With spring officially here, and summer on its way, fashion expert and correspondent Jene Luciani stopped by on Friday to introduce the newest innovation in swimwear- the 4-piece bikini! 

  Fashion Correspondent, Jene Luciani. Image via Twitter

Candace Rose: With spring officially here and warmer weather on the way, can you tell us about the 4-piece bikini?

Jene Luciani: "Well, this is the biggest trend happening in swimwear right now, and I'm so excited to share it with you. It's something that's never been done before, and it's truly a unique approach to the swimwear category. This is the SwimMates line by Lands' End, and as you mentioned it's all about building that perfect 4-piece bikini."

Candace Rose: How does it work?

Jene Luciani: "Well, I have some models to show you here today, and you know, every look in fashion starts with the proper foundation. So our foundation for our 4-piece bikini is going to be two pieces. You start with the two pieces. I love that the tops come bra sized with built in support which is so important for so many women, and again thinking about women's bodies- not all women are the same on the top as they are on the bottom; so you can buy the pieces separately and really mix it up.

    So we start with the two pieces and then we start layering on a great stylish cami, like this henley style, and then finally a swim skirt or swim shorts. But the brilliant part about all of this is that you can swim in all of the pieces."

The basic two piece bikini with the henley cami over it.

Add swim shorts or a swim skirt and your 4-piece bikini is good to go!

How to create a 4-piece bikini

Candace Rose: How about for women who aren't necessarily comfortable wearing a bathing suit in public, do you have any advice for them? 

Jene Luciani: "This is the perfect solution for them because you can cover up as much as you want and really customize your coverage. You know the thinking behind it was that one swimsuit doesn't work for every occasion, so like you said, if you're at a pool party in more of a public place and you want to be a little more covered up, you can do that. And then if you want to be back in your bikini, you just peel off those layers. And the best part about it is each piece is $30 – $55, so it's totally affordable, you can buy as many pieces as you want; build that 4-piece bikini and it's really just convenient, functional and fashionable."

Candace Rose: What are some of the biggest swim trends for 2012?

Jene Luciani: "We're seeing a lot of what's on the fashion runways extending to swimwear- so a lot of color blocking, and of course mixing and mixing, as I like to call it because it's not about being matchy. So it's mixing up all these really great bold colors and fabulous prints, and really just making it your own."

Candace Rose: Do you have any additional tips or information you'd like to share?

Jene Luciani: "Sure. You can visit LandsEnd.com or shop at your Lands' End shops at Sears and get all the great looks that we've seen today, and build your perfect 4-piece bikini."