Look for bold colors, metallics and sporty styles in summer swimwear

CHICAGO (AP) -- Expect bold colors, metallic materials and sporty styles on beaches this summer in, surprisingly, more one-piece silhouettes. A quick guide to this season's swim looks:

__THE FASHION__

__Patterns, prints and colors:__ Look for bold, solid colors as opposed to pastels or jewel tones.

"Definitely more vibrant," says Marissa Rubin, People StyleWatch's senior market editor. Also: Black and white, graphic details and writing or words, global prints and metallics in silvers, bronze, pewter and gold. "It looks really great on bronze skin, the metallics really pop," Rubin said.

__Sporty styles:__ Fashion designers are looking to athletic brands for inspiration, Rubin said. Specifically: Zippers, mesh inserts or cut outs, neoprene material and rash-guard influences.

__Versatile cover-ups:__ Traditional cover-ups are making way for multi-use garments, like jersey dresses that can go from "pool to barbecue or pool to picnic or out at night," Rubin said. Other options: Shirt dresses or oversized men's button down shirts, caftans and tunics that hit mid-thigh or at the knee.

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This undated image provided by Macy's shows a bathing suit two-piece with a fringed top. This year's swimwear trends include bold colors, metallic materials and sporty styles. (AP Photo/Macy's)

__THE FINANCES__

__Return of the one-piece:__ Sales of one-piece swimsuits have gone up. Data from market research group NPD show one-piece sales increasing 15 percent from the April 2012-to-March 2013 period to the April 2013-to-March 2014 period. One-piece sales netted $819.6 million during 2013-2014 range compared with $783.9 million for two piece swimsuits, which saw a 9 percent loss.

"The one-piece has the ability to be able to contour one's figure in a better way," said Marshal Cohen, NPD's chief retail analyst.

This undated image provided by Macy's shows a bathing suit the retailer is offering for summer. This year's swimwear trends include metallic materials, bold colors and sporty styles. (AP Photo/Macy's)

__Mix and match:__ Women are increasingly buying a basic swim bottom that fits well and pairing it with multiple tops in different lengths and patterns. NPD data show sales of $550.5 million for swimwear tops from April 2013-to-March 2014 compared with $368.7 million for bottoms.

"Women aren't concerned as much anymore about having a complete matchy-matchy outfit," Cohen said. "It's perfectly OK to buy a $9 top and put it with a $20 bottom."

__Overall sales:__ The women's swimwear market totaled $2.9 billion in sales from April 2013-to-March 2014, according to NPD. That's up slightly from $2.8 billion during the 2012-2013 period. Cover ups saw a 7 percent increase in sales from the April 2012-to-March 2013 period to the April 2013-to-March 2014 period.