Window-shopping: summer beach essentials

Mara Hoffman moth-print sideless bathing suit

By Anita Herrera, Special to Metromix

For the body-conscious, the arrival of summer can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, warm weather means regular trips to the beach. On the other, shedding chunky sweaters for skimpy swimwear exposes the truth: You've been ditching yoga and Pilates for happy hour and TiVo. Fortunately, there’s no better way to deflect attention from muffin tops and beer bellies than with this summer’s hottest beach accessories—because nothing overshadows those who have spent the past three months eating Lean Cuisine and biking to work quite like the perfect pair of posh sunglasses.

For those not quite svelte enough to pull off a two-piece, Mara Hoffman offers a moth-print monokini with just as much, if not more, sex appeal. It may not take too kindly to saltwater, but it's not like anybody in L.A. actually goes into the ocean anyway, do they?

Available at Planet Blue ($185).