For the first time this year, Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week featured an entire show dedicated to swimwear from LoveWaterLove. In addition, at the same fashion week, well-known designer Craig Port revealed his new men's swimwear collection, hilariously (or ambitiously) titled, 'Ten Inches'.

Swimwear is definitely establishing itself as a fashion discipline in its own right and it is worth having a look at what the guidelines are for this summer of sun, sea and sand — for both the boys and the girls.

Pattern and colour

There is no doubt that colour is back for swimwear. With tropical florals, leaves and jungle prints being the key patterns for your cozzie in 2008, the look is definitely bright and 80s-inspired. Look for reds and greens, as well as the animal print styles.

This is not to say that the safety zone of the staple black is to be avoided. Monochrome is huge in all areas of fashion this season, so if you do feel that you can't break out the funky colour palette, then look for a black costume, but make sure that it has a white trim or detailing so that it falls into the monochrome spectrum.

Geometric prints abound too for swimwear, and this plays to both the men's and ladies designs. Sometimes this colour blocking can also affect the actual construction of the garment and one-shouldered swimwear pieces are massive in 2008 and a reflection of this angular design direction.

Shape and style

Everyone should be aware that retro rules this season on the beach. The epitome of style for ladies is a very conservative and elegant '50s inspired one-piece costume.

For the chaps, a '60s boy-short style is definitely the way to go if you want to set the trends. This means slightly more fabric and coverage than a classic Speedo, but it is slightly more risky an approach than the baggies the boys on the beach are so fond of!

The hottest new style around today, beloved of the US hip-hop culture, is the 'monokini', which is essentially a very cut out one piece. It usually involves a neck tie and exposes most of the torso, with a single continuing piece of fabric up the middle and a standard bikini clasp at the back.

There are benefits to this style, including never losing your top, looking extremely hot and sexy, and slightly more coverage around the tummy area than your standard bikini.

Sadly, you are not likely to get an even tan, nor are you going to get much extra support. And boys, don't think that this is just for the girls — Alexander McQueen featured this style for men on the catwalks earlier this year, dubbed the 'mankini'!

For ladies the one-piece has definitely made a comeback this season, with the feminine silhouette being emphasised and elegance and romanticism firmly on the style agenda.

This more sophisticated approach to swimwear can look just as attractive as the bikini, without exposing quite so much of your skin to the harsh rays of the sun. It also has that old-school glamour about it that works very well to establish style in the sand.

Of course for boys and girls the bikini is still the perennial favourite for frolicking in the waves. Minimum coverage for maximum impact is the order of the day for those young enough — or buff enough — to carry it off.

If you still want a two-piece without total exposure, then the 'tankini' is still around for the ladies. This year they feature more halter-necks with deeper necklines and skimpier bottoms, which should be remembered if you want to stay on-trend.

For boys, if you want more coverage, go for a slimmer-fitting short with a length finishing mid-thigh as this will tie into the trends this season and have the same impact as the retro styles. Avoid the board shorts as these are firmly out of fashion favour this year.

For more information on Robyn and her personal styling services, go to: www.robyncooke-styleguide.co.za