The days are growing longer, and the trees are growing fuller. Fenced lawns covered with that blue, chunky hydro-seed gunk are gradually welcoming grass. Green Key has passed by. All of this means that Dartmouth students are on the brink of summer. Though friends from home are done with class, we're still up here in Hanover gearing up for finals. Torturous.
So to help assuage the pain of 15-page papers, exams on material we've yet to read and the need to find apartments for the summer, I've decided to write about clothes that represent fun, freedom and, of course, hot weather: bathing suits. Maybe reading about what's cute for the beach, lake or the Connecticut River will help you escape the stacks and the empty cans of coffee-flavored Rockstar you bought in Novack (which I haven't tried, yet it does appear to be completely overpriced). Anyway, on to bathing suits.
This year, the one-piece is making a comeback with a bit of a twist. One-pieces with cut-outs can be even sexier than bikinis because they leave part of the body hidden, evoking a sense of mystery instead of just exposing the torso. Go to Victoria's Secret, and you'll see what I'm talking about. "Monokinis" on Adriana Lima can also work on you. As the Victoria's Secret slogan goes, "Very sexy." Though one-pieces as interpreted by the label are pretty va-va-voom, the suits can also be more reserved and still look good, in the right designer's hands. One thing that holds true for one-pieces this year is that they are all flirty, from coy to slutty.
The Chanel Resort 2009 show last week in Miami was filled with Karl Lagerfeld's demure and sensual maillots. Lagerfeld went all-out Esther Williams with synchronized swimmers sporting cream-colored, 1940s-type suits complete with the letters C-H-A-N-E-L on the fronts. Hot.
The retro theme of bandeaus, straight-across hems and rouching makes my more revealing bikini passe. Anybody remember Gwen Stefani's "Cool" video? Her blue and white bandeau is exactly the look you should go for. It's a girly, playful, delicate image that I adore.
Girly and playful, however, can be taken to a level that I find unacceptable. Once upon a time, I found myself at Bloomingdale's browsing suits. I picked up an adorable green and white rugby stripe bikini with pink straps and a cute little dog emblem, signifying the Juicy Couture label -- my first encounter with the brand. I was so excited to try it on -- who doesn't like green and pink -- but upon examining the backside of the suit, I discovered the word "JUICY" emblazoned in huge, pink block letters. The suit might as well have been on fire, I dropped it so fast and tried to console myself. Dartmouth girls, please promise me that you won't seriously wear suits with such words printed on the backside. It's just not tasteful, and I know you're all classier than that. Your derriere isn't advertising space.
But that doesn't mean you should avoid Juicy entirely. The brand is now making one-pieces that tap into the same 1940s aesthetic as our buddy Karl. Designers are telling us not to fear one-pieces, even if the last time we wore them was in elementary school, and the only other women we saw wearing them were our mothers.
One-pieces can be sexy, demure and always flirty, which is a wonderful change of pace. Hopefully I've done my job and you can now look past the paper you're supposed to be writing and gear up for sunny summer skies and warm weather. I sure have.
Dylan is a staff writer for The Mirror.
