Sheer String Bikini

Of all the swimsuit variants, sheer string bikini is one of the most popular. Why not? This is one of those styles that are least likely to go out of fashion. Making amazing sales records even on their first release into the market, these revealing swimwear types are really among the most popular of all styles that existed from the day French engineer Louis Reard and designer Jacques Heim developed the first bikini in the 1940s.

Swimwear structure

String bikinis, including sheer and see-through variants, are composed of a top and bottom pair. The top consists of two triangular pieces of cloth connected by strings used to hold the bikini top in place when worn. These strings are usually intended to be tied at the back and around the neck for support. Since the support that these provide is usually not that strong, this beachwear type is more appropriate for women who do not need too much breast support. Those who are blessed with larger breasts can go for halter tops or other styles that provide greater bust support.

The bottoms, on the other hand, are usually composed of two pieces of triangular fabrics. One piece of fabric is to cover the crotch area, while the other is for butt cover.  These pieces of cloth are usually held in place by strings tied on each side. In the case of this type of string swimwear, the pieces of fabrics for cover are made with materials that reveal the body when wet.

Sheer vs. see-through

The terms”sheer” and “see-through,” when it comes to beachwear, are often interchanged and confused. Both are daring to the point of exposing the body of the wearer, but it is rather safe to say that semi-transparent is a little less daring than see-through.  Semi-transparent types are usually made of very thin fabric (usually Lycra, nylon, or a combination of the two) that only reveals the skin or body part it covers when it is wet.  Completely transparent swimsuits, on the other hand, usually exposes the body of the wearer to the naked eye even when they are dry.

One more important difference between sheer and see-through swimming outfits is that see-through pieces completely expose the body, while semi-transparent ones make use of nude-colored or skin tone fabrics in order to create an illusion of body or skin exposure. Completely transparent bathing suits actually allow the naked eye to see through the fabric whether the swimwear is wet or dry.