Bikini variants

Since the bikini was introduced in 1946, it has generated a number of variations, primarily smaller and more revealing than the original.

The bikini has spawned many stylistic variations. A regular bikini is defined as a two pieces of garments that cover the groin and buttocks at the lower end and the breasts in the upper end. Some bikinis can offer a large amount of coverage, while other bikinis provide only the barest minimum. Topless variants may still be considered bikinis, although technically no longer two-piece swimsuits.^[1] Along with a variation in designs term bikini was followed by an often hilarious lexicon including the numokini (top part missing), seekini (transparent bikini), tankini (tank top, bikini bottom), camikini (camisole top and bikini bottom) and hikini.^[2] Since fashions of different centuries exist beside one another in early 21st century, though it is possible to imagine a woman combining a bikini and a 1910 bathing costume.^[3]

Bikini tops come in several different styles and cuts, including a halter-style neck that offers more coverage and support, a strapless bandeau, a rectangular strip of fabric covering the breasts that minimizes large breasts, a top with cups similar to a push-up bra, and the more traditional triangle cups that lift and shape the breasts. Bikini bottoms vary in style and cut and in the amount of coverage they offer, coverage ranging anywhere from complete underwear-style coverage, as in the case of more modest bottom pieces like briefs, shorts, or briefs with a small skirt-panel attached, to almost full exposure, as in the case of the thong bikini. Skimpier styles have narrow sides, including V-cut (in front), French cut (with high-cut sides) and low-cut string (with string sides).^[1] In one major fashion show in 1985 were two-piece suits with cropped tank tops instead of the usual skimpy bandeaux, suits that are bikinis in front and one-piece in back, suspender straps, ruffles, and daring, navel-baring cutouts.^[4] Subsequent variations on the theme include the monokini, tankini, string bikini, thong, slingshot, minimini, teardrop, and micro.^[5]

To meet the fast changing tastes, some of the manufacturers have made a business out of making made-to-order bikinis in around seven minutes.^[6] Popular Brazilian beach markets have been identified as the source for the most diverse range of bikini merchandises.^[7]

Variants

Following are the major variants of bikini.

String bikini

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. A string bikini bottom can have minimal to maximum coverage of a woman's backside.

It is claimed that Brazilian fashion model Rose de Primallio created the first string bikini when she had to sew one with insufficient fabric available to her for a photoshoot. The first formal presentation of string bikini was done by Glen Tororich, a public relations agent, and his wife Brandi Perret-DuJon, a fashion model, for the opening of Le Petite Centre, a shopping area in the French Quarter of the New Orleans, Louisiana in 1974. Inspired by a picture of a Rio de Janeiro fashion model in an issue of Women's Wear Daily, they had local fashion designer Lapin create a string bikini for the event. Models recruited by talent agent Peter Dasigner presented it by removing fur coats by Alberto Lemon on stage. The presentation was covered by local television stations and the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper, and was sent out via the wire news services of the Associated Press and United Press International.

String bikinis are one of the most popular variations of bikini.^[8]

Monokini

Main article: Monokini

Monokini

A monokini, sometimes referred to as a unikini, is a women's one-piece garment equivalent to the lower half of a bikini.^[9] The term monokini is also now used for any topless swimsuit,^[10] particularly a bikini bottom worn without a bikini top.^[11] In 1964, Rudi Gernreich, an Austrian fashion designer, designed the original monokini in the US.^[12] Gernreich also invented its name, and the word monokini is first recorded in English that year. Gernreich's monokini looked like a one-piece swimsuit suspended from two halter straps in the cleavage of bared breasts. It had only two small straps over the shoulders, leaving the breasts bare. Despite the reaction of fashion critics and church officials, shoppers purchased the monokini in record numbers that summer, though very few monokinis were ever worn in public. By the end of the season, Gernreich had sold 3000 swimsuits at $24 apiece, which meant a tidy profit for such a minuscule amount of fabric.^[13] It was not very successful in the USA, where although allowing the sexes equal exposure above the waist, have never accepted it for the beach.^[14] Many women who wanted to sunbathe topless simply wore the bottom part of a bikini. Manufacturers and retailers quickly adapted to selling tops and bottoms separately. Gernreich later created the lesser known pubikini.^[15]

