The One Swimsuit Surfer Girls and Sunbathers Agree On

Lets face facts: Skin has always been in on beaches from Rio de Janeiro to Montauk. But a skimpy swimsuit, however fun or stylish, pales in comparison to a functional one, especially if your beach-day activities include, well, any real activities like swimming, surfing, or snorkeling. Enter Cynthia Rowley’s elegant solution: the wetsuit swimsuit. Launched in 2012 as part of Rowley’s swim collection, the hybrid style melds a sporty wetsuit upper with a cute bikini bottom. In the four years since its launch, the suit has doubled in sales each year, leading the designer to set her sights on Australia’s surfer-gal market with a runway show at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney. “There is such a strong surf culture in Australia, and we wanted to really show all that we’re doing!” Rowley told Vogue.com of her impetus to jump on a plane—with several surfboards in tow—and present her swim, activewear, and ready-to-wear collections in Oz.

The wetsuit style was the unofficial hero of Rowley’s Sydney offering, with tens of different-patterned versions closing out the show. (It helped, surely, that some of the models wearing the suits were carried out on surfboards by Aussie hunks.) The design was born from Rowley’s own passion for surfing. “I love being in the water, and when I started, no one was making pretty and functional wetsuits,” she explained, noting that no detail—functional or frivolous—was left unconsidered in the design process. “It was difficult to develop the designs, so we combined ready-to-wear sources, like our printer in Italy, with the technical expertise of the best wetsuit-maker. Every suit has been tested over and over; I cut the leg line as high as possible, but without allowing it to ride up. There are little side zippers, so when you come out of the water you can zip the suit up so you can wear it higher to get a nicer tan line. The shoulders are cut a bit looser to allow for a lot of easy mobility and arm movement. The way the seaming is placed makes everyone look great, and a back pocket is perfect for cash, a key, wax, or a little sunscreen.”

For the show, Rowley massively expanded her offering of wetsuits. The color-blocked style that she started with is still present, now in shades of neon pink and maroon, but the new stars are whimsical graphic and floral patterns. Enhancing the suits are soft-top boards created by Rowley called “kook boards,” covered in matching prints. Those will hit stores later this summer—until then, Rowley’s buy-now wetsuit capsule will carry you through the season’s early days. Surf’s up!Read more at:short formal dresses australia | formal dresses perth