Kate Upton in a Bikini

I just like this blue bikini that Kate Upton is wearing. Not sure where to buy it.

Miss Jessica White

Miss Jessica White (born June 21, 1984 in Buffalo, New York) is an American model and occasionally also an actress. And she looks FANTASTIC in a bikini!

At the age of 13, Jessica White was scouted in her hometown of Buffalo, New York, and went to Personal Best modeling school at age sixteen. After modeling for one week, her first job was an editorial for American Vogue after meeting Anna Wintour. Later in Paris, she signed a contract with the IMG agency and over the next six months landed campaigns for CoverGirl, Chloé, Jean Paul Gaultier and Gap.

She was soon walking the runways for New York’s top designers, including Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs and Tommy Hilfiger. Tyra Banks dubbed her "the model of her generation." In June 2007, Jessica White signed a contract with cosmetics company Maybelline, later that year, she walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

She basically rocketed to the top of the modeling industry within a few short years.

She has also done editorials for Harper's Bazaar, Teen Vogue, King and covers shots for Surface and Trace magazines. In 2003, White was chosen for a coveted shoot in Sports Illustrated's famed Swimsuit Issue. She was also featured in the 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 issues. In addition to working with world-class photographers she was the object/subject of several Joanne Gair body painting works in these editions.

White is currently represented by Brandsway Creative. Jessica White has appeared in music videos for Big & Rich, singer John Legend, rapper Jay-Z (Change Clothes), Robin Thicke (The Sweetest Love), and R&B singer Trey Songz (Neighbors Know My Name). In 2008 she appeared in The Young and the Restless.

Here are 4 shots of Jessica White in her bikini.

Five Funny Looking Bikinis

Things to avoid; Funny looking bikinis. Sure, you will get a laugh (and some of them are a tech marvel), but do you really want to be the face that gets that bikini all over the internet?

Plus try to avoid having an accident in your new bikini...

How to Make your own Bikini

SUSTAINABLE FASHION - One of the great things about bikinis is that they take very little fabric to make.

Which means they also make great targets for creating sustainable fashion using recycled clothing.

There is also no shortage of "make your own bikini" videos on YouTube, so you can basically pick and choose what method and style of bikini you want. Or just design your own. Its not that difficult.

You can even KNIT your own bikini!

If you already know how to knit then you will also know just how ridiculously easy it is to knit a scarf or socks. Knitting a bikini is just as easy.

So if you know how to sew or knit then why would you ever PAY for a bikini? It just makes more sense both economically and on a creative level to have fun designing and making your own.

Can't wait for Summer Bikinis!

Here is some fun photos of bikinis I found while anxiously waiting for the snow to melt...

Get outta the office, get into your bikini!

FASHION - :)

Hey (hey) you (you), get into a bikini
Who me?
Yes you, get into a bikini
Wooooooooooooooh. Wah! Yeah!

Who's that lady
Coming down the road
Who's that lady
Who's that woman
Walking through my door
What's the score
I'll be the sun
Shining on you
Hey Cinderella
Step in your shoe
I'll be your non-stop lover
Get it while you can
Your non-stop miracle
I'm your man

Get outta the office
Get into a bikini
Get outta the office
Get in the back seat baby
Get into a bikini
Beep beep, yeah
Get outta my mind
Get into my life
Oooooooooh
Oh I said hey (Hey) you (You)
Get into a bikini

Oh baby

Okay, I totally admit to ripping off Billy Ocean's song... but hey, it was all for a good cause... the cause of getting sun and wearing your bikini.

To get you started here is an old blog post I found about Toronto beaches. They're world class beaches. Seriously, and that is just in Toronto CANADA! Just imagine the really nice beaches if you live somewhere like Hawaii...

Nevertheless it does make you wonder... I mean Toronto people mostly work in offices. Toronto lawyers, Toronto website designers, Toronto bankers, Toronto accountants, Toronto mailroom clerks, Toronto IT staff... basically every boring office job you can think of... and right outside their stuffy offices are "world class beaches" just waiting to be used, waded in, sunbathed on... and half of the people in those offices are presumably women, right?

Although I admit some of them might be in the 40 to 65 range and shy about wearing a bikini, that should not discourage them from dieting in time for summer (ie. The Master Cleanse Detox Diet)... and not just dieting either. Don't forget exercise! Yoga, Weightlifting, Parkour and other healthy activities.

