Your sexy swimwear needn’t be of use in the pool and beach alone, as they can very well double up as bodysuits underneath your sheer jackets and pants, kaftans or those ritzy harems. Be it a sundowner or a brunch, you can use your bikinis and monokinis in very unique and stylish ways to rev up your look.
And that’s precisely the thought behind couturier Abhishek Dutta’s resort wear collection this year. The spring-summer collection called Tribal Junkie has some very quirky and stunning pieces of beachwear, which can glam up your look at any time of the day. With funky tribal motifs, a lot of punk, sequins and metallics being an integral part of the collection, the bikinis and monokinis have interesting cuts with a lot of ruffles and asymmetry, lending the entire edit a dreamy look.
“There’s a dreamy element to it with handwoven chanderi detachable ruffles. I have used a lot of cotton this time with stretchable lycra cotton superseding nylon or polyester lycra. Though swimwear essentially requires stretchable fabrics for being body-hugging, I have also kept some nonstretch - able bikinis in pure cotton too,” says Abhishek, informing us that the cotton has been made extremely user-friendly and washable as it has been pre-shrunk and enzyme-washed to prevent shrinkage and bleeding colours.
Dutta’s stunning range of swimwear is all about glamour this time, and he has added to it further by incorporating detachable ruffle linings, sheer jackets, stunning harems, sarongs, kaftans and shirts, turning the entire ensemble very fluid in terms of wearability. “Pair your swimwear with a sheer jacket or a shirt and you are ready for a night out, or you may wear a ruffle-necked bikini with a sarong or team it up with a kaftan and a broad belt and turn it into resort wear. The fluidity of outfits has become extremely important in this age of DIY,” stresses Abhishek.
The colour scheme has also been chosen very wisely with a liberal splash of canary yellow, oranges, tangerines and reds, besides the subtle shades of ivory that are soothing to the eyes. “There’s also a lot of bottle-green happening this year and to enhance the quirkiness of the prints, I have embellished them with metallic sequins. The interplay of floral and tribal motifs with a mix of geometric patterns have made them ritzy and fun at the same time,” says Abhishek.
But for Indian body types, Abhishek feels that it’s always better to play safe with monokinis. “Monokinis can camouflage unflattering body curves very well. The detachable ruffles can smartly be added to the neckline, waistline or hipline according to convenience, and one should always employ a lot of layering in resort wear,” feels Abhishek.
Slay it like Tnusree
If it’s swimwear, I always prefer monokinis, since they are smart, well-cut and complement the Indian body type. Since I have very broad shoulders, at times, I love wearing one-shouldered asymmetric monokinis in bright shades of fuchsia, electric or cobalt blues. In fact, any natural bright colour is my favourite.
I love to wear monokinis with floral prints and most of the times, I try to accessorise my look with real flower adornments on my hair and neck, made with bright orchids. Apart from a thick coat of sunblock and a pair of shades, large hats, preferably the straw ones, are a must for me. After a swim, I always make it a point to apply a good, natural tan removal scrub.
For daily wear, I prefer flowy, comfortable clothes in breathable fabrics including cotton and linen. During the summer season, I can never wear denim and usually stick to flowy mid-length or short dresses with straight cuts. For daytime, I prefer lighter shades in pastel hues and wear brighter colours at night. I also love wearing a lot of linen pyjamas and loose shirts in linen, since they let your skin breathe.
If it’s outdoors, I prefer sticking to one-piece clothing rather than layering, since I can’t tolerate the heat a bit. If I wear saris, they have to be in either cotton or linen with off-shoulder blouses. I wear light jewellery, mostly earrings in shades of gold. Make-up is always minimal for me during this season, with a little sunscreen and BB cream, liner, light eyeshadow and heavy mascara and lip-glosses.
I usually prefer eating tossed or boiled veggies throughout the summers to keep fit. Most of the times, I make a broth of boiled veggies with pieces of chicken in it. I drink loads of water to stay hydrated and ensure that I never miss exercising at the gym, no matter how hot it is.
Beach tips
Go for swimwear that you are comfortable in. | If you are too thin, go for underwired and padded swimwear. Those on the heavier side should opt for a slimmer fit and the cuts shouldn’t go too high — a little lower hipline is always flattering. | Wear prints that suit your shape. If you have a curvy body, settle for micro-sized prints. | Choose colours according to skin tone. For darker skin tones, brighter shades of peach, pink, electric and cobalt blues are apt. Sea greens and aqua shades are really in this season besides the pastel hues. | Accessories should be minimal and opt for ceramics that are environment-friendly and non-fussy.
Models: Meghna Bose and Riya Bhattacherjee / Hair and makeup: Suman Ganguly / Clothes and accessories: Abhishek Dutta / Pictures: Debarshi Sarkar / Location: Novotel Kolkata
sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com @sharmidas