Swimwear Trends SS27: What Designers and Brands need to know for next season

At Studio Nu we’ve definitely got swimwear on our minds, who hasn’t? 

It’s that time of year, you’re either on holiday or dreaming of a holiday. We’re hading to Ibiza in a few weeks and mentally we’ve already planned our beach outfits - we’re thinking on-trend textured fabrics in fun colours and a discreet animal print number, complete with mid afternoon cocktail on the sun lounger followed by a nap.

Hada Swim, designed in Marseille

Whether you’re hiking and camping in the Rockies, frequenting beach clubs in the south of France or lying poolside in the Caribbean, swimwear plays a part in most holidays. Trends influence the consumer’s choice of what swimwear to buy but so does purpose. Will you be wearing your swimwear to dunk in a lake, sit in a forest secluded sauna, show off at a beach club, sunbathe or perform some serious laps? Purpose has never been so definitive as a purchase decision in swimwear as it is now, an increase in lifestyles orientated around wellness and outdoor activities has heightened the consumer’s need for multiple sets of swimwear. In addition to this, we are seeing more year round travel, as people take advantage of remote and hybrid work, avoid peak seasons to make their trips more cost efficient, avoid over-tourism and avert the increasingly extreme summer heat. 

Swimwear is now an all year round product.

I used to happily let my swimsuits and bikinis gather dust in my wardrobe from October to May, but now I find myself using it all throughout the year. I’m cold plunging and using saunas all throughout winter, then I’ll get away somewhere sunny in the spring for a bit of beach time, avoiding the crowds and taking advantage of the cheaper flights and accommodation, throughout the summer I’ll have a bikini in my backpack whilst hiking in hope of a wild swim. I also like to have a few statement pieces in my cupboard if the opportunity for a beach club or festival arises.

Motel Rocks

We can see the importance of swimwear in the market at the moment, and it’s an exciting time for the product category as aesthetic trends and consumer needs fuse we can expect some exciting developments in the Swimwear arena. So thinking ahead, what will the swimwear trends be for SS27?

Let’s break it down in a SS27 Swim Forecast:

Lingerie Influence in Swim

For a fair few seasons we have seen lingerie influences make their way into swimwear product, this felt really new when we were first seeing it pop up on socials and I think Dua Lipa was one of the celebs to pave the way in this lingerie-esque trend (she is basically the queen of beachwear style).

So that look feels great for now, but what will your customer want from the trend in summer 2027?

We expect this influence to develop into a truer reference of lingerie, not just an aesthetic or small details such as bows. The workmanship and construction that comes with lingerie will be translated into swimwear, the prettiness of the lingerie will remain but in a less decorative way. 

In addition to this, expect more true lingerie based colours, think neutrals, pastels and dusky tones. A palette you may see at your favourite lingerie brand. This will pair perfectly in another direction we expect the trend to go, layering and sheers. As the purpose of swimwear and resortwear becomes more multi function, expect more hybrid outfits and so layering pieces become key to your collection.

We’re excited for beachwear trends like this next spring/summer, it feels particularly new and relevant to women of today.

Dua Lipa, lingerie inspired bikini

Oui the label

Creative Mismatch 

Similar to what we are seeing in Activewear, the two piece matching set is looking for creative updates. Print mix, contrast fabrics, unexpected colour combinations and silhouettes that wouldn’t naturally be paired together are going to feel new in the market. 

As consumers seek individuality and excitement in their purchases, they are ready to experiment more than they have in the past. Playful design and novel details will give your brand a personal touch.

Jaded

Experience led travel will also create demand for unique and photogenic style pieces, so the creative mismatch trend is perfect for this phenomenon.

At the luxury end of the market, we’re seeing a rejection of the designer logo, and in its place the luxury customer will pay for unique design and an opportunity to embrace individuality.

Textures

Textured fabrications in swimwear has been a strong trend for many seasons, we expect this to deepen for SS27 with a wider variety of textures and more adventurous options. Deeper surface resistance, and with more fabrications translated into texture. 

The OG brand in textured swimwear, Hunza G ‘the original crinkle’, has led the way in textures for swim, but for SS27 expect more experimentation, 3D and exaggerated surface relief.

Consumers are leaning towards tactile fabrics and this trend not only delivers that but also a real visual impact in your collection.