Lets take for example Canada's rather tubby Prime Minister... Stephen Harper. The guy lives at 24 Sussex in Ottawa. Guaranteed his fish belly white legs hasn't seen a beach in a long time... Just a sec, let me do a Google image search and see if my hunch is right.

Yup, the closest thing to Stephen Harper going to the beach is the Beaches of Normandy on Remembrance Day (you know, to remember the Canadian soldiers who died freeing France from the clutches of Nazism during WWII). And he's wearing a suit.

Anyway my point, my original point, was that bikini / swimsuit wearing should not be limited to people stuck in Toronto offices. EVERYONE! From the Prime Minister in Ottawa to the lowly blue collar installer of Ottawa windows should get out there, get some sun... and burn, baby burn!

BURN, BABY BURN
BURN, BABY BURN
BURN, BABY BURN
BURN, BABY BURN, BURNIN'

TOOK BY SUPRISE, ONE HUNDRED STORIES HIGH
PEOPLE, GET LOOSE YOUR, GETTING DOWN ON THE ROOF
DON'T YOU HEAR, FOLKS SCREAMING, OUT OF CONTROL
IT WAS SO ENTERTAININ', WHEN THE BOOGIE
STARTS TO EXPLODE, I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY

BURN, BABY BURN, DISCO INFERNO
BURN, BABY BURN, COME BURN THAT MOTHER DOWN
BURN, BABY BURN, DISCO INFERNO
BURN, BABY BURN, COME BURN THAT MOTHER DOWN, BURNIN'

So yeah, don't forget the sun block. I feel I should warn people. Don't want you blaming me when you get sunburnt. I warned ye now!

I learned something recently while visiting relatives for Father's Day... apparently glass does NOT protect you from getting sunburns. So if you're sitting in a really sunny room, sunrooms for example, you CAN get a sunburn from the sun's rays coming through the windows. This really depends on the type of glass and how well it protects from UV light, but the general rule of thumb is to understand that glass won't always protect you.

Padded Bikini Tops For Young Girls?

FASHION - Worried little girls are growing up too fast?

British fashion chain Primark recently stopped selling padded bikini tops for little girls after they were criticized for selling something which sexualizes young girls.

Known more for its cheap price Primark acted quickly after the British newspaper The Sun published a front page story about the product which is aimed at girls as young as 7.

The retailer got in trouble in 2002 for selling thong underwear in children's sizes with the words "eye candy" and "wink wink". Makes you wonder if one of their executives in charge of children's wear is "wink wink"... not normal and enjoys sexualizing little girls.

It reminds me of the preteen beauty pageants some parents in the USA take their kids to... its disturbing.

Which begs the question when is a good cut off line for young women wearing bikinis? 12? 13? 16? I'd argue that if they still have baby fat they're probably way too young.

Its bad enough when 12 year old girls are wearing t-shirts that say SLUT and local governments are increasing sex education at a younger age, but with the internet the issue of predators is an increasing problem.

YIKES! It just feels like the genie is out of the bottle and there's no way to put it back in without sticking a GPS tracking device on your kids. And even then it can be fruitless.

2010 Bikini Trend Setters

FASHION - Looking to celebrities to try and determine which will be the bikini trends this Summer 2010? Look no further than Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton, Avatar, triangle tops, strapless bikinis, side tie bottoms.

Also don't forget your sarong, the sunglasses, the shoes, the hat, the handbag and some jewelry. Ankle bracelets, stone necklaces, shell jewelry and anything resembling the film Avatar are certainly hot this year.

Meteorlogists are also predicting record-breaking heat this summer so don't forget the sunblock, your hat and carry lots of fluids. I recommend Aloe Juice.

Paris Hilton trying really hard to look cool. Is she yesterday's news yet?



Lady Gaga and her disco ball bikini.



Lady Gaga wearing chains on her bra/bikini.
(Obviously not a good idea to actually swim in.)



Neytiri and Jake swimming together.

Bikini Islanders lose in court

POLITICS - Bikini Islanders, the indigenous people of the Marshall Islands, who sued the United States government years ago for nuclear tests on the islands during the 1940s and 1950s have lost their suit.

The Bikini Islanders is seeking compensation under the Fifth Amendment for the “many resultant indignities they suffered, from the loss of their homes and livelihoods to the horrific effects of radiation poisoning.”

Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands, then a U.S. protectorate under the United Nations. The blasts was equal to exploding 1.6 Hiroshima atomic bombs every day for 12 years. The islands most directly affected were Enewetak and Bikini.

The name "Bikini" was later used to represent the shocking and scandalous swimwear we now all love.

In 1986 the U.S. Congress established a $150 million trust fund to help compensate former residents of Enewetak and Bikini. In exchange for the money, the plaintiffs agreed not to bring suits against the federal government. But they never actually PAID them the money, resulting in another trial years later.

In a 2001 settlement, the government agreed to pay the groups far more than that, promising the people of Enewetak $385 million and the people of Bikini $563 million for the loss of their land.

But again they have yet to receive anything more than a token payment, not the full amount.

In 2008 the United States Court of Federal Claims, dismissed the suit saying the Bikinis had missed the 6-year statute of limitations and that they had filed too early because Congress could still act and give them money.

So... they waited too long, but acted too early. Huh?

In other words the United States government is so cheap they're using a legal loophole so they don't have to pay up.

Shocked? I'm not. The U.S. government is a bunch of cheap bastards with no intelligence or honour whatsoever. They took an island paradise and destroyed it.

Red Sonja delayed until 2011

ENTERTAINMENT - Due to delays in production a new version of the film Red Sonja (featuring a bikini-chainmail clad, sword wielding Rose McGowan) has been delayed until 2011. It was originally supposed to come out in 2009.



While it may look good on Rose McGowan, I don't recommend it as beachwear.

Bikini Skiers

The first day of daylight saving brought fine, sunny weather to much of the country yesterday and spurred about 30 hardy souls to carve the slopes of Mt Ruapehu each dressed in a bikini as if they were heading for the beach.

But don't be fooled - while the sun was blazing, a cold front and fresh snow on the mountain saw temperatures plummet to minus 5 degrees celsius, with the wind chill generated by hurtling downhill making it feel more like minus 15C.

The skiers and snowboarders took part in the downhill race at Turoa to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. About $3000 was raised.

Mt Ruapehu marketing manager Mike Smith said there were plenty of volunteers - mostly blokes - to collect donations and carry jackets to the bottom of the course.

"Those girls are pretty hardy," he said. "It was cold enough being fully clothed, to be honest."

Both Turoa and Whakapapa ski-fields have had record-breaking snow bases leading into the school holidays, which run this week and next week.

Yesterday saw the welcome return of the sun after a wet and windy week.

Wellington enjoyed clear skies and 14C temperatures. Napier recorded 15C and New Plymouth hit 17C.

But MetService forecaster Andy Downs said last week's changeable weather would return today, bringing gale-force winds.

"That will bring clouds in, and it will rain later in the afternoon or evening."

A cold southerly was expected tomorrow morning, he said.

And with the spring equinox last week, the days will now be longer than the nights.

Sarah Palin in a Bikini

Interested in Sarah Palin? See Also:

John McCain chooses Sarah Palin

Saturday Night Live Parody of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton
Sarah Palin, America's right-wing sweetheart

Sarah Palin's Shotgun Wedding
McCain gambling with the Republican nomination

Polls suggest Obama will beat McCain 280 to 258

80s Bikini Comedies

Though 1980s beach films seem objectifying and anti-feminist, they offer a utopian space where class and gender hierarchies begin to dissolve.

A group of young women dressed in homemade army-print bikinis are stretching in the shallow water on the beach, preparing for a running race.

Todd [through megaphone]: Okay! It's time to get wet! Are you ready?

[Alan rushes up to Todd, distressed]

Alan: Todd! I just read the invoice from that surgical supply house ...

Todd [through megaphone]: On your marks! [Turns to Alan] So?

Alan: The thread... the surgical thread we used to sew the bikinis!

Todd [through megaphone]: Get set! [Turns to Alan] What about it?

Alan: It's full of dissolving stitches, Todd!

Todd: I know!

Todd fires his gun to start the race, and the film cuts to a slow-motion shot of the girls running through the water as their bikinis gradually fall off. Then we see onlookers -- boys, men, women, and one police officer, who all laugh at the spectacle, and a close-up of Todd and Alan, smiling.