Peggy Moffitt, the original model for the infamous suit, said it was a logical evolution of Gernreich's avant-garde ideas in swimwear design as much as a scandalous symbol of the permissive society.^[14] In the 1960s, the monokini led the way into the sexual revolution by emphasizing a woman's personal freedom of dress, even when her attire was provocative and exposed more skin than had been the norm during the more conservative 1950s. Like all swimsuits, the monokini bottom portion of the swimsuit can vary in cut. Some have g-string style backs, while others provide full coverage of the rear. The bottom of the monokini may be high cut, reaching to the waist, with high cut legs, or may be a much lower cut, exposing the belly button. The modern monokini, which is less racy than Gernreich's original design, takes its design from the bikini, and is also described as "more of a cut-out one-piece swimsuit,"^[16] with designers using fabric, mesh, chain, or other materials to link the top and bottom sections together, though the appearance may not be functional, but rather only aesthetic.^[17] In recent years, the term has come into use for topless bathing by women: where the bikini has two parts, the monokini is the lower part. Where monokinis are in use, the word bikini may jokingly refer to a two-piece outfit consisting of a monokini and a sun hat.^[18]

See also: Toplessness and Topfreedom

Microkini

Microkini

A microkini is an extremely skimpy bikini.^[19] The designs for both women and men typically use only enough fabric to cover the genitals. Any additional straps are merely to keep the garment attached to the wearer's body. Some variations of the microkini use adhesive or wire to hold the fabric in place over the genitals. These designs do not require any additional side straps to keep the garment in place. The most radical variations of the microkini are simply thin straps which cover little or none of the wearer's body. The term "microkini" was coined in 1995 in an online community dedicated to enthusiasts of the extreme designs.^[20][21] Microkinis keep the wearer just within legal limits of decency and fill a niche between nudism and conservative swimwear.^[22]

The modern microkini's origins can be traced back to the early 1970s in Venice Beach, California, U.S., where, after legislation was passed banning nudity, beach regulars began making their own tiny bathing suits to comply with the new laws. The homemade suits were often little more than tiny, remnant pieces of fabric, crudely sewn together with thin twine or fishing line. Around 1975, a local bikini shop picked up on the idea and began to make more practical styles using modern materials. Soon after, several adult film actresses began wearing the shop's suits in their films and the style began to catch on.^{[citation needed]}

See also: Thong (clothing) and G-string

Tankini

Main article: Tankini

Tankini

The tankini is a swimsuit combining a tank top, mostly made of spandex-and-cotton or Lycra-and-nylon, and a bikini bottom introduced in the late 1990s.^[23][24][25] According to author William Safire, "The most recent evolution of the -kini family is the tankini, a cropped tank top supported by spaghetti-like strings."^[26] The tankini is distinguished from the classic bikini by the difference in tops, the top of the tankini essentially being a tank top. The tankini top extends downward to somewhere between just above the navel and the top of the hips. The word is a neologism combining the tank of tank top with the end of the word bikini. This go-between nature of tankini has rendered its name to things ranging from a lemonade-based martini (Tankini Martini)^[27] to server architecture (Tankini HipThread).^[28] This type of swimwear is considered by some to provide modesty closer to a one piece suit with the convenience of a two piece suit, like the entire suit need not be removed in order to use a lavatory.

