Glamour for everyone in the Undercolors collection for summer 2008, with enticing changes in direction for her, trendy chic for him and playful irony for the little ones. While this is the overall impression, a closer examination reveals much more, range by range, item by item. A sophisticated style, skilful coordination of both colours and materials and lively fresh ideas combine to create underwear for the summer season that is a pity to keep to yourself.
Women
Black & White – Two “non colours” used together or solo for primadonnas. Headlining the trend is the balconette bra, seductive yet with discretion. Checked mesh and lace, broderie anglaise, marl Lycra, tubular plumetis, brushed microfibre with tiny flowers and narrow rib jersey for lingerie, nightwear and homewear sets.
Modern Pompadour – Eighteenth-century pageantry, from the salons of Versailles to our wardrobes. Soft pastel colours, colour blocks or with a pattern of stripes, flowers and checks, with corsetry lace inserts. Bustier vest and culottes, in narrow stripe Lycra and almost see-through entredeux lacy trim hint ingenuously at the courtesan, while the other items are a feast of bows, ribbons, small ruffles, ruching and sheer floral prints.
Mimì and Athletic Style – Lightweight delicacy rather than erotic fantasy. The first is a fusion of tennis and nautical influences, focusing on the wide-eyed kitten mascot, for basic items in cotton throughout. Strong colours, softened by glitter prints and laminates, with visible elastic for the second theme, and mainly homewear pieces and gym underwear.
Ironic Style with Cow and Frog and their distinctive colours: one in white, black and pink, the other in white, raspberry, royal blue and frog green. The pyjamas and homewear are comfortable and basic.
Men
Black & White – For super-trendy men, briefs and boxer shorts with trompe l’oeil elastic, narrow horizontal stripes for the tubular jersey and plenty of black-tipped marl colours. Serious fashion items, with macho vests making a major comeback.
Modern Pompadour – Peacock blue underwear for men with logoed elastic, floral patterns from exotic gardens and pastel pyjamas with narrow stripes, for a rather chintzy style.
Athletic and Ironic Style – Definitely suitable for a manly look: basic colours dominated by white for underwear, homewear and pyjamas with great simplicity and fantasy.
Children
The fun themes of the collection for the younger ones: Ironic Style Cow and Frog, Mimì and Athletic Style. In plain and narrow rib cotton we have pyjama separates that can be imaginatively coordinated, nightshirts and simple-style underwear, often unisex.
BEACHWEAR COLLECTION
Under the summer sun or in the water Undercolors thinks big and multiplies ideas, decorations, colours, matching schemes, accessories.
Riding the wave of new trends, the collection makes one-piece fans happy, with proposals ranging from denim with zigzag stitching to a modest straight neckline with broad horizontal stripes. A perfect example of Benetton’s style, colours and range of knitted accessories – i.e. beach robes and sweaters – the one-piece promises even more in the future.
The greater part of the collection is made up of bikinis, in all shapes and degrees of daring. The byword is mix ‘n’ match. Not only because each theme includes maxi and micro designs, flowers and butterflies, stylised chains and hibiscus blooms, stripes and hearts, floral sprays and Madras, plain colours and logos. But also because there’s enormous scope for personal choice by picking freely from one range or another. The only limit? Our imagination.
“Closed circuit” styles for the lazier amongst us: a plain-coloured tennis theme with grosgrain bows; a nautical theme featuring thin stripes; a Lolita theme in pastel broderie anglaise.
Each line offers beach dresses, sarongs, shorts and light blouses. Not forgetting beach bags, straw bags, flip-flops, wooden sandals, sun hats and beach towels.
The growing popularity of one-piece swimwear for women is matched by men’s fondness for close-fitting shorts which, when they want to really exaggerate, lengthen into Bermudas. Men’s designs borrow freely from the women’s rich pattern palette and offer a more macho version of the plain-coloured tennis theme and the maxi and micro Madras pattern, sometimes combined with over-dyed faded flowers. New for the men’s collection are the “underbeach” logo, faded badges, floral waves and big, white floral sprays on surfing-style coloured backgrounds.
The children’s decorative elements tend to simplify adults’ designs to produce a naïf/cartoonish effect; perfect as always for mixing ‘n’ matching. Simple stripes, Provençal checks, pastel shades and an invasion of tiny starfish, bright-eyed baby octopi and pink or pale blue kittens. For little girls, of course, while the boys imitate the full range of adults’ tastes.
