More Than Minimalist - a Look at Micro Bikinis

We often see them strutted on the beach by hot bodies, or bodies with a lot of courage. The beach staple micro bikinis are epitome of how far two-piece swimsuits could go. Micro bikinis, also called microkinis, are extremely skimpy two-piece swimsuits. They were cut to cover only a very small part of the wearer's body, and they have styles for both men and women. Micro bikini designs for men look like scantier versions of the thong or G-string underwear; while the women's can have many styles, ranging from the thong to the super micro mini.Bikinis were designed after the traditional garments worn by indigenous peoples from the tropical regions of the world. They use as little fabric as possible, thus the term micro. In 1995, an on line community for micro bikini aficionados coined the term microkini, and it has been used ever since.The most commonly used micro bikinis are the narrow panty thong type and the G-string bottomed type. Both of these types use narrow strips of swimsuit material to cover very little of the genital area. Most micro bikini designs are very minimalist, that traditional thong bathing suits appear conservative by comparison.The micro bikinis trace their modern roots back to the 1970s era, at the Venice Beach in California right after a law banning nudity was passed.

As the law prohibited nude bathing, beach bums started designing and donning tiny bathing suits that reveal as much as possible yet comply with what the new law stated. Not long after, the trend got picked up by non-Venice Beach regulars and became a staple to the bikini scene until now.Micro bikinis find their place between nudity and conservative swimsuits. Although they use very little fabric, they are within the legal limits of decency in many countries, which makes them a mainstay in the swimwear industry. Right now, micro bikinis even have a provocative and sultry image, which is why they are used mostly for adult and sexy photography.By Sheila May