Designer Anne Cole, described as a godmother of swimwear in the USA, was originator of this style.^[29] She scored what would be her biggest hit in 1998 when her label introduced the tankini. A two-piece suit with a top half that covered more of a woman's torso than a standard bikini top, the suit was an instant hit with customers.^[30] Variations of the tankini, made of spandex-and-cotton or Lycra-and-nylon, have been named camkini, with spaghetti straps instead of tank-shaped straps over a bikini bottom, and even bandeaukini, with a bandeau worn as the top.^[29] Tankinis come in a variety of styles, colors and shapes, some include features such as integrated push-up bras. It is particularly popular as children's beachwear,^[31] and athletic outfit good enough for a triathlon.^[32] According to Katherine Betts, Vogue's fashion-news director, this amphibious sportswear for sand or sea lets the user go rafting, playing volleyball and swimming without worrying about losing their top.^[24]

See also: Sleeveless shirt

Sling bikini

Sling bikini worn by Melissa Wolf, an adult model

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 the buttocks to become a thong.^[33] The variation of sling bikinis that has the straps simply encircle the neck and another set of straps pass around the midriff, instead of the straps passing over the neck and down the back, is called a pretzel bikini.^[33] Corresponding to the advent of Lycra, these bikinis first emerged in the early 1990s, and is more popular on the beaches of Europe including Saint-Tropez, Marabella, Mykonos and Ibiza.^[34] Suspender-like straps that running between the breasts and around the neck held the suit up were introduced in the mainstream in 1994. News reports said that within a week of putting the suit on their racks, New York's major stores had sold 150. San Francisco women turned deaf ears to clergymen's warnings that "nakedness and paganism go hand in hand." By season's end, the tally sold was 3000 plus, at $24 a suit.^[35]

See also: Suspenders

Trikini

The original trikini, with two separate breast-pieces

The trikini appeared briefly in 1967, defined as "a handkerchief and two small saucers." It reappeared a few years ago as a bikini bottom with a stringed halter of two triangular pieces of cloth covering the breasts.^[36] The trikini top comes essentially in two separate parts.^[37] The name of this woman's bathing suit is formed from bikini, replacing "bi-", meaning "two", with "tri-", meaning "three".^[38] Fashion writer William Safire wrote in The New York Times: "Stripping to essentials, if the trikini is three pieces, the bikini two and the monokini one, when will we see the zerokini?"^[39] Dolce & Gabbana designed trikinis for Summer 2005 as three pieces of scintillating sequined fabric, barely cover the essentials of a woman's body.^[40] A variation on the bikini in which three pieces are sold together, such as a bikini with a tank top or a bikini with a one-piece suit is also sometimes called a Trikini,^[41] including a conventional two-piece with a glitzy band of rhinestones round the waist.^[42] Israeli designer Gideon Oberson, known for his artistically inspired bathing suits, calls a two-piece suit but looks like a tank top that can be worn with a skirt or a pair of shorts designed by him a trikini.^[43] Brazilian designer Amir Slama calls two sexy scraps of silk connected with string he designed for skinny women a trikini.^[44]

Pubikini

In 1985, designer Rudi Gernreich unveiled the pubikini, a bathing suit meant to expose pubic hair.^[45] The pubikini is a small piece of fabric that hugs the hips and buttocks but leaves the pubic region exposed,^[15] described as a tiny V-shaped fabric strip and a piece de resistance totally freeing the human body.^[46]

Material

Further information: History of clothing and textiles

Model and wrestler Brooke Adams wearing bikini tops adorned with faux fur

Bikinis made out of see-through or sheer material are sometimes called the seekini^[2]

The bikini precursors as well as the first modern bikinis were made of cotton and jersey and were mostly stripped or monochrome. Réard introduced the first printed material for bikini.^[47] By the 1970s, when American women were catching up with the more daring Europeans attitudes, bikini variants started to diversify widely. Flower patterns became popular in the late 1960s.^[48] Today bikinis are made with mostly made with treated fabric, having been stretched over a plastic mold, then baked in order to set its shape and create bikini brassieres.^[49] Fashion adviser Malia Mills has two basic criteria to check the material—it doesn't wrinkle into a bundle at the back, and nothing "falls out" when picking a towel or raising the arms.^[50] Bikinis are usually lined with fabric which is designed to stop them becoming transparent when wet.^[51]

