Beach Chic: Sexy Suits, Coverups and Statement Jewelry for Summer

Summer is in full swing, and that means the beach will be bustling. How to look great for a day at the beach or pool? Here’s our definitive guide, with fashionable beach essentials from suits to coverups to the best beach statement jewelry, all perfectly poised for the warm days ahead.

Swimsuits & Coverups

There are a few exciting features of modern swimwear that make a day at the beach or pool effortlessly glamorous. Check out these stylish stand-outs.

The Monokini

Zeugari makes some of the hottest suits around, and this white scorcher, the Snakebite Monokini, is no exception. I love the sophisticated brushed gold snake hardware, studded with crystals for extra sparkle in the sun.

Creative jewelry is going to be a powerful force in the future of fashion. I’m totally into facial and body jewelry, and you’re going to be seeing a lot of it. Adding a feminine pearl headdress and Zeugari’s sexy Sol Tunic, above, will take the Snakebite Monokini into evening with ease. All of Zeugari’s kaftans, btw, are made of the softest silk chiffon, hand-embroidered, and painstakingly crafted to meet the highest standards of luxury.

The Cutout Skimpy One-Piece Swimsuit from Beach Bunny, above, is a slightly sportier version of the monokini. With a dramatic goldtone zip front, you can decide just how much cleavage to show when you show off in this beautifully-designed suit. Hot.

And the Fishnet Sexy Strappy One-Piece from Beach Bunny, above, is a dangerously seductive solution to summer beach and poolside glam. With gold rivets across the top and a flesh-toned lining, you’re sure to turn some heads. Try wearing it with a diaphanous black sarong and some metallic gold flat sandals…Bliss.

Lace & Crochet

I love lace and crochet accents in the summer time, especially by the beach and the pool. The weave of the yarn reveals a pattern of peekaboo flesh that is nothing short of tantalizing, and the texture adds visual interest.

The turquoise number above, The Marley One Piece from Indah Clothing, combines the best of today’s current trends: it’s completely hand-crocheted and in the color blue, with a monokini silhouette and a flurry of fringe. Eye-catching, to say the least. This sizzling suit was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. I love it.

Another crocheted cutie is the Koh Samui lavender and pink Brazilian-bottomed bikini, also from Indah and also featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

I love the intricate macrame, mix of baby pastels, high-cut thong and long trailing fringe at the racer back. In other words: Everything! Flawless. Now that is one sexy bikini! Ooh la la.

A vivid crocheted kaftan, like the one above, is a great option for a sexy coverup. Worn over a bright bikini or a cami and shorts, it’s perfection in pink.

Creative Cutouts

The bright coral neoprene Sazerac One Piece from Indah, above, is a sporty yet seductive take on the cut-out trend.

With creative cutouts, you can reveal just a lot…or just a little. It’s entirely up to you. The strapless Grasshopper Coverup from Indah features a macrame web around the midriff.

And cutouts on the side of this slinky dress sculpt the waist and slim the torso in a clingy beautiful black.

Jeweled Accents and Glistening Hardware

Let’s face it: there’s not much real estate on any swimsuit, so you must make the most of it. Jeweled accents and glistening hardware are a chic way to amp up the drama.

I am obsessed with the shimmering suit above–the Sequin Beaded Triangle Top and Tie Side Bottom from Beach Bunny, that features teeny golden sequins and gorgeous beaded straps. Add an armful of bangles and you’re good to go.

The style of this bikini is purely provocative. Check out the front, above….

….And the sexy shirring in back.

The aptly-named Unbridled monokini is striking in jet black. It looks so current with a brushed gold belt. Designed by Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Irina Shayk for Beach Bunny, it is, quite simply, a show-stopper!

The hardware on this bikini renders jewelry unnecessary. But if you so desire, you may add a beaded Zeugari tunic, below, and bold gold earrings, teamed with a wide cuff bracelet, for evening.

Statement Jewelry

I love unique jewelry, and fashion is addressing my passion with a new breed of accessories.

The jewelry might be freestanding, in elaborate crowns and tiaras (think Dolce Gabbana), foot bracelets, toe rings, jeweled gloves, fingernail armor, and of course belly chains, as seen above on Behati Prinsloo in the new Seafolly campaign. I will be discussing the changing face of jewelry in an upcoming article, so if you’re not quite sure what jeweled gloves and fingernail armor are, you will find out soon enough, and you will love it!!!

Or the jewelry may, in fact, be part of the garment, built right into it–from swimsuits with hardware and beading, to headdresses ornate with facial jewelry, or gowns and kaftans with heavily-jeweled detail work, like this one by Zeugari. It’s the Madras Moroccan Tunic. Just look at the detail on this filmy silk wonder with dramatic, butterfly sleeves.

Everything is perfectly in place…from the opulent hand embroidery to the delicate beading and bronze flowers that adorn this 100% silk chiffon beauty. Love is in the details.

As with all of Zeugari’s garments, the craftsmanship in this kaftan is unbelievable. Zeugari use the finest materials and their designs and attention to detail is unmatched! With a coverup like this, you don’t need a single accessory; just slip into a sarong or a pair of capri pants and you can wear the elegant ensemble practically anywhere! To die for!

There are endless dramatic looks you can create with accessories in the summertime, but body jewelry is my new thing. Here are some unorthodox ways to embellish your bod. Beach Bunny’s Pretty Edgy gold-plated body chain, above, is only $28 and is a modern, seductive accessory that transforms an ordinary suit into sweet.

I am especially fond of the Jeweled Body Chain above, also $28, which features hot-pink beading and a gold charm. Looks great with the neon swimsuit below.

Wear it with beachy waves, giant gold hoop earrings, and a tan. You could also throw on Zeugari’s Laetus Tunic with some denim shorts, while letting your swimsuit and body jewelry peek out seductively from one shoulder.

Foot jewelry is yet another creative trend in accessories, and Zeugari sells foot bracelets by the pair for only $15.

Decorate just one foot when you’re barefoot on the beach, or glam up simple sandals with the pair for an exotic beach chic on-the-cheap. The jade one above would look great with black or white, adding a necessary pop of color.

Or make it monochrome with Zeugari’s Snakebite Triangle bikini, which features the same gold snake jewelry as the Snakebite Monokini.

The foot jewelry comes in nine other brilliant colors….Match them with your pedicure.

More & More Statement Jewelry

More is more in jewelry right now. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Irina Shayk, above, sports giant brass rope necklaces and wide cuff bracelets. Don’t be shy; go bold and brave and wear your pieces, both small and large, with unapologetic glamour. Stack an arm full of wooden bangles, for example, as seen below.

Mix and match large pieces with lesser ones. Slim bangles occupy the same arm as the nautical Starfish Cuff, $25, below. I love this bracelet, and it’s a great price for that kind of realistic workmanship. The detail is just gorgeous, and it’s so appropriate for the beach and easy summer dressing.