When Kylie Jenner posted a selfie wearing a mossy green velvet bikini, we couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Velvet? For swimming? Near sun cream? Eh? This seems like swimwear designed purely for Instagram, rather than a vigorous front crawl, but the velvet swimwear trend is gaining serious momentum and has already been tested poolside by the likes of Danielle Bernstein and Leandra Medine.
Keep reading to see who else is supporting the new velvet trend.
Velvet has been everywhere this winter, but the obsession has now well and truly moved into swimwear as cult brands such as Roxana Salehoun and Lisa Marie Fernandez are creating velvet bikinis and one-pieces. We've spotted crushed pink velvet, shiny deep-red velvet, baby blue velvet and black-velvet swimwear on our Instagram feeds already in 2017.
This trend isn't as ridiculous and impractical as you might think. "The stretch velvet is made from nylon and Lycra, the same composition as regular swim fabric," explains designer Roxana Salehoun. "It is not true velvet which is made from silk or cotton. It typically does have a little less stretch but there are many different types. A four-way stretch will give you the best functionality."
And this velvet swimwear technology has been around longer than you might think. "The first bikini sample I ever made back in 2009 was velvet," she adds. "When I started my company, the first-ever design was a red-velvet bikini. With each collection, I incorporate one color in one to two styles of velvet within the collection. I don't exactly know what it is other than I have always loved velvet everything."
With Kylie Jenner backing the trend, something tells us this won't be the last we hear of velvet bikinis this year…
Ready to brave velvet at the beach? Scroll below to shop the look.
For more swimwear trends, see the girls with the best bikini collections.