Montce Swim

Coverage

As summer weather intensifies and concerns around skin damage from the sun and UV rays priority around skin protection grows, we see brands starting to offer more variation in shapes, and building blocks to create your own personalised coverage for your skin and body. Silhouettes that were normally reserved for water-sports are making their way into the swimwear fashion space too. 

Montce Swim

Shrugs and skirts are two of the new key silhouettes in swimwear coverage that feel particularly new and relevant when the fabrication offers UV protection.

This is a trend that is adapting to the climate around us, this summer has no doubt been a wake up call for the intense sunny seasons we are going to face in the future. Protection fused with style is an area in the swimwear market which has much untapped potential, and deserves some focus.

The coverage trend can be styled in two directions, firstly in a ready-to-wear way, bikinis, swimsuits, shrugs, tops and skirts lending themselves to the resort part of the market and perfect for the more glamourous context of beach clubs but also in a more functional way. Naturally, when garments become functional to the wearer, in this context the element of protection, utility styling and details lend themselves to the look, so a focus on built in pockets, easy pull zips, adjustability and loops, tabs etc will all give the wearer an elevated and practical experience.

Rashi Swim

Natural fabrications

We see the same fabrication movement happen in swimwear which is also happening in activewear, the desire for natural yarns. Many of the garments that use 100% natural fabrications such as cotton, can’t necessarily be classed as swimwear due to the performance issues around the activity of swim, but can be classed more as simply beachwear. Cotton and modal are appearing more and more in the beachwear market, I saw this strongly whilst shopping in Barcelona and Madrid recently, it was evident in both mass retailers and smaller local brands.

Cotton swimsuit from Como un pez en el agua

There’s a new reflection of the fabrications we are wearing in the heat, and how this effects our skin and health, so expect this demand in the market to grow. This brings me to another area of this shift in the market, natural swimwear for sauna sessions. When our bodies sweat, chemical additives from the fabrics are leached, and then available to be absorbed through our skin. This is why so many people are making the move to natural fibres, especially for sauna activities. Sauna use has seen a sharp rise globally and in countries where it wasn’t part of the culture, it is now being embraced as a social and health conscious activity.

Mist Thermal Sanctuary, Bowen Island, BC, Canada

I personally love sauna, I never thought something could make me look forward to winter, but it really does. I feel cleansed, relaxed and at peace after a sauna session. When I lived in west coast Canada, the region had some of the best sauna set ups I’ve ever seen, if you’re ever in Vancouver please take a short ferry ride over to Bowen Island and go to Mist Thermal Sanctuary, you will not be disappointed. Forest views, tranquility, locally made botanical products, fires, sauna and a cold plunge, it’s something I still day-dream about - I could write a whole post about the place.

I remember thinking whilst I was there I wanted a natural bikini or swimsuit to wear in all my sauna trips, but hadn’t quite identified the brand, I have since learnt about Saade, which is sustainably made in Europe and fabrication is 88% plant based, made from Lyocell. Saade product has been engineered to work in heat and water, perfect for the hot / cold circuit.

It is certainly time to reconsider the blends you are using for your swimwear collection, as consumer sentiment continues to change, could you start introducing natural yarns?

Saade

Statement swimwear

Lastly, we’re loving the expressive beachwear trend of SS27 that is all about making a statement. The current interest in hardware, body jewellery and asymmetrical silhouettes shows how women want to be expressive and be seen. 

Holiday is quite often a time of escapism and so the opportunity to dress into a different concept and mood is exciting, festivals, boat parties and beach clubs create the perfect setting for these looks.

Livy is an absolute pioneer in these statement pieces, and season after season never fails to deliver new, groundbreaking concepts, I’m definitely a fan. 

So this is already happening in the market, where do we see it going next?

Expect hardware to become even more abstract, vintage jewellery inspired, textured, organic shapes, larger scale.

Body jewellery won’t just be an add on accessory, but built into the garment, creating even more decorative ensembles.

Asymmetric silhouettes will remain and the cut out areas for skin show will become increasingly sexy in placement.

Despite all this drama and excess, the actual body of the swimsuit itself will remain quite minimal, allowing all the other elements to do the work.

This is definitely a trend for the beach club girlies.

LIVY

Spring/Summer 2027 feels very exciting for swimwear, beachwear and resortwear already.

If you need help with your creative direction, trend development, collection design or range development, you can check out our services, or reach out to us here.