The body is back: from Bella Hadid to Kendall Jenner, we chart our rekindled love for the one-piece bodysuit
When Coachella - Palm Springs’ tamer, cleaner and more Instragammable answer to Glastonbury - gets under way next weekend it will do so under a swathe of Lycra.
At least that’s our early predication, with the bodysuit poised to replace crop tops and flower halos as the item festival- going millennials will find it impossible to leave home without this year.
The latest chapter in a 1990s revival that has seen everything from slip dresses to Shaznay Lewis return to favour, the bodysuit will rank among the things you see the most of this summer.
Google it and you’ll quickly understand why: not only is this item making waves on the red-carpet - think TOWIE stars and Rita Ora - it forms the basis of the Kardashian family uniform, with Kim, Kourtney, Kylie, Khloe, Kris and Kendall all happy to back the body.
Not surprisingly, given its sway with Generation Y, the bodysuit is something of a staple at student favourite American Apparel, where everyday leotards come in a whole multitude of forms.
As proof of its dedication to the clip-on style, the brand has recently launched an Instagram campaign in which it asks fans of its bodysuits to upload selfies of themselves wearing them to their feeds with the hashtag #WearBodysuits.
While likely to sit badly with those who criticise the LA-based chain on account of its questionable representation of women, the marketing campaign is already a major success among those with the confidence to bare their bods on the internet. It’s also a means through which we can tune in to how the bodysuit looks in 2016.
Worn under high-waisted jeans, sawn-off shorts or pretty skater skirts, bodysuits are being worked in a dizzying variety of ways.
Popular styles include those that are slashed at the back to reveal a flash of flesh. Low-rise scoop-back bodies are also in favour - most notably with those courting Instagram likes.
But the body’s return to form is not necessarily confined to those chasing social media prowess - this is an item that can be more low-key than American Apparel’s campaign may suggest.
Body Editions, a US-based brand that deals solely in one-piece suits, is evidence of this.
Having launched with the intention of redefining the bodysuit as a staple wardrobe piece designed to feel like a second skin, the brand, which is stocked at Net-a-Porter, views the bodysuit as a wardrobe foundation - not an Instagram attention-grabber.
To this end its mainline collection includes long- and short-sleeved bodies in a host of pared-back styles including polos, roll-necks and subtle scoops.
Designed to be layered under everything from simple suiting to cocktail dresses, Body Editions’ USP is functional clothing that celebrates the female form.
And it’s not the only grown-up brand to have rediscovered the appeal of the streamlined style.
The body has been making waves on the catwalk too, with more and more designers turning to the style to create a smooth silhouette.
Among them is Belgian Anthony Vaccarello, who made much of the body in his swansong collection for Versace’s Versus line - a favourite with Bella Hadid - and Michael Kors, who included a host of bodies in his spring/summer collection.
The appeal of the body, or at least a body of the grown up-variety, is its ability to provide the wearer with a silhoutte that’s free from lumps and bumps.
A smart purchase for those who prefer to tuck in rather than hang loose, a simple bodysuit looks lovely under an oversized denim shirt and is a smart companion for an oversized pair of wide-leg trousers.
Are you all for one?
ArticleFrom Bella to Kendall, we chart our rekindled love for the bodysuitBella HadidInstagramAmerican ApparelShaznay LewisPalm SpringsAnthony VaccarelloVersaceMichael KorsNet-a-PorterKim KardashianBeyonceKendall JennerKylie JennerWhere Instagram-worthy items are concerned, a side-skimming one-piece is right up there with avocado