Those unforgiving ’80s bikinis with the super-high sides are back
Remember the swimwear with the legs cut so high they were practically under your armpits, and were totally unforgiving if you’d forgone deforestation techniques for a week or two?
They’re back, believe it or not, from the 198os to torture a new generation of young women. And this generation of wannabe bikini babes have got it even tougher, because they don’t just have to have legs up to here and have spent thousands of laser hair removal – they’ve also got to sport ‘hip cleavage’!
Hip cleavage has apparently replaced the ‘thigh gap’ and ‘side boob’ as the bodily requirement du jour. So what is hip cleavage, for that matter? You know that bony portrusion where the top of the thigh meets a woman’s hip and the hipbone sticks out? That’s hip cleavage, and it’s generally only seen on the naturally super-thin and those who stick to a diet plan of Diet Coke and cigarettes. Talk about pressure!
This revealing trend for bikinis is sweeping beaches all over the world, just as it did in the ’80s (though, in the ’80s, it was joined by super-high-cut leotards with a thong/g-string back over leggings in the gym).
Just in case you’re unsure of what we mean, here’s some examples of the new/old trend. Victoria Secret model Bella Hadid, 21, is no stranger to baring it all, regularly sharing revealing bikini snaps on social media – almost 18 million people follow her Instagram account just to see them. Yes, really!
American model and actress, Emily Ratajkowski, 26, who became famous after starring in the music video for Robin Thicke and Pharrell William’s controversial hit ‘Blurred Lines’ in 2013, has also sported plenty of hip-cleavage bikinis.
There’s even been hip cleavage appearances on the red carpet, with some daring starlets throwing caution, and their underpants, to the wind in order to put their protruding hip bones on display.
For any woman who likes their swimwear, and the body care that goes with it, low maintenance, this is a definite turn for the worst.
For a good few years, so-called boy-leg bikinis, retro full-bottomed swimwear and even tankinis comprising a full-length ‘singlet’ and pants were all the rage, saving plenty of ladies time on hair removal as well as removing the danger of losing one’s swimmers in a rogue wave.
But defenders of the high-cut swimwear fashion say it does have its benefits – it elongates the leg, making the wearer look taller and thinner, while the eye is drawn to the waistline, giving everyone a slimmer silhouette. But to make it work, the top of the leg hole HAS to be above the hipline, according to the experts, or you risk looking like you’ve accidentally just put on a piece of swimwear that’s a couple of sizes too small.
We think it all just seems like too much trouble, and will be sticking to good old Speedos and a sarong!
Do you remember wearing swimwear like this?
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