Thong Bikinis

A Little History on Thong Bikinis

Although thong bikinis hit the swimwear scene in the 1970's, they were by no means a "new" garment. In fact, thongs have been around for thousands of years in one form or another, and today's swimwear and lingerie was actually inspired by the attire of many of the indigenous tribes of Africa, South America, Australia and other tropical regions.

Styles

Thong bikinis come in several styles, each offering it's own measure of coverage. Or not. One piece thong swimsuits can be just as daring as their bikini counterparts, which can sport tops in many styles including halters, bandeaus, tanks and triangles. You can even pair a thong bottom with a tankini top if you like, the look is still very sexy.

Your suit choice really depends on how far you dare to go, and how much sun exposure you think you can stand, but the defining element of any thong rests with that all important bottom piece. For fun, let's rate each style by dare factor from one to five, as in how daring is the level of exposure.

The Tanga

The Tanga is pretty tame by thong bikini standards. A triangular piece of stretchy material covers most of your strategic areas while still leaving plenty of cheek exposed to daylight. The Tanga rates the lowest dare factor of one.

T-Bands

So called because these thongs form the letter T when viewed from the rear, T-bands use a two-inch strip of elastic fabric to cover your dividing line. Let's give them a dare factor ranging between two and three.

V-Strings

Picture a micro version of the Tanga, and you have the V-string, which utilizes a very skinny piece of V-shaped material for coverage. V's also ride very low in the front, so these thong bikinis earn a sizzling dare factor of four.

The Rio

Rios are a type of G-string thong that are about as scanty as they can possibly be without actually being your birthday suit. Only the extremely confident and bikini-waxed should attempt to wear a Rio. These suits come in at a white hot dare factor of five.

Garment Care

Let's talk about swimsuit care for a moment. It may seem like there's not much there to wear, but the materials used in thong bikinis are subjected to a lot of unfavorable conditions. The primary area covered by the thong is warm and moist, rendering the thong the perfect breeding ground for bacterial build-up. UV rays, sand and saltwater, chlorine, bromine from hot tubs, and tanning oils can also break down elastic hip bands and Lycra/spandex type materials, causing suits to fade and loose their ability to hug the body. Without proper care these suits won't last as long as they should.

To counteract these damaging effects, you should wash your thongs after each use to keep them in top condition, but how you wash them is just as important as washing them at all.

• Always hand wash rather than machine launder your swimsuit for the least amount of wear and tear.
• Skip harsh detergents that can contribute to color fade. Instead, use a mild garment wash like Woolite or some other brand of cleanser formulated especially for use with swimwear and lingerie.
• Do not machine dry. This can inflict further damage on the elastic. It's better to line dry your suit, and do be sure to let it dry out completely before wearing it again. This keeps a damp suit from rubbing and causing skin irritation, and also allows the spandex to fully contract during drying, restoring that "like new" fit.

Where to Wear?

Thong bikinis may be a staple on the French Riviera, and the beaches of South America and Australia, but they are not the typical swimwear found in many parts of North America. Because of their daring nature, these suits may not be welcomed at some public beaches and pools. However, there are plenty of swimming venues that welcome all sorts of swimwear, so check ahead of your visit to be sure. If you can't get the info you need, you can simply pack an extra one piece or bikini swimsuit just in case you need it.

External Links

• Suit Solutions Swimsuit Cleaner

• Barely String Bikini
• Bikini Models
• Tankini Swimsuits
• Brazilian Bikini
• One Piece Swimsuits

• Micro Thong Bikinis
• Micro Mini Thong Bikini
• Thong Swimsuits
• Tonga Bikinis
• Mini Bikinis

• Bikini Babes
• Vikki Slideshow Test 2
• Vikki Test Slideshow
• Vote for your Favorite Swimsuit Style