Bikinis are one of the most popular pieces of swimwear in the world. They are iconic for their sexiness, and they symbolize summer and fun for people who see them. Bikinis have a rich and storied history, and became popular in the United States shortly after their debut at Paris’ fashion week in the 1940s. Bikinis are a two piece bathing suit most commonly worn by younger women in the United States and Europe. Bikinis bottoms come in a wide variety of different styles and trends. They are cut short or longer to make the leg look longer depending on the style.

Bikini bottoms were not always so revealing and sexy, however. In fact, when bikinis first debuted, they were much larger. They often rose partially up the stomach and also covered a significant portion of the upper thigh. Today, bikinis ride incredibly low and also cover very little of the upper thigh. Below are some of the different styles of bathing suit bottoms and their characteristics.

Traditional bikini bottom

Today, a traditional bikini bottoms sits fairly low on the hip and is a V shaped piece of cloth that covers most of the pelvis, rear end, and part of the lower stomach and upper thigh. This is the most common type of bikini worn today and can be found in almost any store that carries bathing suits. These are what traditionally come to mind when one thinks of a traditional bikini. They are manufactured by countless brands and come in countless colors and patterns. They are most popular with teenage girls and young women and are probably considered the most modern of bikini bottoms.

Brief bikini bottoms

Brief style bikini bottoms are possibly the least revealing and most conservative version of the bikini bottom. These bikini bottoms closer resemble the original bikini bottoms and come a bit further down the upper thigh than a traditional bikini bottom. In addition, they rise a bit higher on the stomach and are less V shaped and more square in shape. They are probably considered the most appropriate bikini cut for mothers, older women, or younger teenage girls.

Thong bikini bottoms

The thong bikini bottom is quite a bit more revealing that the traditional bikini bottom. These bikini bottoms are quite revealing and typically consist of two triangle shaped pieces of fabric over the butt and the front, and are connected by a string. Considered slightly more risqué, these bikini bottoms are most often worn by young women in more open beaches like south beach.

The g-string bikini bottom

The g-string bikini bottom is probably the most revealing of the typical bikini bottoms. It is made up of one small piece of triangular fabric in the font and simply has a sting that runs all the way to the back, hence the name.

Microkini

The most revealing bikini bottom is the microkini. It is not very common in the United States and consists of one extremely small piece of fabric over the genitalia- just enough to cover it. These were introduced in California beaches after nudity was banned.