The Playful Holiday Guide: Swimwear Galore

Whether you’re planning a far-flung exotic getaway of a lifetime or strutting your stuff at a hip and happening music festival this year, the new luxe, sexy swimwear collections from Playful Promises and Wolf & Whistle has you covered.

Feeling the Caribbean Heat

Lucky enough to be jetting off on a tropical getaway this season? Look no further than our mustard floral bikini. The fresh, joyful colour could not be a better pairing for those sun-drenched beaches and palm-tree lined streets. Our exclusive in-house designed print and flattering high-waist brief will make your heart rejoice, whether you are a vintage vixen or a sun seeking beach bum. Pair with a stylish wide-brimmed hat, comfortable sandals and a sarong – or just show off the bikini set in all its glory – and hit the sun and the sea.

No tropical dream holiday is complete without the vintage floral print bikini – a dream for romantics and vintage-lovers alike. The soft pastel hues and the pretty bardot sleeve detail create the timeless glamour that will ensure you’re the star of the beach.

Attention all those curvaceous babes out there – our sub-brand Wolf & Whistle have expanded their stunning collection of swimwear to include curve/plus sizes! We are still not over the Hawaii vibes of their Peonie 3D Flower bikini set, available in sizes UK 8 to 26. With large, 3D flower embellishment, lush peach colour and flattering, high-waist briefs, this is the most dreamy set that will make you feel like the babeliest babe out there.

California or Bust

Feeling hot and bothered, and nothing but Californian sunshine will do? The promise of warmer weather has us dreaming of poolside cocktails in the warm sunset glow, and we can think of nothing better than to set this scene with our star bikini set – the Applique and Mesh set! With a wine colourway – the colour of the moment – and the most lush applique floral embellishment, nothing will turn heads faster than this sexy and playful little number. The cross-strap detail on the hips is just right for showing off some cheeky peeks of the skin. Pair this jaw-dropping set with your coolest shades and favourite pair of heels  - not forgetting your pool-side cocktail of choice!

Good girl gone bad? Our floral print & crochet bikini set will be the most risqué set to flaunt on the beach. With its exclusive, in-house floral print combined with crochet detail, this set is flirty fun, sporting a central cut-out in the middle of the high-neck bikini top.

Go for bond-girl pool vibes in the Wolf & Whistle Jett Metallic Gold bikini set in sizes 32-36B-F, 38-42C-42F and UK 8-26. The moulded, underwired cups ensure support and comfort, the high-waited briefs ensure a flattering cut, and the strappy, bondage-inspired details will have heads turning wherever you lay your beach towel.

A City Break

Have a more active, adventurous break planned that’s full of festivals, music and excitement? Looking for something stylish, fun, and easy to style with your holiday wardrobe? Our selection of black swimsuits and sets have you covered.

The black lattice swimsuit is perfect for pairing with a mini-skirt for a daytime outing, and is an equally stylish option when the nearest beach calls your name. The lace insert swimsuit is the perfect day to night transition piece, whether you are partying the day away at a festival in Madrid or dipping your toes in the lagoon off the coast of Lisbon.

Party like its 1989 in the fun and funky Goldie Black swimsuit with a removable chain – it is the perfectly flattering, versatile layering piece available in curve sizes UK 18 to 26 (along with other curve and core bikini options from UK 6/8-26). Draw attention to your décolletage with the plunging neckline – and who could ever resist the fun of pairing some sparkle with your swimwear!

So show off those curves, grab your favourite cocktail, and get ready to have fun in the sun!

Summer Sun Holiday Wishlist

With the English sun finally making an appearance in London this week - today it’s a tropical 23 degrees Celsius! - I’ve started daydreaming about the perfect summer holiday. Whether it’s a stylish city break, or a relaxed island sojourn, all of my dream destinations are by the sea – so naturally my mind has also been wandering to the perfect swimwear!

Top of my holiday wishlist right now is the fantastic walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, which you might recognise as King’s Landing from HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Dubrovnik sits beside the Adriatic sea, and with temperatures of up to 28 degrees Celsius in July and August, there’s no better place for picturesque views and pebbly beaches!

Next on my wishlist are the Cinque Terre (The Five Lands) in Liguria, Italy. These five quaint cliffside villages are accessible primarily by train, and are perfect for a peaceful, secluded getaway. Few places are as untouched by modernisation as the Cinque Terre and their remote yet dramatic location is to thank for this. 

Popular with hikers, the Cinque Terre are also a hotspot for scuba diving and boast some sandy beaches in sheltered coves. The Vintage Lazy Summer high waist bikini is top of my list for making the most out of this fab destination, and the colours match the beautifully painted buildings!

Home to two of the most famous beaches on Earth, the lively city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the perfect destination to let your hair down. With bustling markets and vibrant nightlife, the city is a feast for the senses both day and night!

Take your look effortlessly from day to night, beach to club, with the Playful Promises ‘I Love Lala’ swimsuit. Its dynamic print will ensure you stand out in this dazzling city!

Last, but certainly not least, is the Caribbean island of Barbados. With its balmy climate, white sand beaches and turquoise seas, nowhere more embodies the term ‘island paradise’. Top of my list for Barbados would be swimming with turtles, and of course relaxing with a rum punch (or three!).

And top of my list for swimwear would be the Vintage Lazy Summer frilly bikini!

What far-flung places are on top of your holiday wishlist? Are you travelling this year? 

