A Tutorial: How to Mix and Match Bathing Suits

Melissa Noucas shows us how to pair swimwear separates—and have it actually look intentional.

MN-Body

Seaside style, right this way. | Shutterstock

I think we all know the basics of pairing swimwear separates. A solid top with a printed bottom and vice-versa is always a smart move. But it’s wearing mismatched patterns, materials and cuts that gets a little tricky. Make a misstep and it can look like you accidentally grabbed the wrong top.

Cue Philly illustrator Melissa Noucas, the brains behind The Atelier, a blog and papery e-shop. (We wrote about her amazing stationery here and here).

We spotted an awesome post on Melissa’s blog which includes pretty visuals on the ins and outs of wearing mismatched swimwear. Her top tips:

  • Keep pattern scale in mind. Instead of choosing two large-scale patterns, opt for one large and one small, this way they coordinate rather than compete.”
  • Use neutrals/colors that are complementary (coral and green, black and white, blue and green, etc.) to make sure the suit doesn’t clash.”
  • Stripes and florals almost always look great together (as do florals and gingham).”

Read her full post to get the full scoop on how to look cool and not clashy—and then steal her sale code to get sweet discounts on her perfectly put-together picks.