No, the above scene is not from a porn movie. It's from the The Bikini Shop (released as The Malibu Bikini Shop in the U.S.), directed by David Wechter, one of a number of low-budget Hollywood beach movies that had a brief resurgence during the 1980s. You may have come across such films as Summer Job, Spring Break, Sizzle Beach USA and Private Resort in a dark corner of your local video store -- not naughty enough to be behind the curtain, but titillating enough to provide pubescent boys with their first taste of adult entertainment. The movies belong to the broader genre of the teen movie, and they necessarily include gratuitous female nudity, as in the scene detailed above.

The movies are, at first glance, basically tit-and-ass comedies that take place on the beach. There is no doubt that the novelty of seeing daggy '80s fashion can make these films fun to watch now, but they have more than mere nostalgia value. The films capture the transition from adolescence to adulthood. But whereas we must reluctantly accept adult responsibilities, '80s bikini movies allow us to indulge the fantasy of rejecting them and return to a world where fun rules.

The basic premise in all these films is the same: a group of young, attractive characters spend their spring break or summer vacation on the beach getting naked (girls) or trying to get laid (guys). This gives ample opportunity for gratuitous nudity and close-up bikini montages, but these same ingredients -- the beach, a vacation and sex -- bestow the movies with unlikely substance.

The Bikini Shop follows college graduate Alan (Michael David Wright) on a trip to California, where he intends to settle his deceased aunt's estate and return to Chicago to be married into high society. But the aunt left half of her estate to Alan's rowdy brother Todd (Bruce Greenwood), who doesn't want to sell her beach house -- he wants to run his aunt's bikini shop with Alan.

So begins Alan's journey. His transformation from an upper-middle-class tire sales executive to a laid-back Californian can be understood as a liminal journey. Film theorist Adrian Martin observes that liminality -- an anthropological term that refers to the transitional period between major life events -- is, more than any other aspect of teen movies, the thread that connects them all. For Martin, liminality manifests in teen movies as "that intense, suspended moment between yesterday and tomorrow, between childhood and adulthood, between being a nobody and a somebody, when everything is in question, and everything is possible." This brief but often life-changing detour between life stages figures in The Bikini Shop: by the end of the film, Alan has dumped his snobby fiancée, fought to keep the modest shop, and shacked up with the shop's salesgirls in the beach house. As Alan goes from wearing full suits to shorts and Hawaiian shirts, his core concerns have gone from money and status to family loyalty and hedonism.

You'd be hard pressed to think of any teen film from any era that doesn't explore liminality. American Pie focuses on a group of boys determined to lose their virginity before they finish high school; the quest to "become a man" by having sex is as explicitly liminal as the classic teen transition between high school and college. Dazed and Confused limits its focus to the last few days of middle school and the rites of initiation teens experience in order to enter senior high's social circle.

At a basic level, liminal journeys can be understood as various rites of passage. But the implications of liminality are more complex than this. Cultural anthropologist Victor Turner, author of The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, explains that the liminal operates in opposition to structured society, and "secular distinctions of rank and status disappear or are homogenized". '80s bikini movies explicitly explore this aspect of liminality within the space of the beach, separating the subgenre from other teen movies.

As the strip between the ocean and the land, the beach is itself liminal -- neither land nor sea, but with the characteristics of both, as John Fiske, Bob Hodge, and Graeme Turner observe in Myths of Oz: Reading Australian Culture. And according to Lena Lencek and Gideon Bosker, authors of The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth, the space of the beach "sizzles with the erotic voltage of bare-breasted, bare-buttocked beauties and virile stalwarts," providing an escape from "the nagging sense of fealty to cash, work, and responsibility."

At the beach house in The Bikini Shop, there are no limitations: alcohol flows freely, flirting is par for the course and everyone -- even Alan, enjoying a spa with beautiful salesgirl Ronnie (Barbara Horan) -- is shown having a good time. It no longer matters that Alan belongs to a higher class than his fellow partygoers, or that he has a fiancée: as a liminal space, the beach in The Bikini Shop facilitates the breakdown of sexual and class boundaries.

The beach also provides the opportunity for rejuvenation and the blurring of boundaries in Where the Boys Are '84. In the movie, Sandra (Wendy Schaal) reluctantly accompanies her college friends to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for spring break, disappointed to be missing out on the trip she had planned to a more sophisticated vacation spot, Bermuda. Seeing the masses of semi-naked college students spilling out on the beach, her friend Jennie (Lisa Hartman) exclaims, "It's a supermarket of sex!" But Sandra describes the carefree environment as a "zoo" and insists that a girl should only date bankers, lawyers, and doctors. But these prejudices against the nonprofessional classes disappear during her beach vacation, during which she dates a police officer -- a lowly civil servant.

