Trikini

A woman wearing a trikini

A trikini is a three-piece garment used as beachwear. The name is formed from bikini, (itself named for Bikini Atoll) replacing "bi-", as if to mean "two", with "tri-", meaning "three".[1] Some different interpretations of this bikini variant have appeared over the years.

In the 1960s, fashion designers combined pasties and briefs to create the first trikini.[2] It appeared briefly in 1967, described as "a handkerchief and two small saucers." In the early 2000s the term trikini was revived for the string bikini – a bikini bottom combined with a stringed halterneck bikini top that has two triangular pieces of cloth to cover the breasts.[3] This style of trikini was used by Dolce & Gabbana in their 2005 Milan show, in a design where "the three pieces of scintillating sequined fabric, barely cover the essentials".[4]

In some cases the term trikini is used for a set of three items of clothing sold together, such as a bikini with a tank top or a bikini with a one-piece swimsuit.[5] For their 2007 Milan show Dolce & Gabbana presented a trikini consisting of a conventional two-piece bikini with a band of rhinestones around the waist.[6]

In 2004 the Brazilian fashion designer Amir Slama created a trikini consisting of two small pieces of silk, each functioning as a cup and a sash, which were connected with a string.[7] In 2008 the Israeli fashion designer Gideon Oberson created a two-piece bathing suit which he described as a trikini. It combined a pair of conventional bikini bottoms with a bathing top that had bra cups and waist elastic and resembled a tank top. The intention was that it could be worn on its own on the beach or combined with a skirt or a pair of shorts in other locations.[8]

In 2020, as a response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fashion industry, a variety of trikini was created by Italian fashion designer Tiziana Scaramuzzo, consisting of a conventional two-piece bikini with a matching face mask.[9][10][11][12][13]

  1. ^ Robert L. Chapman & Harold Wentworth, New Dictionary of American Slang, p. 446, Harper & Row, 1986, ISBN 0-06-181157-2.
  2. ^ Ambrose, Gavin; Harris, Paul (2007). The Visual Dictionary of Fashion Design. AVA Publishing. p. 180. ISBN 9782940373611.
  3. ^ Safire, William (2004). No Uncertain Terms. Simon & Schuster. p. 291. ISBN 0-7432-5812-6.
  4. ^ "Free and easy". The Age. Australia. Associated Press. 29 June 2004.
  5. ^ Karl, John (8 February 2000). "Under cover Designers are wrapping swimsuits with stylish designs". Sarasota Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. ^ Dolmadjian, Katia (28 September 2007). "The hottest trends from Milan". iAfrica. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009.
  7. ^ Diluna, Amy (11 September 2004). "For those who dare, he does bare: Brazilian designer reinvents itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009.
  8. ^ Levitt, Meredith Price (19 June 2008). "Sabra Style: Sizzling summer swimwear". The Jerusalem Post.
  9. ^ "Coronavirus, sarà l'estate del trikini: il costume abbinato alla mascherina. FOTO | Sky TG24". tg24.sky.it. 26 April 2020.
  10. ^ Deabler, Alexandra (12 May 2020). "Italian designer launches 'trikini' beachwear design, complete with matching bikini and mask set". Fox News. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Coronavirus: New 'trikini' trend boasts bikini & matching face masks". Capital. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  12. ^ Prasad, Amrita. "Bikinis, saris or LBDs: Post corona, all your outfits may come with matching masks in 2020". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  13. ^ Concolino, Nives (26 April 2020). "Trikini, il costume da bagno con la mascherina" [Trikini, the Swimsuit with the Mask]. il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). Retrieved 28 April 2020.