FASHION Magazine

We’re prepping you for beach season with 25 swimsuits picks, two foolproof guides on how to wear ‘em as well as a healthy guide to the best faux glows out there. Get ready to dive in!

THE EXPERTS:
Sarah Ghobrial, swimwear buyer at Holt Renfrew, holtrenfrew.com
Tom Mora, head of women’s design at J.Crew, jcrew.com
Fay Yeung, owner of Sandpipers, sandpipers.ca
Liliana Mann, owner of Linea Intima, lineaintima.com

THE PERFECT SWIMSUIT
HIGH-WAISTED RETRO BIKINI | ONE-PIECE MAILLOT | SPORTY

Q: How tight should a swimsuit be?
A: “Bathing suits and jeans should both be very tight when you buy them. The fabric will relax, and there aren’t many things less attractive than a bathing suit that sags.” —Mann

Q: Can you alter a swimsuit that’s not quite right?
A: “The straps are very easy to do, but I wouldn’t alter the sides because it would stress the seams. A swimsuit will stretch out a little bit, so you could wear it around the house until it gets comfortable.” —Yeung

By Malena Harbers

Today, it’s all about customizing your tan,” says skin-care expert Nichola Joss, who created a variety of caramel tones for models at the Spring 2012 shows of British designers such as Issa and House of Holland. Designed to work with the spirit of each collection, Joss’s handiwork illustrates the idea that one hue indeed does not fit all. By adding, omitting or changing the way you apply a product, you can create a completely different-looking tan. Here, we break down the shades.

SUN-KISSED
Suntan equivalent:
A day out in the garden
Seen at: Roksanda Ilincic

MID-TONE
Suntan equivalent:
A long-weekend at the cottage
Seen at: Erdem

HOLOGRAPHIC
Suntan equivalent:
A week in the Mediterranean
Seen at: House of Holland

BRONZE
Suntan equivalent:
Weeks of sun-worshipping in Brazil
Seen at: Issa

See our editors’ swimwear picks »

By Leah McLaren

In my view, every bathing suit shop in the civilized world should be legally obliged to post one of those orange signs you see beside the doors of saunas. WARNING: Exit immediately if uncomfortable, dizzy or sleepy. Avoid if pregnant or in poor medical health. Bikini shopping in conjunction with alcohol or drugs may cause unconsciousness. By the time I found out, it was already too late. I was naked, weeping, red-faced and five-and-a-half-months knocked up, under the fluorescent lights of a fast-fashion change room on Oxford Street in London, England. A discarded pile of solid colour bandeau and triangle bikinis lay in a wilted pile beside me. No, it was not a good look. But then again, what was I thinking? Swimwear shopping is a self-esteem crapshoot at the best of times, let alone with a sore back, swollen tummy and bazooka breasts.

Since then, upon much sober reflection, I have compiled a list of wisdom gleaned from years of swimwear-shopping trauma. Whether you are a gangly tween contemplating your first padded two-piece or a post-partum mum longing to reclaim your inner Gidget, the following advice will help guide you seamlessly from change room to checkout.

“There is a dreamlike quality to this image. The Victorian-inspired parasol adds an element of mystery because the model’s eyes are concealed,” says FASHION’s current art director Maarten Sluyter. “Exploration and adventure await in this seemingly infinite desert setting.

The neutral colour palette strikes a harmonious chord while the ripples in the diaphanous skirt echo the patterns etched in the sand. It’s pure and simple, like a summer’s day.”

See all of our editors’ pick for spring »

FLORALS
Bursting bouquets of oversize buds are ready for the picking.

TRIBAL
Layer bold, graphic patterns and subtle wooden accents for a global traveller feel.

FEMININITY
Wicker, gingham and eyelet are the perfect ingredients for sweet afternoons spent in the sun.

BRIGHTS
Take a graphic approach and opt for thick blocks of bright, saturated colour.

SPORTY
Gear up for the summer in mesh, metallics, drawstrings and stripes.

See the photo shoot »

By Elio Iannacci. Photographed by James White. Styled by Penny Lovell.

Read our interview with Anna Paquin »
See Anna Paquin’s shopping picks »

You can learn a lot about an actress by the way she steps on set for a photo shoot. Some stars require the armour of an entourage; others need a personality-devoid space and monastic silence. Anna Paquin is unquestionably neither of the above. Upon arriving at L.A.’s Smashbox Studios on a scalding Saturday afternoon, the Winnipeg-born, New Zealand-raised actress introduces herself to the FASHION crew without hesitation. Serving up a warm, Kiwi-accented “Nice to meet you” to photographer James White—and his troop of all-guy assistants crushing on her—the 29-year-old talent does the rounds as if she were hosting a cocktail party. Of course, there is a reason for Paquin’s accelerated social skills. Having won an Oscar at the age of 11 for her performance in Jane Campion’s The Piano, Paquin has grown up with cameras and handshakes at every corner, starring in a mix of family pictures (Fly Away Home), blockbusters (X-Men), indie flicks (The Squid and the Whale) and, most recently, a ratings monster of a TV series called True Blood.

After changing into her favoured cover look—a Jackie Onassis-like Marc Jacobs dress trimmed with silver studs—Paquin dashes in front of the lens, occasionally cracking jokes and posing without any forced fabulousness. Her good humour remains intact long after the array of designer heels and baubles are put away and we are left alone to talk.

ALWAYS IN FASHION
24 Fashionmagazine.com 
28 Letter from the editor
30 Contributors
32 Behind the scenes
34 Letters from our readers

FASHION FILE
40 NEWS Picnic-ready bags take the spotlight, Hermès dives (back) into swimwear, Tag Heuer’s new leading lady and Diesel shows off its new attitude.
42 FLASHPOINT Stylish women across Canada let the sun shine in with shades of yellow and flirty floral pants.
44 SWIM ESSAY Does shopping for a swimsuit trigger a tidal wave of self-doubt? Leah McLaren keeps your head above water with seven tried-and-true tips.
48 TREND From the runway to the red carpet, strategic cut-outs are exposing a whole new side of womenswear.

There’s only one thing that might be worse than swimsuit shopping: Swimsuit shopping while pregnant. It’s something we imagine Anna Paquin will be facing—she announced her first pregnancy with husband Stephen Moyer just days after our cover shoot. Meanwhile, Leah McLaren, who is due to become a mom this summer, braved the swimwear waters for “Hope Floats” on page 44. Her amusing tussle with triangle bikinis gives new meaning to the phrase “grin and bare it.”

I didn’t find much to smile about on my own recent hunt for the perfect maillot. I set aside a good chunk of a Saturday to spend at a swimwear boutique. Previous excursions have taught me that an experienced swim and lingerie specialist can eyeball a body and return with a handful of options that not only fit, but play up one’s best features and camouflage the rest. On this occasion, however, I wasn’t so lucky and after trying on 30 or so suits, I settled for something annoyingly less than ideal.

Great service, whether in a store or a salon, is a major factor in why some businesses thrive and others don’t, especially when it comes to stripping down for summer. Olivia Stren peels back the layers on her deep devotion to her waxer (“Bare it All,” page 98) and how it feels when the woman who knows parts of you better than your gynecologist moves out of town.