The similarly stereotyped affluent snob Barbara (Chantal) in Summer Job also relaxes her prejudices during her time working at a beach resort. At the beginning of the film, she sourly explains that her "daddy" made her apply for the menial resort job to build her character. Barbara arrives at the resort with a personal assistant and treats all her fellow employees like crap. But by the end of the movie, Barbara has befriended many of the other employees and has even taken to dating the equally stereotypical geek Herman (George O).

Class is not the only social category dissolved at the beach. In Spring Break, Nelson (David Knell) gradually gains the courage to defy his overbearing stepfather during his college vacation, turning the familial hierarchy on its head. Sandra lets her own inhibitions collapse in Where the Boys Are '84 when she allows herself to get drunk and perform a table-top striptease in a bar, literally stripping off her self-imposed restrictions.

The characters in '80s bikini movies often face a significant life change: Alan's impending marriage and career, Sandra's college graduation and entry into upper-class society. Their deviation to the beach is often portrayed as a last escape, the last chance to enjoy the frivolity of youth before entering the real world. Hovering between life stages, the liminal break offers a chance for necessary personal growth.

Typically, the characters return to society having absorbed the necessary lessons, but sometimes, they don't. In The Bikini Shop, Alan chooses to remain in the liminal space of the beach rather than return to his responsibility-filled life with his fiancée. Alan simply refuses to grow up. Here, the beach film positions liminality as a utopia, where one can permanently escape the pressing obligations of adult society. Such a resolution perhaps explains the modest popularity of '80s bikini movies during their heyday. What teenager wouldn't fantasize about never growing up, about spending their life surrounded by near-naked specimens, enjoying endless parties and no-strings-attached sex? Who wouldn't at least dream of rejecting the often-terrifying prospect of maturity and responsibility?

Of course, one could argue that '80s bikini movies are nothing more than sexist drivel. The endless stream of impossibly beautiful women that litter the mise en scéne of these films provide eye candy and little else. In The Bikini Shop there are several overtly sexist set pieces -- the most offensive involving the installation of one-way mirrors in the bikini shop's changing rooms. But to attack the films for negative attitudes toward women would be to take them far more seriously than they ever took themselves. Like the beach in these films, '80s bikini movies themselves are a liminal space inviting us to suspend such judgments and providing us with a foray into irresponsibility, careless fun and good times. In this world, the abundance of naked women is not sexist; it's just refreshingly free of political correctness. The free exchange of sex is not irresponsible; it's just fun. And the idea that we, like Alan, can live out our days on the beach? Well, that's just great.

Bikini Blabble

If you're a fan of Facebook you'll probably like this new Facebook application called Blabble. Loads of fun for you and your friends.

Bikini Runways

Bikinis made of Salmon Skin

Who would have thought that salmon's scaly skin could be so useful, or become a fashion statement one day? Claudia did. She also saw a source of cheap raw material in the masses of salmon skin discarded worldwide every year.

Her Lycra-trimmed, ultra-mini salmon-skin bikini, which she describes as durable and elastic, and trousers have now become wardrobe must haves of most celebs.

“Many people who lived near rivers and oceans have used fish throughout history. It's not my original idea,” she told a British website. “It’s amazing, it’s a used product and you transform it into a product with added value.”

These days Escobar is busy scouring the local markets looking for materials to go with sheep wool. Why? Because she has just returned from a trip to pick up wool shed by sheep in the Scottish islands. She is already excited about developing something traditional using the wool.

Bollywood Divas in Bikinis

Kareena Kapoor started off a fashion trend when she dropped a few kilos to get into a bikini for Tashan.

Soha Ali Khan raised eyebrows and even upset her protective big brother Saif Ali Khan when she got herself a sexy look for a magazine cover. After years of playing the good girl, Amisha Patel got a brand new look for her cameo in Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic.
Telly bahus Sangeeta Ghosh and Shweta Salve have chucked their good girl image and are looking bold, brazen and ravishing in their debut film, Bhanvra. Even petite Amrita Rao seems to have finally gotten tired after playing girl next-door and tries to get herself a glam makeover, while even Priyanka Chopra gets into the beach babe mood in Dostana.

