There's no denying that Kim Kardashian is the ultimate walking Skims advert. As the brand's co-founder, she's constantly wearing the shapewear on the red carpet, while her Skims Swim sets feature all over her social media feeds.
Ah yes, the swimwear. There's been a neon collection, rhinestone-studded sets and a Barbiecore-inspired palette. And now, there's the new Skims Swim faux leather and rubberised scuba line, made up of bikinis, swimsuits and even a faux leather, ankle-length pencil swim skirt (for all those times you need to head straight to the office after swimming, presumably).
Come on Barbie, let’s go swimming.
Kim announced the launch of the wet-look collection via a series of stylised campaign images on her Instagram page. The pictures, shot by none other than legendary fashion photographer Steven Klein, show Kim lying down in a variety of locations at a luxury beachside mansion: on the balcony, watched over by two models, and by the pool, draped over another model (and seemingly using him as a sun lounger).
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Let's just say that fans weren't afraid to share their thoughts. For reference, here's the campaign, which saw Kim and her Skims models oiled-up and a-gleaming in the sun:
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Scroll through the comments and you'll find a mixture of adoration, excitement and, overwhelmingly, downright confusion. For every comment hyping up the collection (such as former Selling Sunset agent Christine Quinn, who said simply: “Immmm gaggeddd 🔥🔥🔥🔥”), there are seemingly many more questioning Kim Kardashian's creative choices. For example…
“Just gonna throw my boots on and go for a dip in the pool.”
“What in the baby oil is this even advertising?”
“Because baby oil and leather boots are must haves this summer... ”
“Are they promoting the oil or the swimwear?”
“Perfect for deep sea rescue missions.”
The move set off a debate about appropriate wedding attire.
Hopefully Kim can see the funny side – fashion is subjective, right?
It's important to point out that the super-shiny line is actually swimwear and can be worn in the pool (though the jury's still out on that swim skirt). The thigh-high boots, arm-length gloves and baby oil are, in fact, not a part of the collection and are an entirely optional styling choice, should you wish to follow suit.
The full Skims Swim line is available to shop here, if you fancy a browse – along with a range of more “traditional” swimwear fabrics. The only thing that's left to decide is whether faux leather is a practical summer holiday swimwear choice. We can't say for sure. It's waterproof, at least…
