Addressed: Should You Wear a Swimsuit On Dry Land?

Vogue

18 hours ago

Welcome to Addressed, a weekly column where we, ahem, address the joys (and tribulations!) of getting dressed. So far we've unpacked how to wear shorts at the office and beyond, how to pack a carry-on bag for a work trip, how to dress with style in your third trimester, and even how to layer without looking like that chair in your room (you know the one). Download the Vogue app, and find our Style Advice section to submit your question.
Every once in a while, a collection comes along so exactingly crafted that it makes you reconsider your wardrobe or, faced with that impossibility, make you wish for at least one chance to go all-in on the fantasy in your very-real life. Such was the case of Ryota Iwai's latest Auralee collection, shown in Paris last week. In the second look, a model walked out wearing a simple two-piece swimsuit consisting of a scoopneck top and little shorts in a gorgeous shade of citrine tipped in white, topped off with a short black thigh-grazing leather jacket, and a long black trench coat, socks, and sandals. Suddenly a simple question arose; wait, can you just wear a swimsuit out on dry land?
Now, I am not by any means insinuating that this is something that can be done at the workplace—unless you're a lifeguard, I guess—but on those extra-warm summer days, when you go to the beach or the pool, or if you're simply vacationing somewhere when you can live out fashion fantasies, this really feels like the right way to be. The vibes are carefree and youthful—something that always says summer to me, no matter how old I get.
The gold-standard for wearing a swimsuit-as-clothing is the pairing of a one-piece with trousers or a skirt, as if it were a bodysuit. I've never really been a subscriber to this formula myself, but I have to say that looking at the way Iwai paired the super-sporty maillot with a very proper pair of pleated (and belted!) trousers feels alluring. I think it's precisely that contrast—the super casual with the business-casual—that makes the combination feel so fresh.
Iwai also styled a lot of the looks with boy shorts. In New York there is no shortage of young women in teeny shorts that look like underwear (not to be all Cher Horowitz's dad), and this is not the first runway collection in recent memory to encourage the wearing of tiny bottoms out on the street, but on the Auralee runway they felt more matter-of-fact wardrobing and less 'styled runway look.' Take a look at the striped button-down shirt artfully gathered at the waist and paired with a swim shorts two-piece, or the navy bottoms worn with a double-layered tank and paired—inexplicably, geniusly—with black buckled moto boots and socks. Again, it's the unexpected pairings that make it so good. Rachel Comey also leaned into this wet-dry mix, with a swim micro-skirt (shorts attached!), accompanied by a breezy knit polo and sneakers.
A full-coverage swim bottom is also the perfect way to wear sheer clothes—whether dreamy boho dresses or minimal pencil skirts. So why not consider a little experimentation? Old Navy has basic black swim shorts to layer underneath short tunics or jackets, and Reformation makes a blue plaid pair for more romantic stylings, as well as a classic striped one-piece that might look fab with a pair of fab '70s style wide-leg, high-waist jeans. As long as the combo feels just a little off, it's likely to be big-time right.