Beaches & Bikinis!
Beaches and bikinis go hand in hand. Sorta like peanut butter & jelly or ham & cheese – no matter who you are, when you think of the beach – visions of bikinis aren’t too far behind! Although images of two-piece clad women date as far back as ancient Greek hieroglyphs, the bikini – as we know it today was made popular by the pin-up girls of the 50’s and 60’s.
When I personally think of the bikini – I see images of Pam Grier, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth and Bridget Bardot! They were brave during a time when showing even a little bit of skin was taboo. They were elegant, sophisticated and had a timeless style that many of today’s starlets wish they had!
Needless to say, the bikini has come a long way from the late 40’s thru early 70’s. From the thong bikini to the micro-bikini, some show so much skin that even those who were considered revolutionary for wearing a two piece 50 years ago blush and cover their eyes!
Bikini and bathing suit trends are swinging in favor of the masses. While Hollywood has inspired a renewed interest in the bikini, real everyday women are demanding more realistic options. Are you larger on the bottom that the top? Designers are now catering to fit your needs with separates. The choices improve every year and specialty sizes are becoming more common.
While it may be a moment of dread to try on your first bathing suit of the summer, there are options for softening the blow.
Pair your bathing suit or bikini with a sarong. Not only are sarongs beautiful, but they also inspire the wearer to feel more confident and feminine. Sarongs, in sheer fabrics and pretty prints, continue to be the most flattering and best way to cover up. Tie on the side, in front or around your chest for full coverage.
Most Common Types of Bikinis
Tankini: A variation of the bikini, this sporty style has a longer top that leaves only a small portion of the tummy exposed. Don’t want to expose your tummy at all? Go for the mock tankini.
Bandini: A bikini with a bandeau top;i.e. a straight, wide horizontal band of cloth worn covering the breasts.
Camikini: Same as the tankini except the top looks like a camisole.
String Bikini: A string bikini is scantier and more revealing than a traditional bikini. It gets its name from the string characteristics of its design. It consists of two triangular shaped pieces connected at the groin but not at the sides, where a thin “string” wraps around the waist connecting the two parts. String bikini tops are similar and are tied in place by the attached “string” pieces. String pieces can either be continuous or tied.
Monokini: A monokini, sometimes referred to as a unikini, is a women’s one-piece garment equivalent to the lower half of a bikini. The term monokini is also now used for any topless swimsuit, particularly a bikini bottom worn without a bikini top
Boy shorts: These resemble really short shorts. Careful here, tends to make the leg look shorter, but still a favorite style.
MicroKini: A microkini is an extremely skimpy bikini. The designs for both women and men typically use only enough fabric to cover the genitalia.
SlingKini (sling bikini): The sling bikini is also known as a “suspender bikini”, “suspender thong”, “slingshot bikini” or just “slingshot”. It is a one-piece suit which provides as little, or even less, coverage (or as much exposure) as a bikini. Usually, a slingshot resembles a bikini bottom, but rather than the straps going around the hips or waist, the side straps extend upwards to cover the breasts and go over the shoulders, leaving the entire sides of the torso uncovered, but the nipples and pubic area covered. Behind the neck, the straps join and reach down the back to become a thong