Seafolly Swimwear: Pieces Worth the Price

I will admit I have always loved a brand with a slightly embarrassing first name, and Seafolly has one of the best. Peter and Yvonne Halas started it in Sydney in 1975 as Peter's Folly, after Peter, who had arrived in Australia from Hungary as a refugee, spent years working in clothing sales. The first range was denim. Swimwear took over later that same year, and it never really let go.

Yvonne handled the PR and advertising while Peter built the product, which sounds to me like a very good division of labor. The label went on to make swimsuits for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, which feels right for a brand born by the shore. What I admire most is that it still puts fit and support first and builds everything else, the color and the resort pieces, around Australian beach life.

If I were packing one bag, the Ring Front Bandeau One Piece would be my easy answer for a day when I do not want to think about it. For a two-piece I would go to the cocoa set: the Coastline Longline Triangle Bikini Top with the Coastline High Cut Bikini Bottom, a longer top and a higher leg that feel quietly grown up. The Summer Chintz Longline Slide Triangle Bikini Top and Summer Chintz Tie Side Rio Bikini Bottom bring in a soft ecru print, and I would happily cross the top with the Coastline bottom if the mood struck.

Then the cover layer. The Beach Boheme Sarong or the Coastline Sarong takes you from the water to lunch, and the Gathered Lace Cover Up is what I would reach for when I want a little more coverage. Picture her walking back from the water in the white cover-up over cocoa swim, a towel and a book under one arm. One practical note: check the top and bottom size charts separately when you mix cuts.

A swim bag should last past the beach, and this is where it does. The Coastline Mini Wrap Dress in cocoa picks up the swim set's neutral tone, while the Stripe Boxy Mini Dress in ice blue and the May Flower Bias Cut Maxi Dress in white give you a graphic option and a softer one. I would wear the Viva Vacation Shirt in powder blue open over a swimsuit, or button the Stripe Shirt in light pop pink with the May Flower Tailored Short for an easy cafe outfit.

The Stripe Drawstring Shorts are a playful match for that shirt, and the Raffia Stripe Tote is where the towel, the book and the sunscreen end up. My styling tip is to keep the base simple when the print is doing the work, then add one warm woven bag. In my fashion dreams, she wanders from the sand to a late lunch in the ice-blue mini, no outfit change required.

Seafolly has a clear point of view: a swimsuit should fit first, and the beach day gets built around it. That idea runs from the Halas family's early shift out of denim and into swim, and I still see it in the mix of separates, cover-ups and easy dresses here. I would choose a suit for the job it needs to do, then add one layer that makes the walk back to the cafe as comfortable as the water. Although, if I am honest, I would probably start with the cocoa Coastline set and the white gathered cover-up.