Whether you’re hitting the sand in Cornwall, Corfu or Cannes, this summer of hedonism requires a beach look that’ll have you feeling fabulous from your first ice latte to your last sip of Long Island ice tea. Kaftans are not going anywhere but shorts, shirts and sarongs are set to be seen in the coolest beach bars. Here’s what to buy.
The jewellery-strapped suit
Looking for super-chic swimwear that makes a splash? Cossies with chain and jewellery-like details are a brilliant way to bring a little city slick to the shore. Ba&sh has just dropped a beautiful edit of minimal swimsuits and bikinis with delicate silver chain straps, Stella McCartney has several monochrome moments featuring the label’s iconic Falabella gold chains and Net-a-Porter-stocked brand Sara Christina does a simple black bikini with delicate pearl straps. Meanwhile, Dubai-born swimwear brand Analina takes a more colourful approach with bikinis accented with big golden rings.
Ba&sh, £305, ba-sh.com
Stella McCartney, £157.50, stellamccartney.com
Analina, bikini top £142, bottoms £134, wolfandbadger.com
Straw buckets
As the mercury rises (nay, soars) a hat has become an essential in any well-packed beach bag. This year raffia and straw styles are fast replacing tie-dye and denim as bucket hat’s cooler big sister. Paco Rabanne and Prada both have excellent raffia buckets, or for something that won’t blow the holiday budget try the lovely styles at Loeffler Randall, Lack of Colour and Toast.
Lack of Colour, £79, lackofcolor.com
Loeffler Randall, £77, loefflerrandall.com
& Other Stories, £35, stories.com
The big fat fashion flip-flop
Sand and thong sandals have long been happy beach-bedfellows, and the fashion set-approved way to flip-flop this year is in chunky and puffy styles with flatform soles. Cool French brand Coperni sent Y2K black foam wedge thong sandals down its SS22 runway while Balenciaga does a sleek black leather platform style that’s a grown-up way to do Y2K. It’s at M&S where the real bargain is to be found, though. Its leather flatform flip-flops come in black, white and tan and cost just £35 — no wonder they’re hot-footing off the shelves.
Balenciaga, £475, net-a-porter.com
M&S, £35, marksandspencer.com
Russell & Bromley, £195, russellandbromley.co.uk
Belly chains and anklets
Along with all things Y2K, body jewellery is back in a big way for summer ’22, with belly chains top of the beach fashion agenda. If accessorising your abs sounds more stress-inducing than a flight delay, pop a pretty pearl or beaded anklet on, like those from family run Greek brand Mayol, and leave it there until the schools go back. Trust me, you’ll feel like a teen again.
Mayol, £35, mayoljewelry.com
Astrid & Miyu, £55, astridandmiyu.com
Hey Harper, £45, heyharpershop.com
Shirt and shorts
There’s nowt wrong with a glamorous flowy kaftan but this summer’s coolest cover-ups have a boyish feel. Throw an oversized linen shirt over your cossie for lunch, or rock a shirt and shorts set with your bikini for ultimate influencer points. Australian brand Araminta James does them tropical green, Mango sells chic, printed sets for cheaper, and Sandro’s matching shirt and shorts come in cutesy crochet.
Sandro, top £191 , bottoms £159 , sandro-paris.com
Nanushka, top £345 , bottoms £265, nanushka.com
Mango, top £49.99 , bottoms £45.95, mango.com
Saucy sarongs
Micro mini skirts have taken hold of our wardrobes and this summer sarongs are following suit, with itty bitty styles the deliciously racy dish du jour. Among the sassiest are the metal ring-adorned minis by breakout swim star Louisa Ballou, and the hand tie-dyed cotton pareos from Aussie resort label Boteh. For something a bit more affordable, try SLA The Label’s ditsy floral print sarong, Pour Moi’s raunchy ruched leopard mesh or Zara’s pink paisley print sarong-cum-skirt. For something beach party-ready, try sparkly minis from Oséree and Triangl, made from two-tone lamé and glittery lurex respectively. They’re guaranteed to have you shimmying on the sand until dawn.
Boteh, £82, boteh.com
Louisa Ballou, £245, matchesfashion.com
Pour Moi, £24, pourmoi.co.uk
