The Mycenaean

Every year, when the weather starts to get warm, my favorite thing to do is tan and swim outdoors.

To enjoy my favorite activities, I need to be dressed appropriately in a bathing suit.

I have a pool, so I don’t have to travel far to swim and tan, but I need multiple bathing suits to go outside every day.

I recently decided to start shopping for spring break and summer, so I can stock up on multiple bathing suits for my warm weather activities.

I visited websites such as Kulani Kinis and Blackbough Swim only to notice that the prices of their bikinis, in my opinion, are outrageous. 

For example, Kulani Kinis sells halter bikini tops for $62. Bikini tops and bottoms are sold separately. If I wanted to purchase the entire set, the bottoms would cost an additional $60, bringing the total to $102 before shipping and tax.

Kulani Kinis and Blackbough Swim bathing suits have vibrant colors and fun designs, but the style of their bikinis isn’t particularly unique compared to other brands on the market. 

It turns out that these two websites aren’t the only ones selling bikini sets and bathing suits at such high prices. Frankies Bikinis, Triangl Swimwear, and several other swimwear brands all sell expensive bathing suits.

“Bikinis cost way too much money for being such small pieces of clothing. They cost more than regular clothes do,” said Rylie Stelmock, junior. 

One-piece swimsuits and men’s swim trunks typically use more fabric than bikinis, yet they are all so expensive now. But why?

It turns out that making high-quality bikinis and swimwear is a complex and intensive process. Several factors such as comfort, support, coverage, and style play a role in the production of bathing suits. High-tech cutting tools and flatlock stitching techniques are used to ensure these swimwear pieces meet all of these criteria.

Swimsuits are made from materials like nylon, polyester, or spandex, all of which are expensive materials. Bathing suits have to withstand several elements such as the sun, salt, and water. If you want your bathing suit to stay vibrant and not fade, then you are going to have to pay for the quality of it.

For reference, Knit Fabric is selling a beachy swimsuit fabric made of 80% polyester and 20% spandex for $16 per yard. With this amount of fabric, you might be able to make 1 to 2 pieces of either a top or bottom for a smaller-sized bikini. 

Fast fashion has also influenced many people’s perceptions. It’s easy to compare websites like Shein, which sells a bikini top and bottom for just $8, to other swimwear brands and label them as too expensive. However, the reality is that these cheaper bathing suits often lack the durability of higher-quality swimwear brands.

More expensive bathing suits have longevity. You could purchase an inexpensive Shein bikini, but after a few wears you will have to throw it away and buy another one because these cheap bikinis cannot withstand the wear and tear of regular use. 

It seems less wasteful to purchase an expensive bathing suit that you can wear for years, rather than an inexpensive bathing suit you can only wear a few times. 

If Kulani Kinis or Blackbough Swim still seem too outrageous, I’d recommend shopping for bikinis from Target, Hollister, and Aerie. They sell bikini pieces around $15-$45, which will last you longer than Shein bikinis, but shorter than high-end ones.

Another alternative; purchase high-end bikinis that are reversible, so you get two bikinis for the price of one.

All in all, there are several choices of expensive and cheap bikinis and bathing suits throughout the internet. The time and materials used to create bikinis are a result of their high price and quality, but if you would rather have an inexpensive bathing suit, who cares!