Minibreak Style Tips: Como

The 66^th annual Cannes Film Festival was a few weeks ago, and was, as usual, a veritable red-carpet of Hollywood stars and style-conscious celebs soaking up the spotlight. (So I’ve been told - I’ve never actually been to Cannes. Unless you count a camping holiday when I was 8.)

Ok so I didn’t get to attend the event, but I approve of the idea. There’s a part of me that’s always wondered what it would be like to be a screen siren living the high life in glamorous resorts in between shooting movies and having torrid love affairs with my leading men. Floppy hats and oversized sunglasses, paparazzi-dodging and hob-nobbing with the rich and famous - it’s a far cry from the reality of my usual day which tends to feature more running for buses and battling for the last salad at Pret, and fewer chauffeur-driven Bentleys and personal pastry chefs.

Strangely the tabloid press don’t seem too interested in documenting my days, which, I’m sure you’ll agree from that thrilling glimpse into my world, would make for compelling reading. However a girl can dream…and to that end, this week’s City Style Tips is dedicated to the gorgeous Lake Como, Italy, where I once spend a sumptuous long weekend swanning about and pretending I was in a Fellini movie. 

Romany Tea Dress | Magenta Bikini Top | Magenta Bikini Brief | Rorschach Kimono

There is definitely something cinematic about Como – maybe the fact that it’s been used as a backdrop in countless films, such as Oceans Twelve, Casino Royale and er, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. (It also counts George Clooney amongst its famous residents, if that sort of thing interests you…) It’s a great excuse to embrace the escapism and try something different.

Our Romany tea dress, with its pretty but striking rose print, has a soft femininity to it which is also bold and bright, both classic and contemporary, like Como itself. The lightweight fabric is perfect for beating the heat as you explore the old town, enjoy a pleasure cruise, or take in the amazing galleries and villas around the lake.    

If you happen to be in Como in mid-June, look out for the wonderful dance festival Swing Crash – it’s difficult to miss with lindyhopping couples filling the streets and live music until the early hours. Hundreds of sharply dressed hep cats and kittens make it their mission to cut a rug come rain or shine, and with competitions, classes and dance-offs in the central square of the town centre, you’ll be grateful for a cool frock with a loose skirt if you decide to join in the fun!

It’s not a great idea to go swimming in the lake itself, as the waters can become choppy when speedboats (captained by louche Italian playboys) zip past. But there are several local ‘beach clubs’ or lidos which provide a place to meet, sunbathe and swim, with a beachhouse bar serving up the favourite local tipple of ‘spritz’. If you’re planning on taking a dip, a one-piece is advisable (or risk an embarrassing bikini malfunction – this warning comes from experience) but if it’s lounging in the sun whilst looking every inch the movie star that interests you, grab yourself one of our magenta bandeau bikinis before they sell out (swimwear is flying fast off our shelves at the moment!) and a Rorschach Kimono Jacket to drape around your shoulders when the sun dips behind a cloud.

And if you do happen to end up partying on a yacht with Clooney and co, don’t forget to invite me – I’ve already done my packing…

Lydia x

Minibreak Style Tips: Barcelona

We’re full swing into Spring (allegedly) and here at PPHQ we are eagerly looking forward to throwing off our coats and gloves and donning our best Whistle & Wolf frocks for a bit of a frolic in the sunshine. I mean – it’s almost June, how far off can those elusive golden rays be?  A glance out of the window confirms that despite swapping our woolly tights for seamed stockings and chunky boots for strappy sandals, we’re no less likely to be caught in a deluge that’d give Glastonury '05 a run for its money.

As the drab grey skies stretch out over the city and bedraggled people bustle by holding umbrellas that seem to have a spooky ability to poke a woman of my height right in the eye, it may seem like that well-earned summer holiday one has been fantasising about is a far off dream.  

But never fear! I have come up with a simple yet effective solution to these mid-May mopes, which I am going to share with you all now. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to figure it out. Are you ready? Brace yourself.

One word: MINIBREAK.

From Reykjavik to Rome, Palermo to Prague, there are plenty of chic European destinations suitable for a weekend away in which to flash your new Playful Promises bikini, make a splash in our swimwear or glam up in something  quirky and/or classy from our Whistle and Wolf clothing collection.

So here are some city style tips for one of my favourite places on earth - Barcelona!

I first visited Barcelona whilst travelling through Europe in my teens; it seized my heart instantly and hasn’t yet let go.  It’s a fun, playful, vibrant city that nonetheless has a grown-up side – there’s plenty of culture and history to be explored at your leisure, but when the evening hits, you’ll be spoilt for choice with fantastic seafood restaurants, great live music establishments, and bars serving traditional cava and Catalan tapas titbits to keep you going til the early hours. Wardrobe-wise you’ll want an all-rounder if you’re planning on hitting the city after dark, which is when it really comes to life – our classic red dress is versatile, timeless styling at its best, and paired with our tuxedo jacket you’ll look the part wherever your evening takes you.

The seafront has an urban feel to it but there is golden sand for those determined for beachtimes. If you’re feeling daring the Barcelonans think nothing of whipping off their kit for that all-over tan!  However, if you’re not feeling the let-it-all-hang-out vibe, our digital Hawaii bikini with its parrot and floral print reflects the bright and bold nature of this city (which is home to flocks of colourful parakeets!), and will allow you to get a headstart on your sun-kissed look way ahead of your pasty pals back home.

Send us a postcard, won’t you!