LATEST FASHION

A-list celebrities. Bloggers. Models. Fashion designers. I’m fairly certain almost every category of Insta-famous fashion person wore a thong bikini this summer. Let’s discuss.

There are a few factors that I believe converged to give us the 2020 version of the thong bikini. However, the general ’80s influence happening now is majorly culpable. The high-cut-bikini trend, which was huge three decades ago, goes hand in hand with a thong back. Legs cut so darn high lend themselves naturally to a skimpy coverage behind. Other ’80s swim fads, such as wearing chain belts and socks and sneakers with your bikini, are back too.

I should clarify we’re not only talking bikinis here. Oh, yes, there’s the thong one-piece. We thought one-pieces were safe territory for full-coverage cuties like myself, but the thong trend does not turn the other cheek (sorry) with regard to any form of swimwear. In fact, there’s quite a range of ways to get the look, from a classic thong to a Brazilian tanga to the cheeky bottoms that have been stretched to their limits into an impressive wedgie. We generally seem to have drawn the line before straight G-strings, which I feel pretty good about. But don’t take my word for it; keep scrolling to see how the thong has taken over, and shop the barely there bikinis favored by Instagram’s elite.