The Mystery of the Bikini

One of the best parts of summer at the shore is the bikini which can be a head turner and conversation starter on the beach. Men turn their heads while women talk.

Actually I have always found the bathing suit issue to be a fascinating one for many different reasons but let’s start with the string bikini which been around in its current fashion since the 70’s although I guess today’s version is often skimpier.

Here is what I find most interesting. If for some reason you bumped into a woman let’s say in a clothing store changing room and she was wearing only a bra and panties my guess is she would cover up quickly and might be somewhat embarrassed. However that same woman has no problem walking the beach wearing an even more revealing bathing suit. With that said I ask the question: what is the main motivation for a woman to wear a bikini?

1. To get an all-over tan
2. Comfort
3. Easy to get in and out of
4. You can mix and match tops and bottoms
5. It looks sexy
6. All of the above or none of the above

Let me take another approach. Should the age and status of a woman factor into their decision to not only wear a bikini but also just how skimpy that bathing suit might be? In other words is it different for a 19-year old single girl then say a 35-year old married mother of two? The older woman might be very attractive and look great but is it appropriate for her to wear something that reveals a lot of skin?

I ask this partly because we men look at women in bikinis and rarely if ever feel guilty about it. Part of that is because we believe SOME women wear them because they welcome those stares and want the attention...to a point of course.

Couple of other things to add while on the subject. Most guys I know feel that a woman who is covered in tattoos looks better in a one piece suit than a bikini, regardless of her body. The “tats” are sometimes too much for the eyes to handle.

We could also use bathing suit police on our beaches because there are women of all ages who must be violating some law by wearing a bikini because their body screams "cover up."

And yes I’m well aware there is a double standard because you also see men wearing bathing suits which make you want to laugh or cry and there are plenty of us better off keeping our shirts on at all times.