The eternal allure of the bikini
From the classic triangle-tanga combo to sustainable updates, here are the models to choose for summer 2022
G-Club
June 16th, 2022
June 16th, 2022
Here we are now. Temperatures are rising, the sun is shining hot, the smell of saltiness becomes an irresistible lure, as does the desire to escape to distant shores and dive into the blue sea. Just pack your suitcase and go. We take sunscreen, flip-flops, a shirt, a pair of shorts, a sarong, a raffia bag, a bucket hat, and what is missing? Obviously the swimwear. The question is the usual one every year: one-piece swimsuit, back in vogue, or the timeless bikini. The answer is that we can also not choose, deciding to wear whatever we want when we want. For hot days. However, the king of summer remains the two-piece, with its infinite variations and the many inspirations that from fashion shows to Instagram suggest us which model to add to our shopping list.
The bikini has always been a symbol of summer. One garment capable of instantly raising the temperature right from its name, taken from a small atoll in the Republic of the Marshalls, Oceania where in 1946 the United States conducted its nuclear tests. The first to bring it to the catwalk (worn by stripper Micheline Bernardini) was former automotive engineer Louis Réard, inspired by the women on the beaches of Saint Tropez who rolled up their swimsuits to get a better tan and by the Atome aka "the world's smallest swimsuit" created by fashion designer Jacques Heim. The result was so subversive that the Vatican described it as "sinful" and several countries, such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Australia, decided to ban it. Then came the ladies from Brigitte Bardot to Sophia Loren, Marylin Monroe to Jane Fonda, Ursula Andress to other Bond girls, and the bikini little by little infiltrated pop culture. Decade after decade it acquired new identities and meanings. In the 1950s it screamed desire for freedom; in the 1960s it split between the sophisticated upper-middle-class sensuality of French films; the sexual revolutions of the student movements and the DIY carefreeness of the hippies; in the 1970s it spoke of female emancipation; in the 1980s it is synonymous with eroticism and glamour as the Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon shots; in the 1990s it dresses the fitness-sculpted bodies of Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford; while in the early 2000s it acquires a funny side and from to swimwear enters the everyday outfits of JLo and other celebrities.
Nowadays, the two-piece swimsuit is an essential part of everyone's summer wardrobe. Especially of it-girls like Emily Ratajkowski and Kylie Jenner who, with Inamorata and Kylie Swim, have turned their love of skimpy bikinis into a real business. Bella Hadid, vacationing with her boyfriend in St. Barts, recently sported a light blue one along with a boxer and shirt set (one of the SS22 trends) in the same color, but, in general, she prefers designs that hide as little of her body as possible. Like Dua Lipa who is partial to Isa Boulder, Hailey Bieber who often opts for the glam sensuality of The Attico or Irina Shayk who chooses Tropic of C, the swimwear line designed by fellow model Candice Swanepoel. Their fashion hack? Wearing the bra upside down, as does Musier Paris, french digital native brand.
Animalier, floral, monochromatic, Vichy check, crochet, mismatched, fluorescent, thong, culotte, thong, triangle, push-up, with ruffles, ... The options are so many, to be chosen according to one's physique, mood, destination or simply inspired by our Instagram feeds that with the arrival of summer and vacations are filled with different models. For summer 2022, Chanel proposes a more sporty bikini line with not-too-skimpy briefs and minimal bralettes to be embellished with a body chain; Jacquemus alternates backward knotted triangle bikinis and more athleisure brassieres, paired with very skimpy briefs that pop out of pants in full Y2K revival; also for Coperni, the bra becomes a key element of the summer look and turns into a sort of micro top to be shown off with crochet pants or cargo pants. According to Francesca Aiello, founder of Frankies Bikinis who recently launched a romantic capsule with Gigi Hadid, a detail such as gold hardware instead of the usual fabric suspenders is enough to make a swimsuit a sexy item; while for Stylight the real twist of the season is given by pairing it with a swim skirt, an item for which Google searches have increased by a whopping +163% since last year. If you want to be sure to be trendy this season you can wear bikinis with very long ties to wrap around the body and mischievous cut-out details or you can choose textured models, covered in sparkling sequins, in lurex or maybe in terry cloth like the ones you find at Hunza G. For those who don't want to give up sustainability, the brands to add to your shopping list are Parisian Dolla; Venetian Lido, which has just launched in collaboration with Issimo, the digital extension of Pellicano Hotels, a line inspired by two of Italy's most famous cocktails, the Spritz and Negroni; Bologna-based UND and Le Chiappette, founded by artist and illustrator Gaia Giugni and designer Valentina Ferrara.
Here is a selection of bikinis perfect for SS22.
LIDO One-Shoulder Bikini Trentadue
185€
SUNNEI Burgundy Reversible Bikini
150€
ANDREĀDAMO SSENSE Exclusive White Strappy Bikini
161€
THE ATTICO Bikini Electric Blue
290€
MUSIER PARIS Daya Bikini Top
60€
JACQUEMUS Bikini Le Maillot Vichy
175€ + 135€
FRANKIES BIKINIES Tia Triangle Ruffle Bikini Top + Tia String Bikini Bottom
115€ + 115€
MIMI LA MER Zoe Scacchi giallo
163€
EMILIO PUCCI Printed Bikini
350€
HUNZA G Cleo bikini
190€
OSEREE Triangle Bikini
195€
ISA BOULDER Bikini Top with ruches
161€