WORDS BY NERYS D'ESCLERCS
Cover photo taken at Galiano, Naples
From men’s swim trunks and Speedos to floral shirts and short shorts, the key to no-fuss summer dressing is to plan your beachwear look before jetting off. But which swimwear pieces should you be wearing this season? We spoke to experts from our global community of boutiques – Lisbon’s Fashion Clinic, Naples’ Galiano, Taranto’s Di Pierro and Marbella’s Gomina, which are all available on Farfetch – who revealed the swim styles that should be on your checklist, plus their tips on how to put together the perfect vacation outfit.
Best Floral Shirts: Fashion Clinic, Lisbon
Located on Lisbon’s Avenida da Liberdade, inside the food-meets-fashion concept store JNcQUOI, is Fashion Clinic. This boutique offers a unique selection of the world’s best fashion brands for swimwear, including statement floral shirts that are ideal for teaming with shorts when you make that short but all-important trip from the beach to the beach bar. ‘Men’s beachwear should comprise lightweight pieces to take from the beach to sunset drinks or even dinner,’ explains Rita Marques, JNcQUOI’s fashion retail manager. ‘Swim shorts that look so smart you can keep them on in town; the best linens; timeless feel-good prints to match the summer mood; casual footwear and a wide range of sunglasses and accessories.’ As for the perfect vacation look? ‘A man can never have enough floral shirts. Pair them with plain swim shorts for a versatile look.’
Best Swim Shorts: Galiano, Naples
Galiano boutique is situated on Via Calabritto, one of Naples’ busiest luxury shopping streets, ideally located minutes from the seafront. We asked Rossella Galiano, buyer and the boutique owner’s daughter, for swimwear styling advice for this season: ‘Our summer selection is focused on swimwear, espadrilles, flip-flops, raffia or canvas bags, and sunglasses to complete the look. [There is] great demand for beachwear due to the countless surrounding sea areas such as the Amalfi Coast or our beautiful islands – Capri, Ischia and Procida.’
If you’re traveling to Naples this summer, Galiano says; ‘Our advice to enjoy the beach and the pool is wearing swim shorts with a linen shirt and sandals or a nice cotton T-shirt for those who prefer a sporty look. We pay a lot of attention to colors and accessories in order to give the right touch to every look.’
Best Swimming Trunks: Di Pierro, Taranto
Boutique Di Pierro is located in the city center of Taranto, a small coastal town in Southern Italy surrounded by the Ionian Sea. We spoke to Lorenzo Di Pierro, owner and buyer, about men’s swimming trunks and what to wear with them: ‘The key pieces of beachwear are plain or patterned swimwear, especially swimming trunks, but also resort items that communicate a strong identity in an informal context,’ notes Di Pierro. ‘The typical Di Pierro vacation aesthetic is made up of very light garments inspired by the colonial style, loose-fitting and with a chromatic range that goes from white to sorbet colors and bright hues.’ For your walk along the Taranto seafront at sunset, Di Pierro recommends a lightweight outfit that will keep you cool on warm evenings, such as ‘a short-sleeved shirt and cargo bermuda shorts.’
Best Beach-To-Bar Pieces: Gomina, Marbella
When visiting Marbella, you can’t miss the luxurious Puerto Banús marina – and a stop at the boutique Gomina. ‘Our beachwear selection mainly focuses on looks inspired by the sophisticated scene, the weather, and the famous parties that happen in the beach clubs around us,’ says Gomina’s online manager, Vanessa Mendoza. ‘As a result, we have an amazing men’s swimwear collection; always trying to strike a balance between the classic styles from brands like Gucci to the more daring ones like Missoni.’
Whichever brand you choose, Mendoza’s best advice for summer is ‘to dare to wear cheerful and fun colors. We love layers, like colorful swim shorts with a basic shirt or T-shirt in a neutral color and lightweight materials, combined with accessories made from summer textures such as raffia.’ And specifically for this summer, ‘We highly recommend floral or tropical shirts, printed swimwear or shorts with solid color blocks in different geometric shapes.’