First introduced onto the fashion scene during the latter half of the 1990’s, by California designer Anne Cole the tankini combines a tank top with a bikini bottom to give women the convenience of a two piece bathing suit with a one piece suit’s more flattering look. Tops usually extend anywhere from just above the belly button to just above the hips.
Made from a combination of cotton and spandex or nylon and lycra, tankinis are available in various styles and colors suitable for everyone from kids on the beach to athletes who have adopted them for wear during competitions such as volleyball, marathon running and even triathalon’s. Additional features in some also include push-up bra support.
Their longer lines also offer “more security” for those who are more self-conscious about their bodies, including older women who no longer have “bikini figures” and are proving quite popular as “maternity-wear” for pregnant ladies who want to enjoy swimming, and who especially appreciate the fact that takninis allow them the “luxury” of being able to use the bathroom without having to get completely undressed. In addition, several fashion writers have touted them as ideal suits for women who have smaller breasts as well as those who have had single or double masectomies.
Dubbed by many as the “most flattering” swimsuits, it is no wonder that they now account for as much as one third of the market, and have inspired “spin-off fashions such as tankini inspired wedding dresses.
In addition several designers have expanded on Anne Cole’s original concept by creating the “bandeaukini” which combines a bandeau (tube-top) with bikini bottoms, as well as the “camkini” which features tops using a camisole’s spaghetti-style straps over bikini bottoms. In fact, Point Sol Fashions is now combining sports camisoles with higher-waisted bottoms for athletic wear. For more information visit Tankini Guide.
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Tags: anne cole, bikini bottom, tankini, tankini guide, tankinis
