lovewave Swimwear: What I'd Actually Buy First

I like a swim label with a clear mood, and lovewave has one: retro, a little glamorous and entirely vacation-first. It was a newer name in the summer of 2018, born inside a Los Angeles fashion retailer rather than from one named designer, and it got a push from a destination trip and style-setter friends. The story is short, but the look is easy to read.

The debut resort-and-swim line looked to Helmut Newton's 1970s muses and came with bright two-pieces, vintage-striped one-pieces and a beach-to-dinner robe. I like that it starts with the swimsuit and does not leave the wearer there. The Ysabella Sarong and the long skirts make a fuller vacation outfit, while black, sand snake and vivid blues let you decide how loud the color story should be.

I like how the swim moves between pared-back and playful without losing its holiday mood. The Yuzu One Piece in black is a single dark base, and The Sabine One Piece in sand snake is the patterned alternative. For a two-piece, True Colors High Waist Bottom in storm and The Alexi High Waist Bottom in blue make coverage part of the choice, The Salem Bottom in black is the simplest color anchor, and The Ryder Bottom and Haya High Waist Bottom add more to pick from.

Picture her coming up from the water and wrapping The Ysabella Sarong in black around her suit before lunch. My packing tip: decide whether the one-piece or the high-waist bottom will do most of the work, then choose a top that repeats its color instead of competing with it.

Tops are the easiest way to set a mood. The Hadley Top in espresso brown is the quiet one, while The Lychee Top in cobalt blue and Haya Top in citron green are brighter. For a softer in-between, True Colors Top in storm keeps the same color story as its matching bottom, so I would choose the top and bottom together before packing anything around them. The Alexi Top, The Salem Top, The Cinque Top and The Campbell Top give me even more to think about.

Imagine a long lunch at a tiled beach club in The Lychee Top and a matching bottom under an open shirt, then the same suit in the water after. A coordinated set is easiest to wear when the shade and the coverage both feel right, so I would check the bottom before I fall for the top.

The skirts give the swim somewhere to go after the sand. The Hadley Maxi Skirt in espresso brown adds a deeper shade, The Charisse Maxi Skirt in sand snake echoes the print story of the swimsuits, and The Sterling Maxi Skirt in powder pink is a softer turn. Tracy Skirt in white is another simple option when the swimsuit already brings the color.

My daydream pairing is The Charisse Maxi Skirt over a sand snake one-piece for a terrace aperitivo, then the same skirt with a plain top the next morning. Let one print or bright color lead and keep the second piece quieter, so the outfit reads like one thought. What I would skip is a loud skirt over a loud suit.

Lovewave makes the most sense when I think in whole vacation days instead of single swimsuits. The retro reference keeps the swim grounded, and the color range and the skirts give the wearer room to make the trip her own. I would start with one suit I want to live in, add a single wrap or skirt that works with it, then build the rest from what is already in the suitcase. That is a more personal way to pack than planning a new outfit for every hour. Although the sarong would still come with me twice.