DEVON WINDSOR Bikinis: Where to Start Shopping

I will admit I am suspicious of most celebrity swim lines, and then I read how this one started. Devon Windsor spent years in front of the camera before she launched her label in 2019, and she chose swim because she wanted more design than the usual triangle bikini. She designs the line herself, and she learned the business from her husband, Jonathan Barbara, who had already built Alexis.

Windsor is the founder, designer and owner, Barbara is CEO and art director, and the Miami office is where the fit samples get tried on different bodies. That hands-on beginning shows. The label has grown from swim into cover-ups, resort dresses and skirts, and it gives equal thought to color, texture and the real question of what goes over a suit once the swimming is done. If you want to keep going, Nanushka Dresses: Where to Start Shopping is the one I would read next.

A metallic bikini can be an evening look on its own. A crochet skirt or a halter dress makes the move to lunch feel natural, which is exactly what I want from a vacation wardrobe.

These suits feel like the start of an outfit, not a last-minute packing decision. The Hailey Bikini Top in gold shimmer is a bandeau with a sweetheart neckline, so I would wear it with a plain cover-up and no competing jewelry. The Helen Bikini Bottom keeps the metallic story going, while the Larissa Bikini Bottom in Harbour is a calmer color for a solid top. The Carmella One Piece in Dove changes the mood with its ties at the shoulders and waist.

If you want more structure, the Laurel Bikini Top in Daisy is the one I would look at. My fit rule is to pick tops and bottoms for the support and coverage you actually want, then let the color pairings be the fun part. What I would skip is matching every piece exactly, because the mix is where this brand shines.

The resort clothes are for the hours when I want swimwear to stay the start of the outfit. The Selma Dress in Crete is a light halter with a ruffled hem, and I would throw it over a suit with a flat sandal to keep the whole look relaxed. The Tabitha Dress in Opal is the closer, more body-skimming choice for dinner. The Gwen Skirt in Gold Shimmer has a front knot and a side slit, so it turns a plain swim top into something for the evening. I went deeper on a related idea in Bondi Born Swimwear: Where to Start Shopping.

In my fashion dreams, she wears the Gwen with a simple Hailey top and an open shirt, and skips the extra jewelry. The Wynne Skirt in Cocoa is a full-length open knit, so I would pack a slip or a bottom I am happy to have show through. Choose a skirt by how much coverage you want that day, not only by the color.

I keep coming back to this label because it treats the swimsuit as the first decision and not the whole packing list. A strong suit works harder when there is an easy skirt or dress to pull over it, and the collection moves between the two without losing its color or texture. I would pick one suit that feels like me and build one warm-weather outfit around it. That beats taking five pieces that all do the same job, although I know I will still pack six.