"Vegetable Bikini" as part of PETA campaign

When, in 1960s, swimsuit designers rediscovered lycra (DuPont's name for spandex), a stretch fiber that allowed them to stitch tinier pieces of fabric. Retailer Marks & Spencer reintroduced the material used as an alternative to nylon in swimsuits in the 1960s.^[52] Spandex expanded the range of novelty fabrics available to designers which meant suits could be made to fit like a second skin without heavy linings streamlined athletic styles, emphasizing high-tech fabrics and finishes.^[53] It allowed designers to create the string bikini, and allowed Rudi Gernreich to created the topless monokini.^[54] According to Kelly Killoren Bensimon in The Bikini Book, "The advent of Lycra allowed more women to wear a bikini. It didn't sag, it didn't bag, and it concealed and revealed. It wasn't so much like lingerie anymore." The stretch nylon bikini briefs and bras which complemented the adolescent boutique fashions of the 1960s also allowed those to be very minimal.^[55] Women on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro and Saint-Tropez went even further, forgoing all rear-view coverage to show off their thongs.^[56] For the female bodybuilder the material regulations are more stringent, as "the two pieces of the bikini are fastened together with two strings, and the fasteners as all as the bikini must not consist of metallic material or padding."^[57] A platinum bikini valued at US $9500 was made by Mappin and Webb of London in the 1977, and was worn by Miss United Kingdom in that year's Miss World beauty pageant. It was entered as a Guinness World Record for the most expensive bikini.^[58]

More uncommon fabrics are appearing around the world since 1960s that include paper-made bikinis^[59] and directly tan-through bikinis,^[60] the latter being a flimsy flesh-colored suit that allowed the sun's rays to penetrate the garment.^[61] Late 20th century designer Laura Jane created bikinis made of neoprene, the rubber material used to make wetsuits in 1989.^[62] Fernando Garcia, a bikini designer in South Beach, Miami, turns various exotic material into bikinis including black-and-Day-Glo, python skin and Mongolian lamb fringe and black fox material.^[63] Crochet, lace, PVC, raffia, fur, latex, velvet and other uncommon items are used as bikini material.^[64] New York inventor Andrew Schneider has invented a solar bikini that is covered with 40 flexible photovoltaic cells that feed into a USB connection that can plug straight into an iPod. Two hours of sunbaking is claimed by the inventor to be enough to charge an iPod shuffle.^[65] For better UV protection, as wet clothes have reduced protection against UV light, chemical company BASF has incorporated nanotechnology into bikinis. Made of Day-Glo leopard skin polyamide (nylon)-6 these bikinis have titanium dioxide embedded and provide a variable sunblock factor—80 for the beach and 15 for a spring day.^[66]

See also

• Swimsuit and Beachwear
• Thong (clothing) and G-string
• Bikini waxing
• Toplessness
• Topfreedom
• Burqini
• Bikini in popular culture
• History of the bikini

