What's hot and what's not

Already ten days into my beach lifestyle I should be very much able to report to you about the latest and upcoming trends dear to the sun and sea lover.

Even though Pafhos is a bit off the beaten track for the real fashionista it is still possible to identify a few do's and dont's of this season.

One absolute must is without doubt the straw hat (check! I had hurried to buy one just a few days before we left Eindhoven).

Another pretty recognizable trend is the bikini mix and match, which is (for the profane among my readers) when you wear a bikini top which is completely different in both design and pattern from the bikini bottom.

This one had been creeping up already since a few years but I would have never believed it would become so big. I was unprepared!

Bikinis in any case have definitely pushed the one piece swimming suit to the realm of competitive swimming. Everybody and I mean really everybody wears a bikini.

Shellac nail paint can hardly be considered a new trend since it has revolutioned the manicure world already since a couple of years. This summer though the color to wear is fluo orange. I knew that damn! 

When I went for a mani-pedi just before leaving, I had to realize with horror that at the salon they had run out  of that specific shade.

I tried to delude myself that another color would do, but who was I kidding. Now with my maroon red I can seat with the grannies.

This is it for the ladies, now let's talk about the gents.

For many years the beach scene had been dominated by two opposite fractions: the speedo and the trunks. Now there is a very welcome addition to this long standing draw, the hipster. As tight as a speedo, but yet more forgiving for the less well shaped, it poses a very fashionable alternative to the trunks. So for the non-macho but fashion aware guy, this is the way to go.

The straw hat is also a must for men, only in Borsalino shape of course. Giving a distinctive style even to the plainest of guy.

I am so glad to see that the Zuckerberg swimming pool slippers have never really taken off in Europe. The only footwear you might want to be seen in on the beach are flip flops.

Unfortunately tattoos are forever so it is not a question of fashion after a certain point. There is nothing uglier than a middle aged man with a flaccid belly and Maori war symbol tattooed on in. Well just look the other way, or to your ebook reader in case you are surrounded!

And on this sad last note I think this kind of sums it up for the season 2016!