Are swimsuits the new ready-to-wear? They might save us from this scorching summer

By now, dressing in July is no longer a style choice: it is a daily survival strategy that our sweaty bodies have to deal with. The blame, as we know, is largely ours, but while geologists confirm that these subtropical heat waves are the direct result of our harmful impact on the planet, the fashion system responds in the only way it knows how to process ecological grief: by making money.

It is no coincidence that, since the beginning of the summer season, social searches on how to dress without collapsing have literally exploded. Yet, precisely in the summer of micro-shorts and jelly shoes, contemporary fashion’s answers seem to converge toward a single, drastic solution: undressing. This is where a sort of summer heat-wear takes shape, born directly from global warming, where the boundaries between the city’s asphalt and the beach sand are definitively erased, transforming the swimsuit into the new ready-to-wear.

Swimwear proposals on the runway

Looking closely, this invasion of swimwear into everyday wardrobes was an inevitable development. After all, we are coming out of years of Y2K nostalgia and the return of the Surfer Girl aesthetic. Several brands, in fact, have shifted toward this maximalist and hyper-colorful direction. In David Koma's latest summer collection for Blumarine and in Dsquared2's Resort 2026 collection, swimsuits are paired with baby tees, low-rise washed jeans, and thin glitter heels, creating looks that seem to have emerged from a genetic crossover between Paris Hilton and Sharpay Evans from High School Musical.

While at The Attico we find fluorescent jersey dresses that look like cover-ups, Alix Higgins brings a classic triangle bikini to the runway worn over a long-sleeve top. In this regard, bikinis often do not appear alone in collections, but become the starting point for a continuous layering game. At Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada lets swimsuit straps peek out from underneath lace aprons, while Marc Jacobs pushes the accelerator on 1980s nostalgia with an "plastic-like" fashion show (SS27) where bikini tops coexist with fluorescent tights and PVC shirts.

Following the eighties revival, Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent's Resort 2026 collection also has models wearing brightly colored one-piece swimsuits and hot pants underneath long evening gowns with dramatic thigh-high slits. In some cases, beachwear codes seem to blend into everyday looks. For example, for Jean Paul Gaultier, Duran Lantink used the silhouette of wetsuits and classic high-cut briefs to create surrealist looks featuring trompe-l'oeil prints, while at Laura Gerte and Bevza we find visible lycra swimsuits emerging from a long skirt and a dress with a shell-shaped neckline.

This contamination between ready-to-wear and swimwear has found its natural habitat especially in the "destination" fashion shows, which luxury brands have now transformed into true celebrations of slow vacation life. On one side, Chanel brought to the runway, against the backdrop of Biarritz beach, 1920s-inspired swimsuits worn with logo swim caps and paired with the maison’s classic tweed jackets; on the other, under the scorching Corsican sun, Simon Porte from Jacquemus showcased for SS27 bikinis visible underneath transparent dresses and pastel striped tops paired with flowing skirts, creating a wardrobe designed specifically for the relaxed rhythms of elite holidaymakers.

The metallic obsession

References to swimwear are expressed above all through tactile and material qualities. In this regard, several collections feature a frequent use of synthetic materials such as lurex. This metallic fascination has involved Di Petsa, who started from the myth of Medusa to create her latest collection, translating the seascape aesthetic into lurex garments, whose grainy texture recalls the serpent-like hair of the hypnotic creature. While for Missoni these shimmering and rough surfaces have always been an essential element of the brand’s DNA, at Roberto Cavalli the trend awakens the brand’s animal instinct through lurex flared jumpsuits and archival bodysuits featuring scaled prints.

Alèmais has also embraced the trend, bringing vitamin-colored lurex sets to Isla del Rey in Minorca, perfect for reflecting the sunset light. This trend has also influenced some of the most unexpected visions. For example, Alessandro Michele presented for Valentino Resort 2027 a stretch T-shirt with an almost metallic finish that, due to its adherence and fit, instantly recalls the costumes of synchronized swimming athletes; meanwhile, Demna at Gucci FW26 uses laminated jersey as a synonym for a stereotypical and unapologetic sexiness: first with a metallic skirt layered over sparkling tights, and then with a silver menswear look reminiscent of a glamorous version of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

Does fashion still need swimwear?

The swimwear category continues to be courted by the fashion system, as demonstrated by recent summer campaigns from luxury brands such as “La Vacanza” by Versace and “Gucci Monte Carlo,” which tells the story of luxurious summers in the Principality. In addition, collaborations and marketing choices from some brands continue to emerge, increasingly capable of reaching every type of audience, placing swimwear at the center of their strategies. On one side, there is Dsquared2, which with its latest swimsuit campaign embraced the aesthetic of a paradise summer in Brazil.

Meanwhile, the alternative for an old money summer will be divided between an Emilio Pucci swimsuit featuring 1970s prints or a two-piece from the new collaboration between Burberry and Hunza G, capable of combining the most famous synthetic seersucker fabric of the seaside with the iconic British check pattern. All that remains is to accept the hottest summer ever and resign ourselves to the idea that the only way to survive the final weeks of work in the office will be to show up wearing a lurex bikini, hoping our boss appreciates the effort of pairing it with a blazer.