Prints, pastel hues, and 1980s-retro: trends in the making for 2020 swimwear

It seems as though spring has only just begun, but many of us are already looking forward to warmer days to come and wondering about this year's swimwear trends. According to the most recent report from Stylight (Stylight), retro-inspired 1980s looks, bows, pastel colors, and animal prints could all be big this summer. 

One of the most remarkable developments, which is not strictly speaking a swimwear design trend, is the enthusiasm with which fashion addicts are already looking at forthcoming offerings of what are essentially summer pieces. In response to quarantines and the global health crisis, consumers appear to have given up on shopping for the spring, and are instead seeking looks for next season in the hope of wearing them to the full. In March, Stylight noted an 83% growth in swimwear clicks on its international platforms over the same period last year. And this increase has been in the making since the month of January.

Bows, flounces and frills

Adding a fanciful touch of glamour, there will be flounces and frills aplenty on this summer's swimwear, which will offer a plethora of dressed-up beach looks. However, and in spite of all expectations to the contrary, vacation suitcases will not be loaded with vibrant colors but with pastel shades, which are particularly sought-after by users of the fashion search engine. The strength of this trend has been underscored by a colossal increase of 2,582% in clicks on Stylight when compared to the same period last year.

As a general rule, bows are also big in fashion searches, where the category has attracted a steep 1,273% climb in the number of clicks. And the principle that what works on the street will also work on the beach is also evident in a surge in enthusiasm for 1980s-inspired high-cut bottoms and animal prints — notably zebra, python and leopard-skin motifs. Both categories have registered increases of more than 1,000% in the number of clicks when compared to the same period last year. Last but not least, this year's holidays will be characterized by a rush for ruffles with an increase of 665% in clicks. Look out for them on straps, collars, necklines, and bikini bottoms, where they will be adding a note of glamour in many different ways.

Beachwear and sustainable fashion

As evidenced elsewhere in the world of fashion, consumers are increasingly interested in hybrid clothing that can be reused on many different occasions. Not surprisingly then, there is significant enthusiasm for swimwear tops and bras that serve not only in the surf and on the beach but also on the street. Stylight reports a 183% increase in the number of clicks in this category when compared to last year.

With regard to the swimwear brands that are most sought-after by fashionistas, Bond-Eye tops the list, ahead of Luli Fama, Vitamin A, Frankies Bikinis, and Prana. Note the presence in this top-5 of two green labels, Vitamin A and Prana, both of which make use of organic, eco-responsible and recycled materials in their swimsuits.

The Stylight report is based on internal data collected by the search engine from its 12 million monthly users on its various international platforms. The period from which data was selected was from January 1, 2020 to March 15, 2020, and this was compared to data for the same period in the previous year. The ranking for the most sought-after brands was based on the most clicked products.