Soak up the sun

CEBU, Philippines - If there's one thing that all of us should ensure this summer, it's to schedule some serious down time at the beach and set aside the dizzying blur of meetings and paperwork – even for just a weekend. Stress may have gotten to even the best of us since the 2011 began but this doesn't mean that we just have to settle in this sorry state. It's summer, for crying out loud. It's that time of the year which gives even the most shapeless chick the license to bare more skin and push the temperature beyond boiling point.

If there's one piece of clothing that will make or break your summer rendezvous, I'd have to say, without batting an eyelash, that it's the swim suit. The swim suit may be a tiny piece of clothing essential when you're serious about worshipping the sun, surf, and the sand at the beach, but mind you, it is the most important. Never mind the sarong or the flip flops for that matter. If there's one item that needs extra care in selecting, it's definitely the swim suit – be in a maillot or a bikini.

As we soak ourselves in the first few weeks of summer, I'd like to give you a few more reasons on why it's really about time to hit the beach stat.

1. Mara Hoffman

While everyone else went retro, thanks to the overriding 70s and 60s themes for day wear, Mara Hoffman chose to take the tribal route by crafting bikinis, maxi dresses and cover ups that are wild on prints and intricate detailing. You'll find tons of beadwork, batik, and Aztec and African prints pointing to the inspiration of this collection. The designs are anything but intimidating. In face, it brings out a certain kind of vibrancy and excitement that's characteristic of an artistically rendered Africa. Stack up on the beaded necklaces and the wooden bangles and you're good to go.

2. Beach Bunny

Ah yes, who doesn't get turned on by the superhuman-slash-alpha female type of woman? There's something in being tough that can be such a come on for most if not all guys. It's this particular feel that Beach Bunny was intent on making their swim wear collection revolve around in. How they did was nothing short of genius. After all, swim suits can be such a challenge to recreate and reinvent. So what exactly did Beach Bunny do to take the regular bikini to the next level of sexiness and daring do? Simple, mix it with leather details and not just amp up the sexy factor but the glam factor as well. Talk about the modern day Wonder Woman cum gladiator.

3. White Sands

You've got to hand it to White Sands to go beyond the plain swimwear portfolio and expand to summer dresses, playsuits, and jumpsuits in matching prints with the bikinis that make the entire vacay experience complete. The collection isn't so much on the wild side this time as it hits the other side of the emotional spectrum. It's more relaxed, rather reminiscent of the hippies flower power era, with an Aussie spike, mate.

4. Karen Nielsen

There is clearly nothing more adorably vintage and pin-up-ish other than Karen Nielsen's line of swim suits which can be summarized in two words: high waists, flatteringly gathered busts. Karen Nielsen takes us back into time of the sweetness of vintage Hawaiian girl swimsuits that range from the saccharine sweet polka dot bikinis to the gingham checks that are just too cute to ignore. Must-haves aside from the wooden bangles and maybe an anklet or tow made of beads? Definitely a wide-brimmed native beach hat and a ukulele.

5. Kooey

Since when have gills every been sexy? Maybe on mermaids. But on real chicks? Only on the Kooey runway. Inspired from the vast underwater gardens of the Ningaloo Reef, Kooey took the plunge, not just finding Nemo, but a host of killer bikinis that are bound to make its wearer an instant sea siren. The ruffled details add a perfectly charming treat by making the bathing suit come to life. The coralline prints add a unique twist to the entire set giving this collection a certain air of addicting tropic adventure.

So soak up the sun already. If thoughts of the sun and surf aren't enough to get you from office to beach side villa in a flash, then perhaps the thought of shopping for the perfect bikini will be a good starter to banishing that quarter one stress.  (FREEMAN)