The Ruffle Bikini Of 2009

For many designer swimsuit companies, there is now a panic. A new style of bikini has come from seemingly nowhere to cause a fashion stir if not an all out fashion craze. It started with a few scantily clad celebrities, such as when Kirsten Dunst, Jessica Alba and even Lindsay Lohan wore the ruffle bikini and it kept growing organically from there. But, perhaps the biggest star to bring it to the forefront is Jennifer Aniston.

No matter whom you credit with starting this new trend, the ruffle bikini, sometimes referred to in the past tense, or ruffled bikini, has created quite the stir on this season's designer swimwear. And swimsuits from Brazil are no exception.

Besides celebrities, who wears this suit? Well, that depends on who you ask. I have seen women of all ages don the ruffle bikini in Las Vegas, where fashion by the pool is taken very seriously. But, it does not stop there. You can also find it on the beaches of Southern California and South Florida. A rock solid body may be preferred, but it is not essential.

Why the panic? Because not all swimsuit companies are created equal. That's the most simple answer. Perhaps a better answer, some have deeper pockets and better machinery than others. Still, it's just a swimsuit, right? It is very light, such as any other bikini. It includes a simple single liner, not uncommon to most bikinis out there. Also, the fabric is not made of some new or special material. It's simple Italian Lycra or Spandex. So, what makes this suit so difficult for manufacturers to produce?

Well, this particular bikini has a laser finish and most small companies overseas cannot produce this new style. As with anything there is supply and demand, so those who can produce a ruffle bikini often have to outsource this technology. Anytime a suit has to leave one factory and enter another before you see it causes the suit to become more expensive from a wholesale perspective—which of course is passed along to you, the consumer.

Finally, where can you find this suit and how much does it cost? I would say the best answer to that is to simply type ruffle bikini or ruffled bikinis into your favorite search engine and follow the results. This will give you the best variety when shopping for a ruffle swimsuit, and I've even found it for as low as $79.00. Otherwise, you can go down to your local surf shop and ask for the ruffle bikini and have them lead you to the expensive side of the store and take a small fortune from you, usually around $165.00.

As a parting note, I would not worry about name brand and here is why. If the machinery costs so much that most companies cannot even produce a ruffle bikini, then it is likely that the quality will be very similar from brand name to brand name. So, this is one time when the name on the suit will not equal extra quality, nor will paying more for it. A simple check with your online store's return policy will ensure you are getting quality.