bikini of the day: neon striped bandeau

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Another little bandeau number from Victoria’s Secret, a few seasons ago now. I prefer this twist front bandeau to the ruched front that is so widely available and not quite so flattering to my eye. Tied bottoms are cute but also flexible given slight fluctuations in weight. Victoria’s Secret provides a basically ridiculous number of options, which I suspect is key to their swimwear success.

Bandeaus with halter straps like this, when you wear the halter, create this great trapezoid within the square (of your shoulders) figure that I like a lot. Not so young now, in the world of bikini-wearing anyway, I am aware of the challenge of making choices that are playful without being too childish, or too teenagerish. Or outright tacky (No jewels! Power to you if you like a bit of encrustation with your swimwear, but I can’t do it). This is such a fine line, I think, and one that shifts around from one person to another, from one age to another, and that shifts around on me all the time based on mysterious changes in my various inner microclimates. This example is well in my comfort zone but close enough to the line to make me aware of the line. Sometimes I don’t think a piece is quite as adult as I aspire to at least seem to be, but I just like it too much. What then?

Well, I will try it on. I can’t just ignore flat out liking something. It warrants reflection, at least.

This bikini, I admit, is just the kind of thing I would have picked out as a teenager… but I still like most of the things I liked as a teenager. I am really very consistent.

white on white on white

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So…I got more than one wig. I knew I wanted an asymmetrical bob like this, and, though it looks dyed (that is, the color doesn’t look natural), it is actually not far off my hair color and is as such not too bizarre looking on me. At least, not if you don’t already know what I’m meant to look like. This was my second attempt at finding an asymmetrical bob style, the first being much darker and simply awful. [Not easy trying to select the style or the color of a wig online, and I can’t recommend it. The return policies are as unforgiving as you would imagine.]

What do you think? I really like it.

The difference is so transforming. I doubt I would even be recognized, or not right away. I love this about fashion and makeup and all the subcategories of style. You can achieve a look that nature wouldn’t allow, liberating you from yourself while (potentially) at once expanding your idea of self, multiplying the variations of self.

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White, white, white. I can’t have too much white. And yes, we know how I like bikini tops (you’ll recognize this one from this bikini of the day), and white buttoned shirts.

This is my idea (rather, one of my ideas) of a great summer uniform. I have this theory that as long as my navel is obscured, it isn’t able to create that unforgiving halo around my stomach that it really does seem to.

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Victoria’s Secret triangle top, Banana Republic button-up, Ray-Ban aviators, Paris Blues shorts, HairDo Angled Cut wig, vintage Timex watch.

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