R29 Tries The Trend: Everyday Swimwear

While we enjoy choosing the swimwear we'll be donning poolside each summer, selecting a bikini or one-piece can lack the enthusiasm given to the season's other purchases, like the perfect sundress or pair of sandals. When we'll only be wearing swim-appropriate pieces a handful of times (you can't rely on a British summer, and there are only so many beach holidays us mortals can afford), it can feel wasteful to spend a huge amount on a piece, and so we find ourselves panic-buying on Oxford Street the night before our flight.

We were stuck in this cycle until we saw SS18's shows, which were awash with gorgeous swimwear which was styled in a way appropriate for everyday. Rather than being sent down the catwalk in the pieces alone, models at Alberta Ferretti, Fenty x PUMA and Jour/Né all proved that swimwear can double up and work for 9-5, bar-hopping, and Sunday strolling.

Then, at Couture Fashion Week in Paris this June, Vogue Ukraine fashion director Julie Pelipas was shot wandering the streets in a one-piece paired with loose trousers, a tan belt and some mules – and voilà, the perfect summer look was born.

Inspired by the nonchalance that comes with wearing swimwear for everyday, we tried the trend, styling our editorial intern Kara five ways. Click through to see how we turned swimwear from a poolside staple to a hardworking hero.