Refinery29
So you’re thinking about trying a wrong bikini …
When some members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan – from Kendall to Kylie and Kourtney – started wearing their thong bikini tops upside down last summer, I thought this would be a snap to fashion trends. After all, one of the big differences between celebrities and the rest of us is that we actually love going to the pool. But like clockwork, the DIY swimwear trend became ubiquitous as the weather warmed up as people began to tie their tops upside down, criss-crossed, and even sideways. Bachelor Chelsea Vaughn chose an inverted bikini for a beach day in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in March, and seemed to hold – at least in photos – during an outdoor shower. Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine wore an inverted blue bikini with a belly chain in January. And Atlanta-based blogger Frankly Frankie’s Instagram feed is full of bikinis tied in a variety of ways, from 180-degree flips to flips back and forth. View this post on Instagram A post from Kendall (@kendalljenner) Don’t get me wrong, I get the appeal. If you flip your swimsuit top back and forth, you essentially get multiple bikinis for the price of one. You don’t even have to buy something new to create the look. All it takes is digging up the string bikini that is likely to be buried in the bottom of your swimwear drawer for a few summers. They often look good in photos too. But do you stay up? How convenient is it to do something in the water other than pose next to it? I wore one for a full day at work this week, changing the tie pattern every few hours to see what worked and what didn’t. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to a pool or pool-suitable weather, so I haven’t dipped into my upside-down bikini even though I tried to wear it in the shower. Even dry, when the most rigorous activity I did was transitioning from working on my back to side to stomach in bed, none of the styles held up. At one point I had to climb the counter to get to the cereal box I hold up for emergency snacks and the tie around my neck came off completely. In the spirit of research, I’ve found this: While the standard upside-down style is the most sturdy compared to any other style (strapless, criss-cross front, laid on the chest while your assistant unties it, it makes false-honest pictures of you with a book you don’t want to read), it’s still not really robust. While it could survive a wade in the shallow end of the pool, there is no chance it will survive a single wave on the beach or a dip in the deep end. When the cinch isn’t down, the “coverage” portion of a string bikini becomes a complete joke. All day I spent more time fitting my swimsuit than not fitting it. Although I did this experiment for work, I think it did less work for me. View this post on Instagram Posted by Chelsea Vaughn (@chelseavaughn_) Others are equally skeptical: “It works,” says Kate Spencer, creative and update editor at Refinery29, who recently gave the trend a try at home. “But I’d say it’s nowhere near as comfortable, supportive, or practical as wearing it the right way round.” And then the hot attitude: “… and I don’t think it’s more stylish.” “The wrong bikini is simply unnecessary,” says Hannah Rimm, Labor and Money Editor at Refinery29, after she also tried the IRL trend. “I don’t think it looks better than a regular bikini and it sure doesn’t hold my D-cups in place when I move. There is just so much underbust! “While she admits that string bikinis aren’t her style – they prefer a sportier scoop neck top instead – she still thinks the trend is” a lot of work for a very boring payoff, “adding,” The cross neck one has choked me. “Ironically, it seems that Kendall Jenner is no longer following the trend she and her sisters started. Most likely, she came to the same conclusion as we did: swimwear was designed to be worn right side up for a reason Anyway, and you won’t wear it long. Do you like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? A Comprehensive List of Skimpy Plus Size Bikinis The Best Swimsuits To Avoid Tan Lines22 Black Bikinis you must buy this summer
