I have a weakness for brands that began with one person calling her sister and saying she had an idea, and MIKOH is exactly that. Oleema and Kalani Miller grew up in San Clemente, California, in a surf-loving family, and Oleema wanted swimwear that felt a little more fashion-forward than what she saw around her. She was still in high school when she made the call, and Kalani was studying business communications (a very useful skill to have in the family).

The split is the whole story. Oleema leads the creative side and the design, Kalani looks after the business, and the label took shape in 2009 with a first collection in 2010. You can feel the surf and the travel in the clothes, but they were never meant to stay on the sand. The separates are made to be mixed and matched, and the one-pieces can double as a bodysuit for a night out. That beach instinct with a bit of city sense is what I keep noticing here. I went deeper on a related idea in AREA Tops & Dresses: The Best Pieces Right Now.

Swim is where the mix-and-match idea is clearest. If I wanted a single suit I would start with the Amora One Piece, then decide which top suits the trip: the Aster Bikini Top, the Suzu Bikini Top or the Nava Bikini Top. The Lurex Bosa Bikini Top and Lurex Suva Bikini Bottom look like they were born as a pair, and the Parsa Bikini Top with the Zuma 2 Bikini Bottom feels a little more graphic and a little more daring.

In my fashion dreams, she walks out of the water in the Amora One Piece with a loose button-up thrown over it, then changes into separates for a long afternoon by the pool. Tops and bottoms are sold on their own, so I would work out which cuts feel comfortable before trying to make a set match. What I would skip: buying both halves before you know which top you actually trust.

The clothes keep the beach story going after the swim is over. The Avia Short, Lui Short and Uma Shorts are the easy place to start, and the Sayama Jumpsuit and Ibara Romper turn getting dressed into one decision instead of three. The Mentawai Button Up Long Sleeve Shirt and Kaito Button Up Shirt can hang open over a swimsuit or be buttoned up for lunch, and the Laurel Dress is the one I would bring for a sunset plan.

Picture her after a surf, the Mentawai Button Up Long Sleeve Shirt knotted at the waist over her swimsuit, the Avia Short, flat sandals and wet hair. That is the mood I want from a trip wardrobe. Shorts, rompers and dresses each solve a different moment, so I would pick for the days I actually have planned. What I would skip is packing the jumpsuit and the romper together, since they do almost the same job. If you want to keep going, Atlein Dresses: The Best Pieces Right Now is the one I would read next.

What I like most about MIKOH is that a swimsuit gets treated like part of an outfit, without losing the ease of beach dressing. The label started in one place and one culture, but the best choices here are the ones that suit your own trip: a one-piece that can leave the pool, or separates you will reach for more than once. I would buy for the days on the calendar, not for a fantasy itinerary. Although I will admit the fantasy itinerary is more fun to shop for.