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Bikini, Swimsuit Styles
2. ^ ^{a b} Barry J. Blake, Playing with Words: Humour in the English Language‎, page 59, Equinox, 2007, ISBN 1-84553-330-5
3. ^ Jacques Laurent & Cécil Saint-Laurent, A History of Ladies Underwear‎, page 214, Joseph, 1968, ISBN 0-7181-0624-5
4. ^ Fashion Correspondent, "Swimsuits take some inspiration from the past", Philadelphia Inquirer, 1985-11-10
5. ^ David Diefendorf & James Randi, Amazing... But False!: Hundreds of "Facts" You Thought Were True, But Aren't, page 33, Sterling, 2007, ISBN 1-4027-3791-2
6. ^ Siobhan Morrissey, "Bikinis made in teeny-weeny time, Palm Beach Post, page 1D, 1991-08-28
7. ^ Mick Day & Ben Box, Rio de Janeiro Handbook, page 66, Footprint Travel Guides, 2000, ISBN 1-900949-80-6
8. ^ Valerie Steele, Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, page 121, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005, ISBN 0-684-31396-0
9. ^ The Concise Oxford Dictionary (2004 ed.)
10. ^ Everything Bikini
11. ^ Bikini Science
12. ^ Gernreich Bio
13. ^ Bikini Styles: Monokini, Everything Bikini
14. ^ ^{a b} Suzy Menkes, "Runways: Remembrance of Thongs Past", The New York Times, 1993-07-18
15. ^ ^{a b} Metroland
16. ^ "Monokini". LoveToKnow. http://swimsuits.lovetoknow.com/Monokini. Retrieved 2008-12-07. 
17. ^ Wexler, Kathryn (July 17, 2007). "Swimsuit trends for next spring". The Miami Herald. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32594346_ITM. Retrieved 2008-12-07. 
18. ^ Bikini Swimwear Definition, Apparel Search
19. ^ Microkini at Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary
20. ^ Microkini Swimsuit on Bo Tight Fit
21. ^ The Microkini on Men's Playground
22. ^ Mistrík, Erich, Pseudo-Concrete Ideals Of A Good Life, Human Affairs (2/2008), Department of Social & Biological Communication, Slovenská Akadémia Vied, Slovakia
23. ^ Tankini
24. ^ ^{a b} Alisha Davis, "It Rhymes With Bikini", Newsweek, 1998-05-04
25. ^ Becky Homan, "Tankini goes over the top", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1999-04-03
26. ^ William Safire, No Uncertain Terms , page 291, Simon & Schuster, 2003, ISBN 0-7432-4955-0
27. ^ Cornelia Schinharl, Sebastian Dickhaut & Kelsey Lane, Party Basics: Everything You Need for the World's Best Party, page 98, Silverback Books, 2002, ISBN 1-930603-91-6
28. ^ Don Jones & Mark D. Scott, Using Microsoft Commerce Server 2002, page 211, Que Publishing, 2002, ISBN 0-7897-2763-3
29. ^ ^{a b} Becky Homan, "Tankini goes over the top", Page 42, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1999-04-03
30. ^ Laura Avery & Thomson Gale, Newsmakers: Cumulation‎, page 118, Thomson Gale, 2007, ISBN 0-7876-8091-5
31. ^ Samantha Critchell, "Tankinis and rash guards rock with comfort, protection for kids", The Seattle Times, 2008-06-04
32. ^ Zoe McDonald & Lisa Buckingham, Triathlon Made Easy, page 52, Collins & Brown, 2008, ISBN 1-84340-433-8
33. ^ ^{a b} Jenny Pate, History of the swimsuit, Article Dashboard
34. ^ Slingshot Suspender Bikinis: A History, Lve to know swimsuits, Glam Publisher Network
35. ^ Fashion Correspondent, "Itsy bitsy teenie weenie... trivia think swimsuits. If two-pieces and t-backs are all that come to mind... think again", Miami Herald, page 1G, 1995-07-15
36. ^ William Safire, No Uncertain Terms, page 291, Simon & Schuster, 2004, ISBN 0-7432-5812-6
37. ^ John Ayto, Ian Crofton & Ebenezer Cobham Brewer, Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable, page 78, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006, ISBN 0-304-36809-1
