Bikini wins the swimsuit war

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33398, 3 December 1973, Page 6

Bikini wins the swimsuit war

/By

ZITA ALDER)

It is going to be the most eye-popping summer on record — eye-popping for men. that is. The bikini swimsuit, according to the big stores, has won the battle of the beaches, hands down.

After a conflict which has raged since the two-piece first caught on 25 years ago as a reaction against the utility styles of World War II years, the one-piece is finally dead — and three cheers.

It is not hard to find the reason why hundreds more women are turning a blind eye to the one-piece and taking the plunge for the first time in a bikini, even though the outlook has not been scantier.

The big advantage is the way it manages to fit in more places than the conventional one-piece, particu- ’ larly if you have not a “standard” figure. This has always been the trouble with the one-piece—- • it does not fit the “inbetweeners,” the girls with a jtoo-short or too-long gap between the bust and the I bottom. Nor does it suit a low, heavy bust which is inclined , to slip slightly below that ; pre-formed, one-piece bra. It lean be so uncomfortable, not 1 to mention embarrassing. 1 And when a sunbather

decides to lie flat on her back, it just does not look natural. The twin peaks on top remain pre-formed while the rest of the body sinks into the sand. It can, of course, be argued that a good, wellfitting one-piece will have a strong support panel fore and aft to keep the bulges at bay. But just try to swim while encased in scaffolding and corsetry.

SUFFOCATING Even assuming you are one of the many girls who do not believe in getting the swimsuit wet, the discomfort on a really hot day is unbearable. It may give your figure that extra support, keep out the draught when there is a breeze, and be a good coverup in your fight against flab, but when the temperature is up in the eighties, it is suffocating. But what if you have not the figure for a bikini? I mean, no girl wants to be criticised or laughed at behind her back.

Just let me put your mind at rest. I can speak from experience on this one. Being what you might tactfully call well-covered myself, I must admit that I disliked and distrusted the bikini for years, except in its yardiest and most covering-up form. That is, until one very hot holiday when I finally took courage and exposed my navel to the waiting world. To my utter surprise, there wasn’t a titter. Not an eyebrow was raised, either in mirth at the bulges, or in horror at my immodesty.

I took heart from the first experience — and my bikinis have become briefer each year.

The stores tell me there is a new trend emerging. Many girls are not just buying one or two bikinis. They are snapping up handfuls at a time — and making them double up as summer undies. Now, that is something just i not on with the one-piece suit unless you enjoy wearing a girdle. SUNBATHING

The bikini has other things going for it, too. Sunbathing, for example. Assuming you want an all-over tan, or as

near as makes no difference, it has just got to be a twopiece. But without doubt, it is the bikini’s sher comfort that has spelled the death knell to the one-piece swimsuit. It does not matter whether you have a short waist, a long waist, a low or heavy bust, or even an extra high or small one, you can find a two-piece that fits you like ia dream. Most bikini bra tops are fully adjustable and, for anyone with a figure problem, a quick session with a sewing needle will soon put things right. As it happens, it is very rare to have to carry out alterations. These days, stores sell both halves separately. So you do not now hear any more talk of those mysterious average figuretypes most clothing manufacturers persist in talking about.

To get a one-piece that really fits will probably cost you a lot more than you bargained for. The chances are you will have to get one made-to-measure. But the .biggest plus in a bikini’s favour is that it disciplines a woman to keep her figure in trim. And you must admit it is far better to take off

those inches and pounds than to conceal them.

Even then, the bulges are never satisfactorily hidden. Thighs can look quite unsightly at the point where a swimsuit ends and the real you begins !

EXPENSIVE But be warned. Many beach bikinis are expensive this year. However, by cheating a little, you can keep costs down. The answer: treat yourself to a bra and pants set. Yes, that’s right—underwear.

Just as many women these days are wearing their bikinis under their ordinary clothes on warm summer evenings, and so the new lines of undies are being worn as two-piece beach sets.

I cannot tell the difference between the latest underclothing styles and bikinis,

they are so alike. Except for the price tag, that is. Some of these undie sets are as much as 50 per cent cheaper. As I said, it is going to be an eye-popping summer.— Features International.

Christchurch shops, on the beach-wear scene, seem evenly divided between onepiece and two-piece styles, although most of the shops catering for the young have a far larger stock of bikinis than of any other type of swim-wear.

The bikini is becoming briefer. It is now available in a variety of fabrics and styles, this season’s fashion being the halter neckline on bikini bras.

There are plenty of underwear sets to choose from, as Zita Alden suggests; but be careful—some fabrics become transparent when wet.