What makes Bollywood divas get glam and shed clothes and their conservative screen image almost overnight? “What’s wrong about showing off a bit skin? Actresses have been wearing skimpy clothes for years, we are more casual about it now,” says actress Sangeeta Ghosh. “I did ‘bold scenes’ because the script demanded that,” points out Sangeeta. “I believe that if you are comfortable then there is nothing wrong in it. I always do things that I believe are right for me,” chips in Shweta, who has done some ‘hot, hot’ bikini scenes in her debut film.

But do filmmakers want their leading ladies to look ‘glam and sexy’ or do the actresses offer to flaunt skin? “Of course, the filmmaker asked me to wear a bikini and I had no reservations,” says Shweta. The only problem — shrugging off a glam image is not easy.

Ask Mallika Sherawat, Neha Dhupia, Celina Jaitley and their ilk, how they have been caught in that image trap for years now. “No film works because the leading lady is wearing skimpy clothes. Ultimately, you have to act,” affirms Sangeeta. It is official, every top star from Rani Mukerji to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have got into the glam mode more than once in recent times to woo the audience. It becomes a matter of surging ahead of competitors. Malaika Arora Khan feels it is “very important to keep changing one’s image because this is the only way you will sustain in this business”.

In the race to look glam and scorching, actresses seem to have no qualms about shedding a few inhibitions, if it brings them rich returns. So, who’s next on the going glam brigade, we wonder!

Does the bikini have too much hype?

The evolution of the bikini has been interesting.

Now, the bikini is almost a prized piece of art. There’s great fascination around its history, invention and evolution. The bikini was invented to create a fashion sensation. Wow, it’s always got a great reaction! That said, there is a practical aspect in that, it’s much simpler to get in and out of a two-piece than a regular swim costume. Historically, during war time, rationing textile made it more efficient to wear a bikini. It was a dramatic change and made the bikini socially acceptable. That’s what led to the glamourization of two-piece swim costumes. It should be considered that the one-piece costume caused a very similar reaction in the 1910-1930 period, as women were seen for the first time with bare legs, active and outdoors. Glamour women in a bikini had arrived and were making a sensation. When stars like Brigitte Bardot and Ursula Andress began wearing the bikini, the star factor attached itself to their clothing. To feel as glamorous as a movie star, it made perfect sense to copy what they wore.

There is evidence of bikini-shaped garments from antiquity -- Greek images on urns and Roman mosaics depict women athletes wearing what is essentially the modern bikini. The bandeau top is functional and acts as a brassiere for athletes -- ancient and modern. The best-known version of the story is that engineer Louis Reard and fashion designer Jacques Heim invented the ‘Bikini’ in 1946 in Paris -- and named it for the atomic bombs being tested in the Bikini Atoll of the Pacific in July of that year. Apparently, they thought it would cause a similar explosive reaction. Heim & Reard’s ‘Bikini’ was actually quite daring, with a high cut string bottom, although the version that eventually became popular. Gradually, as it became acceptable in Western society to bare the midriff, bikinis have become smaller, and sometimes leave out the top altogether--see Rudi Gernreich’s edgy (and not very popular!) ‘Monokini’. Different styles are acceptable in different places -- a beach in Brazil is different to one in North America.

Fashion wise, the two-piece or bikini just follows the development of the 20th century. First it became acceptable for women to bathe in the sea, and woolen swimming dresses emerged; as women began to assert themselves as athletic and advances were made in fabric technology,synthetic one-piece costumes developed. The next logical step was the simpler two-piece. It’s popularity has in- creased in proportion to the popularity of sunbathing, swimming, beach holidays, and other aspects of modern life. Hence, bikini wars started. To a point, where the bikini became an obsession!

"Men think the bikini is the most sensual garment." - Suneet Varma, Fashion Designer.

The bikini is nothing but a three piece triangle. It’s like the bermuda triangle, where men just lose themselves. It drives men crazy. The bikini makes men forget any other attachment they have. Essentially, the bikini was adapted from the lingerie. It’s almost like an undergarment which can be worn outside.

