Annual Swimsuit Edition

By Taryn Plumb Photos by Dan Vaillancourt

July 2004 – Love it or leave it, it’s that time of year again… bathing suit season. (Hold for the collective groan). It’s that yearly rite of passage when beach bums, bathing beauties and the rest of us begin quests for that perfect swimsuit.

If bathing suit shopping is a terrifying experience for you, don’t panic! Here are the ultimate fashions for summer 2004 that will help make that moment of truth in the dressing room mirror a little less traumatic.

Trends

Stripes — Choose from a variety of stripes this season, from the bold geometric variety to tiger-inspired. Pastel stripes are the hot fashion, appearing diagonally on one-pieces or horizontally across bikini bottoms.
Polka dots — In all shapes and sizes, polka dots are in — no matter what the design. The season’s most popular colors are pastels, brights and good old fashioned black and white.
Florals — Making a comeback, florals can be found in both exotic Hawaiian or classic prints.
Cut-outs — The one-piece suit gets a makeover with back and belly baring cut-outs.
Retro fabric — Look for textured yarns and lace, crochet knits, knitted bikinis and coordinating fashions, including boys shorts and sarongs.
Beads — Scope out suits with sewn-in details including shells, semi-precious stones, ceramics, exotic wood, jade, turquoise and bone.
Detailed fabric — For an alternative to sleek, seek out texture with ruffles, ruching, smocking, draping, fringes, cut outs and pleats.
Corset and bustiers — The classic look of sexy brings a whole new dimension to swimwear in both contemporary and classic looks.

Styles

The one piece — How can you go wrong? Great for hiding the belly and accentuating the bust; holds everything in place while giving the wearer ultimate flexibility for beach sports.
Bikini — The old-fashioned favorite. Newest looks include skimpy triangle tops and side-tie bottoms. The hottest style this summer is the string bikini in fun Hawaiian prints and bright colors.
Bandini — A variation on the bikini; features a straight bandeau top.
Tankini — Perfect for those wishing for a little more coverage; the tankini features a long top that leaves only a fraction of the belly exposed. Can be mixed and matched with bikini bottoms or boy shorts.
Maillot — The one-piece with a twist. This year’s fashions include cut-outs, halters and one-shouldered ensembles.
Boy shorts — Boy shorts provide more coverage than bikini bottoms; great for accentuating the derriere.
Halters — Look for the classic “simple” look with wide straps and full coverage, or explore an adventurous side with cut outs or fabric detailing.

Colors

Exotic — Colors this season are exotic, including burnt orange, aqua, indigo, lilac, chartreuse, emerald, lime, fuchsia, coral, papaya, lemon, apricot, camel, mocha, among others.
Color mixes — Earthy reds with whites or blues, pink and white, green and ivory, burgundy and gold, are also big.
Black and white contrasts — The mod look takes on a new look with stripes, Hawaiian florals and the ever-popular color-block. Accessorize with contrasting bright colors.

Accessories

Sarongs — The most popular way to cover up; sarongs come in both sheer and detailed fabrics, and are usually matched in color to bathing suits. Tie on the side for a sexy look, in the front to cover your hips, or around the chest for the most coverage.
Board shorts — Surf-girl chic in both floral prints and solids.
Flip-flops — The classic beach footwear fashion is a summer staple.
Body jewelry — Get creative with belly chains, toe rings and customized belly-button rings.

And for the men…

The army-cut bikini — Featuring a square cut that is wider at the sides, showing off more of the stomach.
Trunks — The forever-popular style, ideally worn long and loose. Popular trends this year include a collegiate-inspired look. Floral-patterns, Hawaiian prints and bright colors are also a must-have.
Surfer jams — Retro is in with this classic look, ideal in both solid colors and floral prints.
Speedos — To the dismay of many, this tiny number just won’t go away. Not for the faint of heart or the slacking gym rat.

Now get out there and find your perfect bathing suit!

The history of the Itsy-Bitsy Teenie Weenie…

When first launched onto the scene in the 1940s, the bikini was considered indecent, immoral, and very, very scandalous.

The story began in France, where two Parisians waged a friendly battle over the yet unnamed two-piece bathing suit. Jacques Heim, a couture designer from Cannes, designed a tiny two-piece he named the “Atome,” the French word for atom. To promote his invention, he hired a skywriting plane, which advertised “Atome — the world’s smallest bathing suit” in the French skies.

Meanwhile, Louis Reard, who had created a tiny two-piece he later referred to as “four triangles of nothing,” was searching for a name for the 30 inches of fabric. His inspiration came from the small island of Bikini Atoll in the central Pacific. Four days before he was to unveil his new invention to the world, the U.S. military exploded a nuclear device on the island and a legend was born. Three weeks after Heim’s skywriting incident, Reid responded, hiring a skywriter to write “Bikini — smaller than the smallest bathing suit in the world” over the streets of France.

The bikini was introduced to the world on July 5th, 1945 by Reard. To model his suit, the Frenchman hired a nude dancer, Micheline Bernardini, after Parisian models refused to wear the skimpy swimwear on the runway. Shocked by the two-piece, several Catholic countries, including Spain, Portugal, and Italy, had it banned. Likewise, Hollywood was pressured to keep the bathing suit off the silver screen, and, in 1951, bikinis were banned from the then famous Miss World contest.

Today, the bikini is a beach staple. To not see bikini-clad women on a public beach might be a shock equitable to the tiny two-piece’s unveiling over 50 years ago. And though it gets skimpier and skimpier by the year, the bikini shows no signs of disappearing from the public conscience.