While lying on the beach in Skiathos I was also on bikini watch – seeing what styles people were wearing and what stood out. And the results are pretty conclusive – my favourite bikini looks are actually mismatching tops and bottoms. I saw loads of people wearing tops and bottoms that were not a matching pair, and it looked great! I don’t know why I was surprised or why I hadn’t thought of it sooner! I think it gives off a laidback vibe and shows a bit of creativity and style too – why be constrained by which pieces the shops say go together?
As an extra bonus, it’s much easier to find great prices when you’re not looking for a matching pair in your size. Shop for separates and save a bit of money on your swimwear – you can easily find bikini bottoms in your size for under £5 in the sales, and you wouldn’t need to worry about finding the matching top with it!
Here’s my easy guide on how to wear mismatching swimwear:
Colour block brights
Pick plain pieces in bright and bold colours. I love bright blue with pink, orange, coral or yellow.
Top from H&M; bottoms from Oasis
Print clash
I like the print clash look, but keep it tonal and in the same colour family so it doesn’t look too messy.
Top and bottoms from Oasis
Combine textures
I love lace and crochet bikinis, but that doesn’t mean it has to feature on both pieces. I think you can still look “put together” with a print top and textured bottoms if you tie them together with a colour scheme.
Top from South Beach Swimwear; bottoms from H&M
Or tie them together with a trend, such as the bohemian vibe created by a paisley/scarf print and cut out bottoms.
Top from New Look, bottoms from River Island
Co-ordinating detail
Even though you’re not wearing a matching set you can still tie the pieces together. The fish-themed charms on these bottoms tie in well with the digital print sunset beach top.
Top from New Look; bottoms from River Island
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