The evolution of the bikini triggered the inside-outside revolution. Gautlier revolutionised the bikini and corset by making his models wear them on clothes. In fact, La Perla’s colourful bikini tops are worn only under transparent shirts, to show-off. The fashion interpretation of the bikini has been over-glamourised. Now, I see women on Miami beaches wearing bikini briefs with sexy halter tops. I agree, bikini’s the most seductive piece of clothing ever invented.

It has an emotional, physical and metaphysical dimension to it. It can be sensual, sporty, seductive all at the same time. When it’s sporty, bikini’s construction is not so exhibitionist! Most men I know, find it the most exciting piece of garment. Iconic images of a bikini always arouse great curiosity. Men and bikinis have a unique, interesting relationship -- it’s pure erotica. That’s why bikini has been over-glamourised because it’s the briefest garment in the world. The bikini has changed the shape and style of fashion. There’s nothing sexier than the itsy-bitsy, teenie weenie bikini!

Summer Bikini Trends and Comfort

Suddenly summer is upon us and it's time to start donning your swimming suit. Those who worked out this winter and stayed in shape can show off all they want in a little bikini. But for those who want more coverage, there's a large selection of tankinis, long tops -- some that are flared -- with boy-leg shorts.

Most manufacturers now offer two-piece bathing suits with the tops and bottoms priced separately, allowing a customized fit.

"The one-piece swimsuits with cutouts are selling well," said Vickie Smith, who works in the swimwear department at Dillard's in Wichita, Kan.

She also said that the tankini styles that are categorized by bra size are selling well "because getting a top to fit can be the biggest problem some women have when it comes to buying a swimsuit."

Clare Brown, head of buying at figleaves.com, an online swimwear shopping site, says "bright colors -- a trend that reinvents itself every year -- include zingy greens joining last summer's corals and lemons."

Metallic fabrics, animal prints and every size of polka dots you can imagine are other trends you'll see.

Swimwear featuring lingerie touches such as lace, bustier styling and ribbon trims are very feminine.

Turquoise blue is one of the hottest saturated colors for swimwear and beach accessories this year. But don't be surprised to see a wide range of brown shades, usually accented with brights.

"Retro looks such as high-waisted briefs are key for the summer. The one-piece is making a big return -- from revealing high-fashion cutaways to sophisticated, figure-flattering suits," Brown said.

Frilly and feminine, or sleek and sporty, there's a swimsuit that will take you poolside through the summer.

Princess Tam-Tam Bikini

Mention Princess Tam-Tam to movie buffs and they will immediately regale you with stories of the classic 1935 black and white film starring Josephine Baker, who plays a Tunisian girl introduced to Parisien high society.

Mention Princess Tam-Tam to lingerie fans in the know and they will go into paroxisms of praise about the French range of ultra-sexy underwear. Many of us have bought it online or swooped on one of their gorgeous shops while on holidays in France. In fact, that is one of the noticable features of French fashion shopping -- the number of lingerie shops in ratio to shoe, bag and fashion boutiques. Clearly, French women realise the importance of dressing well, from the first layer out.

The good news for Irish shoppers is that Princess Tam-Tam swimwear is now available exclusively at Arnotts in Henry Street, Dublin. Their white bikini (see overpage) has proved hugely popular this year and you can shop to suit your shape, with bandeau tops or sexy triangles and bottoms that come in boy shorts styles or regular bikini briefs.

Kay Casey, swimwear buyer at Arnotts, reports intense interest in the co-ordinated pieces, such as loose parachute trousers, flattering tunics and co-ordinated pool shoes.


If you like your swimsuit to have a strong, structured feel, I suggest you check out the Gottex summer offerings, which will definitely create poolside or beach drama (see above), and this architectural fashion feel is also evident in the Louis Féraud range, which has fascinating cut-out pieces.

Former actress-turned-celebrity spokeswoman and swimwear designer, Elizabeth Hurley's black bikini is not cheap at €130, but it will a be work of art guaranteed to turn heads. That's for sure. The Miss Sixty swimwear pieces are bright and beautiful, with hot pink prints on black backgrounds.

If you feel you need a little coaxing to get back into swimwear, try Miraclesuits, exclusive to Arnotts. The marketing claim is that you will look 10 pounds lighter when you pull them on and this is reportedly due to Miratax, a patented fabric that has three times more Lycra than fabric in other swimsuits. There are cuts to flatter your legs and give the illusion of slimmer hips.

A little like creating your own pizza to suit your tastes, you can choose a suit to match your body type and play up or down your best and worst features.