Nookie: across the seasons

Transeasonal is a word I look upon with some degree of veneration. It may be a little nebulous, a little like creating more collections where perhaps they're not wholly necessary - but in Australia (and specifically Melbourne) where weather can vary so dramatically between one hour of the day and the next, anything that can be labelled as transeasonal has a distinct advantage. The ability to layer, to put together an outfit that's suited to in-between weather, an outfit that can chop and change accordingly.

For Australian label Nookie that means creating pieces that may lean towards being winter pieces, bar for their light-weight fabrics and particular layerability. A great example of this is autumn 2011's 'Aspen Cape', a light cape that would be just as easily thrown over a spring dress at night as over an autumn outfit by day. In other parts of the collection are subtle tribal prints and the kind of sheer lace pieces that are similarly suited to varying degrees of temperature.

Lisa Maree: strength without revolution

With the front row seats removed and vines hanging from ceiling the scene was set for the debut of Lisa Maree's 2011 swimwear and lifestyle 'Under My Skin' collection. Inspired by 'primal urges' and interpreted through oversized snake prints, the strength of Lisa Maree's collection actually lay elsewhere in pieces that married spring's crochet clothing trend with 2011's swimwear trends thus setting the collection apart with a strong take on crochet bikinis.

Hair how-to: the bird's nest bun

Back when it appeared on the Lanvin spring 2010 runway, we termed it a birds-nest topknot that's Hitchcock heroine meets modern-day bedhair; and, as 2011's hair trends continue to evolve it's the type of topknot that's come out on top (pardon the pun). Why? It can still be a little wispy, a little messy; but it's elegant. Thus, it's a runway hair trend that we've already seen translated to the red carpet.

Chanel carried the look over to pre-fall 2011, ornamented by embellished headbands.
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Statement strapping

The term string bikini has particular connotations, connotations that carry with them a particular level of sexiness. And 'sexy' is an oft desired quality of any bikini. While string bikinis aren't out of fashion in 2011 / 2012, neither are they on-trend. You can still borrow from them, however, should you wish to choose a bikini for the season that features the very on-trend 'statement strap'.

We call this particular bikini trend strapping and not stringing because it's been created in both string thin and wider cuts.

A black bikini with strapping on both its shoulders and its briefs. We personally wouldn't style it this way and would stick to straps up top or down bottom: both feels like visual overkill and diminishes the impact

Ruffled bikini / ruffled swimsuit

Perhaps it's the inspiration of vintage swimwear on 2011 and 2012, or it's just the need for women to find a distinct, feminine way for their swimsuits standout by the pool and at the beach, either way: ruffled bikinis and ruffled swimsuits are one of the swimwear trends for the coming season.

And the fact that ruffled swimwear is an on-trend style at the moment is just about where the rules for the trend end. Unlike vintage swimwear or even one-shouldered bikinis, ruffled swimwear has no distinct style 'rules'. Instead we've seen it styled and cut in a lot of different ways for spring / summer 2011 and 2012, often working alongside other one piece and bikini trends for the year.
Ruffles as the secondary feature on a crochet monokini where the crochet dominates.

Bikini 2011 / swimwear 2011 / 2012 trends

With spring / summer burgeoning for many a fashioniser, we're all eager to hit the beach. But whether you're soaking up the sun in Majorca or on the Venice Lido, the most important decision won't be the SPF of your sun tan lotion, but which swimwear pieces you'll be wearing.

This year Fashionising.com is taking a look at the 'in' styles and the 'out' styles of swimwear, helping you choose the piece of swimwear that is perfectly inline with 2011's fashion trends. Read on to find out what cuts and styles are in fashion this year, and don't forget: if you'd like to keep up to date with all the latest fashion trends and how to style then, then subscribe to Fashionising.com's newsletter or RSS feed.

Crop tops in 2011

Fighting fit with stomach fully bared: Rag & Bone and Ohne Titel brought us sporty examples that are perfectly sexy for those with the confidence to pull them off. These type of cropped tops end just below the bust, and were paired with hipster pants for a revealing end result. You could just as easily substitute the hip-huggers for a high waisted bottom half, though, if you wanted to add some modesty
Beneath a sheer layer: adding a layer of transparent fabric is the perfect way to combine the ongoing popularity of the sheer trend with the newness of the exposed midriff.