On a gorgeous summer morning, I headed down to Lake Michigan to get a firsthand look of what city 
dwellers qualify as swimwear or beach attire. This time of year, there are countless articles telling you to choose a swimsuit wisely or risk being a fashion disaster. This fixation is almost mythic in the way it’s presented as an enormous challenge. There is actually a “Swimwear Fashion Week” that is quite successful! Held in Miami, it has been presenting the looks of top designers for quite a few seasons. Swimsuits have entered the fabulous realm of designer clothing. 
(Check out the photos of some new looks I love.) These are retro swimsuit styles that I think will be huge, if not this year, then next. They are both fun and slyly sexy, too. Old movie star glam will triumph over itsy bitsy and make a comeback.
Given that I have been to presentations by swimwear lines Gottex and Rosa Cha in NYC, it only made sense to look for the more realistic flipside – what actual beachgoers wear when enjoying Milwaukee’s brief swimwear season. The simple fact is that there are numerous 
ways to look at this yearly (in Milwaukee) attire, from fashionable to practical to regional. All of these aspects do come into play and, of course, some more than others. We may not have pristine white sand and the ocean, but we do have a great lake and somewhat clean beaches. In my own unscientific way, I discovered a lot about what people are comfortable wearing on the beach.
After parking on Lincoln Memorial Drive at the northern most tip of the beach, I slowly walked south along the shore scouting potential “models” for this piece. The day was warm and overcast, and at 10:45 a.m., there were already a lot of people there enjoying the lovely day and the overwhelming beauty of the lake.
First to cross my path were some friends of mine who were happy to share the day and lots of playtime with their adorable grandsons. The boys, including grandpa, were wearing what most men and boys wear these days, some sort of loose board shorts, while grandma wore a sleek one-piece in a fashionable subtle animal print. A headscarf and cool sunglasses completed her look. She bought the swimsuit this season to wear when she visits her mother in Florida. It looked great and was a perfect choice for her. When I was reviewing the picture of this clan, I realized that they had a sort of a classic, happy beach style look that never goes out of fashion.
Next I ran into one of the hard working (young!) lifeguards that are stationed down the stretch of the
beach. Although they don’t wear uniforms, they do all wear similar red board shorts to stand out in the crowd. Here the rule of practicality comes into play. The color signifies their position, and the style signifies the individual. This young man is wearing the baggier version of the shorts. What an enviable job, mostly staring into the horizon of our beautiful lake and people watching. Because it was early in the day, and the beach hadn’t yet reached its legendary crowded state, there wasn’t much for him to do except beach cleanup.
With the light breeze, it was a nice walk toward the volleyball courts where there were small groups of people watching the games. There were more board shorts in a wide variety of colors and patterns on the guys and boy shorts and sporty bikini tops for the women. You’ve got to move when you play volleyball, and that would be tough to do gracefully in a Speedo or tiny fashion bikini.
Closer to the lake there was a group of three college girls who looked stylish and friendly. I really liked the style of the girl in the preppy, plaid, skirted bikini. The white sunglasses and plaid just stood out. Her friend in the mirrored shades, which I like and also own, had on an ’80s throwback splatter paint print bikini. This was a good look for her, and she totally pulls it off. The third gal looks sophisticated in a more structured two-piece that reminded me of a Calvin Klein design or something a little more St. Tropez. Big shades topped off the look. They were all having fun, and their choices in swimwear reflected their personalities.
Continuing on my quest for reality-ready beach looks, I came upon this nice young family. Mom and
dad are wearing summer casual, but you can be sure that they are there to make the beach experience memorable for their kids. It was great fun to see the children joyfully playing in the sand and water. When I asked the little redhead about her swimsuit, she gave me an
incredulous look and said, “It’s Tinker Bell!” I should have known; she was having a magical time. Meanwhile, her little brother kept his cool in Hawaiian print shorts, beach sand included.
So what did I discover? People go through many beach stages of life. You see, swimwear is indicative of who we are and why we’re at the beach. Are we there to see and be seen, to play or to simply enjoy the wonders of nature and family? In the end, just wear what makes you happy, comfortable and confident, and you’ve got beachwear beat. But don’t tell Vogue it’s that easy.
