Scuba Do

WET 'N' WILD | Clockwise from top left: Rachel Roy, Derek Lam, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, McQ, Jason Wu.

When the O'Neill brothers made one of the first wetsuits in the early 1950s, all they hoped for was warm extremities while carving into cold California waves. They never anticipated the suit would enable water-lovers to surf and scuba in almost any temperature and location in the world, revolutionizing those sports and others.

But the O'Neills are probably more surprised (and a bit amused) by their neoprene onesie's role as fashion muse this season. Developed by DuPont in the '30s, neoprene has also been employed in other sport accessories like fly-fishing waders and saddle pads, and has graced the wildest of runways before. But never has wetsuit-inspired wear looked so refined.

Yes, there were riffs on sexy Bond-girl scuba suits for resort and spring—Michael Kors and Jason Wu brought the gorgeous Domino character from "Thunderball" to mind—but there were also demure dresses and even suits inspired by the look. Donna Karan channeled the two-toned aesthetic of surf gear with a sporty black-and-white jacket and pencil skirt—fitting for a gallerist rather than a deep-sea diver. And Donatella Versace's youthful line Versus, designed by Christopher Kane, offers an imaginative pleated dress with plastic zippers that could more than sneak by at an elegant dinner party.

While McQ's Aegean-blue zipper pants or Lisa Marie Fernandez's short-sleeved body suit might be for the daring, Hermès's riding boot and Jimmy Choo's zip-up neoprene sandals are an easy way to incorporate synthetic rubber into a landlubber's wardrobe. Thankfully, talcum powder—dusted into early wetsuits for easy entry—is not required.

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

SUIT UP | Clockwise from top right: Dun Heel, $795, jimmychoo.com; Lisa Marie Fernandez/Peter Pilotto The Farrah Maillot, $495, netaporter.com; McQ Alexander McQueen Zipper Trouser, $415, neimanmarcus.com; Neoprene Backpack, $1,650, Pierre Hardy, 646-449-0070; Jumping Riding Boots, $2,250, hermes.com; Tricotine Double Face Wool Skirt, $1,195, Michael Kors, 866-709-5677; Pleated Dress, $2,250, Versace, 888-721-7219