The tankini is a bathing suit combining a tank top, mostly made of spandex-and-cotton or Lycra-and-nylon, and a bikini bottom introduced in the late 1990s. [1] [2] [3] This type of swimwear is considered by some to provide the coverage of a one-piece suit with the convenience of a two-piece suit, as the entire suit need not be removed in order to use a toilet. Tankinis come in a variety of styles, colors, and shapes, and some include features such as integrated push-up bras. [4] It is particularly popular as children's beachwear, [5] and is considered an athletic outfit fit for a triathlon. [6] According to Katherine Betts, Vogue's fashion-news director, this amphibious sportswear for sand or sea lets users go rafting, play volleyball, and swim without worrying about losing their tops. [2]
A tank top consists of a sleeveless shirt with low neck and adjustable shoulder straps that vary in width and style. It is named after tank suits, the one-piece bathing costumes of the 1920s that were worn in 'tanks' or swimming pools. The upper garment is worn either by men or women, having a greater variety of models available for women. In men it is usually used as underwear. [7]
According to author William Safire, "The most recent evolution of the -kini family is the tankini, a cropped tank top supported by spaghetti-like strings." [8] The tankini is distinguished from the classic bikini by the difference in tops, the top of the tankini essentially being a tank top. The tankini top extends downward to somewhere between just above the navel and the top of the hips. The word is a portmanteau of the 'tank' of 'tank top' and the -kini suffix of 'bikini'. This go-between nature of the tankini has, in turn, given its name to things ranging from a lemonade-based martini (Tankini Martini) [9] to server architecture (Tankini HipThread). [10] The Language Report , compiled by lexicographer Susie Dent and published by the Oxford University Press (OUP) in 2003, considers lexicographic inventions like bandeaukini and camkini, two variants of the tankini, important to observe. [11]
Tankini and the concept of mix-and-match swimwear were the two major innovations in that genre in the late 1990s. [12] Designer Anne Cole, the US swimwear mogul, was the originator of this style. [13] She was the woman behind the California swimwear label bearing her name, an offshoot of her family's swimsuit company. Called by some [ citation needed ] the first major innovation in women's swimsuits for decades, Cole's two-piece, which blended the 'freedom' of a bikini with the coverage of a one-piece bathing suit, soon captured nearly a third of the swimwear market. [14] Her tankini, first devised by Cole for herself as a young girl, came out in 1998. [15] Aimed at "closing a gap in the swimwear market, the popularity of tankini largely came from Cole's tapping into women's anxieties about swimwear." [16] In the six seasons following its introduction, tankinis diversified in style and range, variations being offered by designers like Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Nautica, and Calvin Klein. [17] In 2005, a controversy broke out when Buddhists complained about swimwear manufacturer Ondade Mar and lingerie company Victoria's Secret marketing tankinis with Buddhist iconography. [18] In the same year, Nike's breast cancer awareness swimwear collection featured four different cuts of tankini. [19]
Tankinis are suggested as an option for women who have gone through mastectomy, i.e. removal of one or both breasts by surgery, [20] women who have modest bust sizes, [21] and long torsos. [22] For women who do not have 'washboard abs', Betts commented, "If you don't feel comfortable wearing a bikini, the tankini's an option that's sort of in between." [2] In Think & Date Like a Man, fashion writer April Masini suggests the tankini is the most flattering choice of beachwear, with the right amount of coverage along with the feeling of a two-piece suit. [23] A not-too-close-fitting tankini, ensembled with a sarong, has been suggested for gymnophobia or the fear of nudity. [24] Tankinis, sometimes divided in the front exposing the navel, exist for pregnant women.
Gucci's crystal-studded tankini, on the May 1998 covers of both Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan was as expensive as US$2,425, while bargain tankinis were available at less than US$10. [2] Variations of the tankini, made mostly of spandex-and-cotton or Lycra-and-nylon, have been added by designers and retailers, chiefly Cole of California and Mervyns in the US, to maximize the tankini sales. [25] Fashion guides also suggest tankini-style wedding dresses for brides of certain body types, such as women who are athletic and have long legs. [26]
A camkini is a tankini with the spaghetti straps of a camisole top, over a bikini bottom. Ebony Fashion Fair's traveling fashion show in 2000 presented camikinis as one of the top trends that year. [27] Point Sol, a fashion house, offers higher-waist bottoms and a sports camisole as a more sports-oriented swimsuit style for volleyball and in-line skating. [28]