Fashion

15 July 10

Of all the places you want to look hip and hot, it's the beach. Presenting your ticket to sexy: the monokini!

PHOTO © SPLASH IMAGES

A new trend in 60 seconds

THE MONOKINI

Heading for your hols and contemplating a simple two-piece bikini? Pah! So last year. This summer is all about slinking by the pool in cut-away swimwear, or the “monokini” as us fashion word mashers have named it. This is one swimsuit you won’t actually want to get wet. As for the tan lines, we can only imagine the Scalextric tracks it will leave on your skin – but then that’s what overnight fake tanning is for.

These so-tight-they-could-be-sprayed-on numbers are what all the WAGs were wearing in South Africa, after making a sexy splash at catwalk shows from Michael Kors to Roberto Cavalli. Agent Provocateur also has a slashed-to-the-navel style and too-clever lining that tones and trims you without needing to sweat on the Power Plate first.

If your milkshake brings all the boys to the yard then the monokini is going to magnify your assets. Best suited to slim girls with long torsos and a defined waist (ie, not many of us – see Paris Hilton, right) there are still some tricks to nailing this one. If you’re a busty, curvy gal then stick to slimming block colours and avoid patterns. You can also play around with a white sheer kaftan worn over a pop-coloured monokini to hint at the shape without giving too much away. Diagonal stripes are flattering and make booty look bite-sized. If your top half is a winner but your bottom half could be slimmer just sling a sarong around your waist and slip on some bejewelled sandals to step out with chic from beach to bar.

Stylist and founder of www.violet-lake.com swimwear, Ursula Lake, says: “The monokini is not for the faint-hearted: there is nowhere to hide in one! They tend to not offer the best support to boobs too, so you have to feel confident you are pretty perky in that department. Having said that, if you are whippet slim with gravity-defying boobs you will have every boy (and probably every girl) checking you out.”

And if tan lines pose a problem for you then try the Tan Through range from www.kiniki.com. Their collection uses a patented fabric that lets in 80% of the sun’s ultra-violet rays.