Published: May 08, 2006 12:25 pm      

Swimwear styles, options abundant

Two-piece.

The term that has struck fear in the hearts of many women over the years may not be so intimidating anymore.

Shoppers preparing for summertime pool visits and beach vacations will find that the swimwear trend toward two-piece suits continues this year, and that “two-piece” doesn’t necessarily mean “bikini.”

Bikinis are still available, of course, for the more daring among us. But tanks, shorts and bottoms with attached skirts comprise a significant portion of the pieces hanging on store racks. With the many choices of style and color, it appears shoppers may not have to choose between fashion and comfort.

At JCPenney in Mercer Mall, Department Supervisor Diane Waschler said there’s “a little for everyone,” from juniors and younger ladies who do not want to wear a one-piece to women with more conservative tastes.

Waschler said a notable two-piece trend for the past three or four years is that the pieces are being sold separately.

“How many women are a size 7 on bottom and size 7 at the top?” she said.

This year’s pieces come in orange, blue, red, purple, white, green, brown, black and more — and seemingly any combination of the above. Many suits feature multiple colors and prints, including stripes, floral prints and polka dots.

“We have a lot with the sarongs,” Sonya Heflin, a department head at Goody’s in Bluefield, Va., said of swimsuit choices. At Goody’s and other area stores, shoppers can choose from the many two-piece options, or from one-pieces that often feature a swimdress or skirt style.

“We even have some eyelet and crocheted” suits that are very popular with younger shoppers, Heflin said.

“I’d say right now the one-piece with a skirt” or two-pieces with shorts and a tank top are most popular among customers, said Debbie Gill, who works in customer assistance at Mercer Mall’s Sears store.

“I think most go with what they can wear and look decent with,” Gill said. Both Heflin and Gill agreed with Waschler that younger shoppers tend to be the ones buying more revealing pieces.

For people more interested in covering up than revealing skin, variety extends from swimwear to cover-ups and accessories with myriad colors and styles, offering both fashion and function.

At Goody’s, options include Duck Head’s light, terry skirts, dresses and zipped jackets in white, coral and aqua. Long tunics are another cover-up trend in stores, as well as more traditional mesh tops. People seeking a stylish way to protect more skin from the sun, or to feel more comfortable on the beach, have more options than in the past.

Heflin agreed that with features such as halter necklines and ruffled skirts, this year’s coveralls are “something [even] the younger people would wear.”

At JCPenney, cover-up options also include large-brim hats. Shorts and even capris are available in a light, swimmer-friendly fabric.

Sears’ Gill said sarongs and totes tend to be popular, and this year the flip-flop trend continues in stores as swimmers can pick up matching footwear with sequins or beads.

Add some sunglasses and sunscreen, and you just might be ready for the beach.

— Contact Melissa Cuppett at mcuppett@bdtonline.com