Maaji Swimwear: Colorful Prints and Reversible Fits

Before I knew Maaji for its bright swimsuits, I knew the kind of summer it seemed to promise: a day with room for the water, the sun and one more swim. Sisters Amalia and Manuela Sierra grew up in Medellín, where their parents' entrepreneurial spirit and their own love of fashion gave them the push to start a swimwear label in 2002. You can read their own account of it.

What I like is the mix of practical invention and high color. The signature is ocean-inspired shades, playful print combinations, unexpected details and reversible, four-way styles, so a swimsuit becomes part of the day instead of something you pack away after one dip. It has roots in Medellín and a very wide beach horizon.

Swim is where the Maaji print language feels most at home. I would start with the Green Symphony Ginger Bikini Top and Green Symphony Dreams Bikini Bottom, both a bright green, then bring in the blue Ocean Drift Row Bikini Top and Ocean Drift Flirt Bikini Bottom as a second set. The Tropic Camouflage Isla Sarong is the easy layer for the walk from water to lunch.

If I want one piece instead, the Safri Reversible One Piece is the label's flip-and-reverse idea in its simplest form. Picture her carrying the sarong to a shaded table after a swim, a second suit waiting in her beach tote. My tip: decide which top you will reach for most, then choose bottoms and a cover-up that share its colors.

I like that the Maaji story keeps going once the swimsuit comes off. The Tropical Parfait Mini Dress and Joy Dress are two ways to carry color into lunch, and the red Wine Bloom Helsie Dress has a little more evening energy. The Golden Blossom Amarantta Shirt and Tropical Cotta T-shirt are easy layers to imagine over the Golden Blossom Glacier Maxi Skirt or the Pastel Mirage Isla Cover Up Skirt.

Picture her leaving the beach in the Tropic Camouflage Octavia Shirt with flat sandals and a swimsuit underneath. Let one print lead and keep the bag, shoes and jewelry quiet. What I would skip: wearing two loud prints head to toe, however tempting it is.

What stays with me about Maaji is how it balances vivid print with practical swim design. The Sierra sisters built it from a Colombian point of view, and ocean color, playful pairings and reversible suits are still close to the surface. I would start with the swimsuit I most want to wear twice, then add a shirt or cover-up for the hours just outside the water. Although I suspect the suit will be the one that gets packed first.