Swimming to New Heights

I have a friend from college who is impossibly chic. When we first met I remember thinking how lucky she was to be so slight (yet tall!), so feminine (yet edgy!), and to wrap it all up with hair she allowed to air dry, lashes that rarely saw a mascara brush, and a slew of male devotees to boot. I remember one time we were talking about movies and she remarked that one thing she aspired to obtain was the type of "all-eyes-on-me" pizzazz that Kate Hudson's character in "Almost Famous" possessed. I thought--but was too envious to admit aloud--that she already did.

Anyway, my friend wore high-waisted Levi's in 2002, a year long after the 80's and 90's had flaunted high waists and still before the new hipsters picked them up. The Levi's were the only thing about her personal style that I didn't get, and all of us used to tease her mercilessly as we donned our Abercrombie ultra-low-rise denim and thought we were exceedingly cool. But she insisted that the high waist made your legs look longer and your waist smaller. It's only now that the rest of the world has come on board with my stylish college buddy's look that I have come to embrace the high waist, too. In a denim short, a legging, or a skirt, it's my new favorite thing.


Marc by Marc Jacobs green floral bottom, $98, and
top, $94, saks.com



Recently, I've also become more than a little obsessed with the high-waisted bikini bottom. A little bit retro, a little bit hipster, a little bit coy-girl-next-door-meets-sassy-pinup, I adore the look for what it does to the body and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you.  Bonus: This might just be the first swimsuit season that you pull a pile of bikinis from the racks and actually feel fabulous in all of them. A high-waisted bikini works to cover your flaws whether you have chicken legs that you want to pull the eye away from, a tummy that needs covering... or both! 

Navy blue rib nylon spandex high waist bikini brief, $27, and
triange top, $28, americanapparel.com




My absolute favorite--Rodarte for Opening Ceremony, $345,
shopbop.com