Brazilian Thong Bikini

Decades after the two-piece shocked and rocked the fashion industry, the Brazilian thong bikini made temperatures flare up in the sands of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It was shocking for foreign tourists in their regular-sized two-piece to see tanned and toned backsides in fio dentals greeting them when they set foot on Brazilian beaches. However, this shock eventually gave way to a slow acceptance of the teeny swimming apparel that slowly spread throughout the world. European beaches were dotted with women wearing these pieces in public. Finally, by the 1990s, American television showed women frolicking in the sands of Miami and Malibu wearing high-cut and high-waist thong bottoms.

History

A look back on the roots of these barely-there beachwear would show that thongs were actually first worn by men. Egyptians, Greeks, Japanese, and even native Americans were among the few who wore these garments early on. Its early use by women wasn’t intended to entice or seduce, but rather to cover up for propriety’s sake when New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia demanded nude and exotic dancers to cover up in 1939. Thongs as form of swimwear debuted at the time when the bikini exploded into the scene in 1946. Louis Reard’s first two-piece made use of a thong-backed bottom. Rudi Gernreich introduced the modern piece in the 1970s. By the 1990s, women in the US started wearing these to their beaches.

Variations

Though this little piece of beachwear is only made up of a few strings and small patch of cloth, there are different styles and designs to choose from.

G-string

The front part of the G-string offers maximum coverage up to your crotch area. However, that triangle of fabric narrows down into a thin strip that goes up between the buttocks, exposing your butt cheeks. This strip then connects to an even smaller triangle of cloth that sits right at your tailbone, connected to the waistband. Tie-side, slip-on, and even clasp-on are among its many types.

Tanga

A tanga or a T-back is the more traditional kind that you’d find at the beaches of Rio back in the 1980s. This high-waist knickers almost bare all but still keep a few inches concealed. Its waistband is wider and offers more support, while the leg holes are cut much higher to make your legs appear longer. Unlike the G–string, the T-back can do without that extra fabric at the back. The strip that goes up between the cheeks connects directly to the waistband to form a T.

V-string

A V-string looks like a G-string bikini bottom except that it doesn’t have the little patch of cloth at the back. Instead, the string that goes up between the butt cheeks turns into two separate strips forming a V.