From Screen to Closet: Blockbuster Beach Looks from Summer 2013

There was no shortage of superheroes or sequels at the box office this summer. From body armor to bathing beauties, Hollywood offered some electrifying eye candy to inspire your beach attire. Here are some of the top looks from this summer’s silver screen hits:

Superhero Chic: Go Metallic

With comic book heroes like Iron Man and Wolverine headlining this summer’s biggest blockbusters, you may feel the urge to find your own super suit.

Metallic is the way to go if you are looking to emulate the look of this summer’s superheroes. Metallic swimsuits can be found in all shapes, sizes and styles, and can be extremely flattering for all skin tones.

A swimsuit that is trimmed with a lot of metal hardware can add to the “utility” look of a suit – think Ursula Andress’ famous bikini look from “Dr. No,” or Halle Berry in “Die Another Day.”

Better yet, get the ultimate superhero look by combining metallic fabric and metal hardware. For example, a metallic monokini gets the superhero look just right. You’ll feel ready to fight the forces of evil when you slip into any number of these sexy swimsuits from Yumdrop — unless, of course, you can get Tony Stark to design your very own iron bikini.

Old Hollywood Glam

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

If “The Great Gatsby” made it to the top of your summer movie hit list, you probably like your beach time with a touch of the old Hollywood glamour.

Vintage-looking swimsuits have been popular for several years. From polka-dot bikinis to classic one-pieces, vintage-inspired swimsuits can be a great option for ladies looking for more coverage without sacrificing style. Vintage bathing suits were designed to cover more skin that the teeny-weeny bikinis you find on the beach today. Most vintage-inspired suits come in either solid colors our subtle prints, like polka dots, and feature feminine touches, such as skirts or ruffles. A nice way to pair modern with vintage is to try a color-blocked swimsuit with a vintage cut. This black and white bikini achieves the cute look of vintage style without being overly conservative.

Vintage suits were made out of cumbersome materials like wool, and in the era of “The Great Gatsby,” swimsuits were known to cover a woman all the way to the knee. So, unlike Daisy Buchanan, consider yourself lucky to be born post-sexual revolution, and during the era of nylon, Spandex and Lycra.

Get Animated — Again

Photo by Flickr user 2Stef27

The summer movie season always guarantees the release of two types of films: sequels and animated features. "The Smurfs 2," "Despicable Me 2" and "Monsters University" combined these two summertime staples to create a brand new genre — the animated sequel.

Be inspired by the brilliant hues of this kid-friendly fare. Neon is hotter than ever this year. Swimsuit designers are looking back to the oh-so-vibrant ‘90s for inspiration in today’s swimwear. Bright blue, pink and yellow are all popular this season. For example, check out this powerfully pink two-piece by Yumdrop.

Tired of only one look? Try this for a sequel — mix and match tops and bottoms for a completely different look. Neon colors pair well together and mixing and matching tops and bottoms is a great way to keep your look fresh summer after summer.