38. ^ Robert L. Chapman & Harold Wentworth, New Dictionary of American Slang‎, page 446, Harper & Row, 1986, ISBN 0-06-181157-2.
39. ^ William Safire, The Way We Live Now: 7-11-99: On Language; Swim Suits", The New York Times, 1999-06-11.
40. ^ Associated Press, "Free and easy", The Age (Australia), 2004 -06-29
41. ^ John Karl, "Under cover Designers are wrapping swimsuits with stylish designs, Sarasota Herald Tribune, 200-02-08
42. ^ Katia Dolmadjian, "The hottest trends from Milan", iAfrica, 2007-09-28
43. ^ Meredith Price Levitt, "Sabra Style: Sizzling summer swimwear", The Jerusalem Post, 2008-07-13.
44. ^ Amy Diluna, For those who dare, he does bare Brazilian designer reinvents itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini", Daily News (New York), 2004-09-11.
45. ^ Elizabeth Gunther Stewart, Paula Spencer & Dawn Danby, The V Book: A Doctor's Guide to Complete Vulvovaginal Health, page 104, Bantam Books, 2002, ISBN 0-553-38114-8
46. ^ Catalog adds options for overweight girls Article 1 of 1 found, Denver Post, 1992-01-02
47. ^ Stephanie Pedersen, Bra: A Thousand Years of Style, Support and Seduction, page 69, David & Charles, 2004, ISBN 0-7153-2067-X
48. ^ Nan Ickeringill, "Go Away, Winter, Flowers and Bikinis Are Here", New York Times, page 40, 1967-01-09
49. ^ Valerie Steele, Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, page 253, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005, ISBN 0-684-31397-9
50. ^ Maggie Davis & Charlotte Williamson, 101 Things to Buy Before You Die, page 15, New Holland Publishers Ltd, 2007, ISBN 1-84537-885-7
51. ^ Textile Outlook International, page 159, volume 124-126, Economist Publications Ltd., 2006
52. ^ Pauline Weston Thomas, "Women's Swimwear in the 20th Century", Fashion-Era.com
53. ^ Valerie Steele, Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, page 255, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005, ISBN 0-684-31397-9
54. ^ Sylvia Rubin, "Fashion shocker of '46: the naked belly button", San Francisco Chronicle, 2006-07-02
55. ^ Amy De La Haye, The Cutting Edge: 50 Years of British Fashion, 1947-1997‎, page 183, Overlook Press, 1997, ISBN 0-87951-763-8
56. ^ The Bikini Turns 60, 1946 to 2006: 60 Years of Bikini Bathing Beauties, Lilith E-Zine
57. ^ Maria R. Lowe, Women of Steel, page 5, NYU Press, 1998, ISBN 0-8147-5094-X
58. ^ Donald McFarlan & Norris McWhirter, Guinness Book of World Records (1990), page 331, Bantam Books, 1990, ISBN 0-553-28452-5
59. ^ Angela Taylor, "Paper Expands Its Domain: Wedding Dresses, Shoes and Bikinis", The New York Times, page 58, 1967-03-06.
60. ^ Angela Taylor, "Tan-Through Fabric Lets Sun Shine In", The New York Times, page 55, 1969-10-17.
61. ^ Jessica Savitch, Anchorwoman, page 45, Berkley Pub Group, 1983, ISBN 0-425-06409-3.
62. ^ Karen Baclawski & Negley Harte, The Guide to Historic Costume, page 35, B.T. Batsford, 1995, ISBN 0-89676-137-1.
63. ^ Forbes FYI, 2000, Forbes Inc., 2000
64. ^ Rose-Marie Turk, "In the Swim Velvet? Raffia? These and other unconventional fabrics are hitting the beach. And in hues-pine and wine anyone?-you never imagined", Los Angeles Times, page 1, 1994-03-25.
65. ^ Rachel Wells, "Solar bikinis, auto-fit undies: Clothes go hi-tech", Stuff, 2007-12-13
66. ^ Clodagh O'Brien, "Sunblock without the mess... wear a nano bikini and hat on the beach", The Daily Telegraph (UK), 2003-05-26

External links

• Evolution on the swimwear on Fashion Era
• Bikini Science: A comprehensive site on the bikini
• Bikini exhibition