictured above, if you want a little more sun on your skin, whereas swimsuits with smaller cut-outs, like the one by BCBGMAXAZRIA, also pictured above, offer a little more coverage. Either way, be prepared for some interesting tan lines, Duvall says.
From left: Swimsuit: BCBGMAXAZRIA. Coverup: COLLUSION via ASOS. Shoes: ASH. Necklaces: Baublebar. Bracelets: SHASHI; Swimsuit: Swimsuits For All. Shoes: ASH. Earrings: ASOS. Necklace: Baublebar. Bracelets: SHASHI.
"I like cut-outs a lot, because I like one-piece swimsuits," Duvall says. "I think, for cut-outs, if you're gonna do it, maybe [it's] not for lying out on the beach, but more for beach parties, [or] wearing it with a pair of jeans, like a bodysuit, is really cute."
Buckle Up
Swimsuit: Solid & Striped. Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden via Lulus. Sunglasses: Raen. Earrings: Baublebar. Rings: Mio Harutaka and Baublebar.
Instead of tying up your look with a pretty little bow, why not tie up your swim look with a pretty little belt this summer? Just like the tie-dye trend, belted swimsuits are increasing in popularity and boast a retro vibe that dates back to the '30s. Mara Hoffman, Solid & Striped, and ASOS are just a few of the multitude of brands taking this throwback silhouette and modernizing it with bold and bright prints and colors you'll keep in your closet forever.
"I like the belted swimsuit trend because I feel like it's classic [and] it's chic," Gale says.
If you shop around, you'll see many different iterations of belts on belted swimsuits, some with a full-on buckle (a style Gale is particularly excited about), others with a fabric belt, and others with an edgy side-release buckle. Even better, you can customize any swimsuit with whatever belt speaks to your soul, as long as it's safe in water. (Please, don't ruin your nice, 100% leather belt just for the 'Gram.)
Photographer: Meredith Jenks
Creative Director: Becky Brown
Stylist: Theresa Massony
Hairstylist: Clay Nielsen for Leonor Greyl at Art Department
Makeup Artist: Tiffany Patton using MAC
Manicure: Rachel Shim using CHANEL Le Vernis
Model: Lyric Burns for JAG Models
Model: Melissa Koole for Muse NYC
