Nancy Everything is in the final sale. We are at a point where there is no return.
From the iconic whale tail Degrassi episode to Cisco’s classic national anthem, thongs have always occupied a supreme position in fashion and pop culture. So what is the best way to end the summer than to pass a complete thong? On this long weekend, ELLE celebrates the best, worst and most memorable thongs on the red carpet, beach and beyond.
How do we remember the summer of 2018? The straw was cancelled. Donald Trump separates the children from their parents, and his inner circle is Watergated. Aretha Franklin left the better side. Showing your ass on the beaches of the United States has become mainstream.
Maybe you noticed that the swimsuit pants are fading. The sporty American Speedo and the candle-named Brazilian thong seem to be in the process of collision, driven by all the nostalgic sentiments of the 80s and 90s. Two years after Teyana Taylor danced to the “Fade” of Kanye West in a thong, Kardashians was in the full beach town postcard belt mode.
The rest of us are more likely to encounter a thong shorts that are designed to cover the cracks generously, but insist on revealing where the buttocks meet the thighs. The emerging term for this reduction is “cheeky” and the name is appropriate. In the e-commerce model and Instagram influence influencers, the thin bottom makes the wearer look like a cheeky Coppertone baby, and his dog eats her ladies swimming costume.
Is it effective in real life? I do not know. Swimsuits are objectively analyzed than any other garment. In theory, the cheeky bottom may be a likable way. However, according to my experience, they can also dig the flesh, which is not traditionally desirable. Revolve’s influencers solved this problem with posture. They lifted their swimsuits from their hips with their thumbs, as if cleverly picking a wedge they might actually have. Except for the most suitable thick-skinned bottom, all other components are subject to the slightest interference.
More importantly: it was 2018, and these concerns suddenly became obsolete. Worrying whether something is pleasing means acknowledging that looking good looks equal to looking thin – or, in this case, religion about deadlift – we all agree that this should no longer be the goal. When this is the atmosphere, we should all feel comfortable showing our ass. There is nothing wrong with our ass!
Still, you still can’t choose your hang-up, and recently we encourage you to try to reduce your butt, which can be confusing. More than once, I found myself entering the locker room, spinning like a dog trying to bite its tail, wondering where the rest of the swimsuit was. Not long ago, a piece of ass exposed clothing had to be purchased at a fancy imported lingerie store or accidentally purchased while traveling in a less-Puritan country. Now, H&M and J.Crew feel like Ibiza, and the cheeky bikini once shamelessly reveals the cheeky bottom. People can filter Aerie swimwear through “cheeky” and “brutal”. (How shameful is the cheeky? You will find out when it will come; the model looks like it is sitting.)
If there is a change in docking, it is difficult to determine. My colleague told me that showing your ass on the beach is a culture. (This is not the first time a white lady like me emulates.) Maybe in 2015 jeans shorts, your ass hangs on the bottom of the gateway. Perhaps, in an evolving socialist movement, Generation Z recognized Europe on the beach. Maybe we are tired of self-loathing.
What I know is that the antidote to the pressure on your beach body is actually going to the beach. When I was in my (possibly unpleasant) $18 Amazon cheeky jumpsuit, it was hard for me to remember worrying about me. I am busy reading thrillers, or playing on the front line, or wondering if I should reapply for SPF or go swimming and reapply. Looking at my phone, I can’t even figure out what I look like in Instagram photos.
