Chic Retro Swimwear by Ugly Duckling

Images: Ugly Duckling. Wonder Woman Swimsuit, Red High Waisted Bikini, Peplum Swimsuit

Chic Retro Swimwear by Ugly Duckling

Jeez it seems like the older we get the more hectic life is, even though it doesn’t seem like a whole lot is changing. I don’t even have kids yet! Sorry everyone for that strange “Happy Holidays!” post you might have gotten in your inboxes yesterday. WordPress decided a post from 2014 was “publishing soon” and I probably should have trashed it instead of letting it go. Anyhows, crap happens right?

Now to the point of this post…with summer season upon us, and thankfully a huge emergence of the importance of being proud and comfortable in the body shapes we were born with, it’s awesome to see bikinis stepping back from the mainstream stage a bit, giving way for a huge variety of so many super cute one pieces and high waisted designs, much like skinny jeans have given way for the boyfriend and flare jeans to emerge upon the scene once more. It really does seem like there’s this crazy transformation going on in the fashion and style world. People are getting a bit sick of what is considered “normal,” or “attractive,” and are ignoring trends altogether to just be themselves. Fashion brands are taking note and happily catering to this new standard, and I absolutely love it! I haven’t seen many one piece swimwear designs out before…and thanks to many indie designers and hipster shops, the classic look is back. However, one designer in particular has taken it to an absolutely adorable level. Ugly Duckling, by Israel designer Gal Angel, is another one of those Etsy shops that compels me to hit “favorite” even though it doesn’t necessarily cater to my style. I personally still prefer bikinis, but…if I saw a girl sporting one of these I’d give her a million compliments.

Images: Ugly Duckling. Polka Dot Swimsuit, Purple Swimsuit, Wonder Woman Swimsuit (Black & White)

It appears that Ugly Duckling by Gal Angel opened shop in 2012, and I’m not the only one to blog about her unique designs! I found a few other articles here, here and here from the past few years. Gal Angel doesn’t say much about herself (at least not much that’s available in English), except for a spunky one-liner on her Etsy shop: “Im Gal, a FAshion DeSigner fRom TLV and a Slightly NostalGic perSon… ♫ ♬ ♪ ♩ ♪”. I guess that should say it all!

Images: Ugly Duckling. Peplum Swimsuit (Colored), Cat One Piece Swimsuit, Navy Blue V-Neck Swimsuit

Gal Angel’s Ugly Duckling shop offers loungewear, leggings, lingerie, tops, pants, and dresses, but the store really shines with the swimwear pieces. I love her main website, even though it’s not in my language, just for the photography! I think she would do amazingly well with a bigger presence in the states. I mean come on, look at this, custom bridal suits?! Who else does that and how cool is this?! Perfect for a destination wedding or a tropical honeymoon!

Images: Ugly Duckling. Custom Made Bridal Swimsuit

Shop Ugly Duckling swimwear here! View the entire Gal Angel clothing line here (heads up: most of it is in Israeli, but the photos and apparel are fabulous! I’d suggest shopping from the Etsy link).