by 
Love Island always promises a good watch when it comes to fashion. From the underbust in 2021 to the perspex heels in 2019, the show undeniably creates trends that live on beyond the season finale date.
With eBay as this year’s fashion sponsor, eager viewers were promised a change of direction, with a move away from fast fashion and towards online second-hand shopping. And thanks to Amy Bannerman, the stylist who developed an archive of pre-loved pieces for the show, there have been some real fashion highlights.
Tasha, who has turned heads as the fashion star of the villa, has been seen in a vintage Versace two-piece, a Diesel leather number and a red cord by Gaultier Junior to name a few of her best moments. And it doesn’t stop there – Indiyah has shown her fondness for old-season Poster Girl and Mark Fast designs, while Dami and Luca have opted for shirts from Pleats Please Issey Miyake and Gucci respectively.
When buying clothes, Bannerman and her team have focused on curating looks around themes created with today’s runway inspiration and the Love Island aesthetic in mind, such as ‘Blurred Lines’, a gender-fluid aesthetic which she explains has been adopted by the boys as well as the girls: “there has been a silky satin shirt that a few of the boys have been wearing, which is very much across those lines. And of course, Tasha wearing a Champion men’s bomber jacket that she styled off the shoulder definitely shined through for the trend.”
Other categories include ‘Dopamine Dressing’ seen through Tasha’s bright and Poster Girl dresses, Y2K, which has been a go-to for contestants, with many islanders sporting corsets, cargo pants and beaded jewelry, and Love Me Forever, a category Bannerman explains has been adopted by Gemma: “Love Me Forever is very Gemma’s vibe with lots of very classic, keep forever pieces that she dazzles in. Plus Tasha in that Diesel leather dress that really beats trends.”
When it comes to their own clothes, however, it was back to business as usual with fast fashion brands PrettyLittleThing, Boohoo, Oh Polly and ASOS being some of their favorite brands. As you’d expect, the cut-out dress was a hot favourite, along with the usual bikinis and bodycon pieces that are barely there.
Bannerman explained in an interview with Glamour: “I know a lot of the girls like the bodycon looks, or the brands they’re going towards like Shein or Oh Polly – so we’ve been looking at designers like Christopher Esber, who do a lot of cutouts, vintage Mark Fast , which obviously originated the whole cover fabric dress, and Hervé Leger”, the latter of which has been worn by Ekin-Su.
Even better, she hopes this season might dissuade them from shopping for fast fashion in future seasons: “I think this partnership with eBay would have hopefully encouraged them to shop pre-loved, look at designers they didn’t know about or look for the brands they really like online.” And with searches for fashion in love up 700 percent on eBay, we hope so, too.
So, from corsets to cargos, midaxis to micro minis, we’ve taken a look at the best (and worst) trends from this year’s show below.
Are they just good on paper? You decide…
Upside down and three piece bikinis
Every season, the islanders develop a new swimwear style, from last year’s underbust, to the neon styles of 2019.
This year’s edition is the top-down bikini, favored by bombshell Antigoni (along with the likes of Kendall and Kylie Jenner), who, by the way, has her own swimwear brand. The three-piece bikini set, which includes a matching cover-up, also looked top notch.
According to data from New Look, searches for ‘three-piece bikini set’ increased by 250 per cent after the show started, so it seems the swimwear trio is here to stay.
Upside down bikinis
To get the look, take any of the bikinis below and flip it over.
Urban Outfitters Out From Under Black Floral Barbados Bikini
Top, £20, and bottoms, £15
Buy Now £20.00, Urban Outfitters
Ganni string bikini
Top, £51, and bottoms, £51
Buy Now £51.00, Farfetch
Jade Swim Via Triangle Bikini
Top, £85, and bottoms, £85
Buy Now £85.00, MatchesFashion
Bikinis in three pieces
£0.00
PrettyLittleThing ORANGE RIB 3 PIECE SWIMMING PATTERN SET
Buy Now £25.00, PrettyLittleThing
I Saw It First Lime Green Marble Print 3 Piece Strappy Bikini & Mini Skirt Set
Buy Now £50.00, I Saw It First
Shein 3pack Floral Print Triangle Bikini Swimsuit with Cover Up Skirt
Buy Now £11.99, Shein
Corsets
Having been popular since the 16th century, the corset is making its second comeback of the century, and has been one of the most popular in the villa this season. First doing the rounds in the early aughts (just think of the iconic Madonna/Britney Christina Aguilera moment at the 2003 VMAs), it’s now back as a Y2K reference with islanders Ekin-Su, Indiyah, Tasha and Paige wearing versions from Oh Polly, Shein and Bershka.
Miaou Tati Mesh Tie Top
Buy Now £179.00, End Clothing
Reformation Sorrento Silk top
Buy Now £130.00, Reformation
ASOS DESIGN lace up western corset top in black
Buy Now £20.00, ASOS
Carvings
Of course, in true Love Island style, the clip has triumphed as the star of the show. With second-hand versions of Poster Girl and Mark Fast, to new designs from the likes of House Of CB, PrettyLittleThing and Ego, almost every islander has opted to expose a little extra skin at one point or another. Whether they’ve gone for a micro-mini, a midaxi or even a blazer, cutouts come in all shapes and sizes and can be pulled off from, well, anywhere.
Poster Girl The Miranda Dress
Buy Now £156.00, Revolve
Weekday Liria Cut Out Dress
Buy Now £29.00, Weekday
GAUGE81 Chaleg cut-out linen blend mini dress
Buy Now £270.00, Selfridges
Denim
Denim has been in the spotlight this season, from Tasha’s Zara two-piece a la Miu Miu SS22, to Paige’s baggy noughties jeans from PrettyLittleThing, it has been worn throughout the series by almost every contestant. From Tasha pairing mini shorts with cowboy boots, to Chyna coordinating a corset top with a pair of high-waisted jeans, they’ve styled it in endless ways, and we’re here for it.
Free People Old West Slouchy Jeans
Buy Now £118.00, Free People
Zara Denim Box Pleated Mini Skirt
Corset, £25.99, and skirt, £25.99
Buy now £25.99, Zara
Nobody’s Child Faith Playsuit
Buy Now £30.00 Nobody’s Child
Cargo pants
A favorite of Paige and Gemma, and another Y2K revivalist, the cargo pant has won Season 8. The pair not only wore them during their talent show performance while singing the Black Eyed Peas’ ‘My Humps’, but throughout the season have opted for green, slim and oversized white styles that they’ve paired with corsets and crop tops. Move over Xtina, Paige and Gemma have arrived.
Monki Black Utility Denim Pants
Buy Now £50.00 Monki
I Saw It First Payload Trousers in Sage
Buy Now £35.00, ASOS
Bershka Rustic cargo trousers in fabric
Buy now £32.99, Bershka
Mesh sleeves and gloves
Forget about seeing your underarms for the foreseeable future because it seems the trend this season is to cover them up. Whether you’re partial to a mesh sleeve or a neon glove, Summer, Danica, and Paige all taught us a lesson in forearm modesty.
White Fox Boutique Link Up Mini Dress Cyan Blue
Buy Now £47.00, White Fox Boutique
House Of CB Mina black structured corset
Buy Now £99.00, House Of CB
