It is amazing to see how much an article of clothing can dramatically evolve and change accordingly with the fashion trends of each passing era. The women's swimsuit is certainly no exception. What has emerged in the present is the modern swimsuit in two basic forms--the malliot (two-piece) and the bikini.

Ever since its explosion in the Sixties, the bikini has become a staple in ladies' swim wear--for those daring enough to wear it, of course. However, the two-piece malliot, functional in fit and form itself, a perfect alternative for the rest of the female population that was a little more modest than the bikini would allow its wearer. The popularity of swimming as a sport gives rise to the malliot's success; the impact of racer-style malliots for recreational suits became almost universal as lean, high-cut, cross-back shapes appeared in nearly every swim line. The "tank" suit had now become the most important silhouette in swim wear and a whole host of various shapes appeared; cutouts, turtlenecks, scooped-out backs and fronts, and crossover monokinis that featured two bands stretched diagonally across the breasts, detouring around the back, and then reappearing at the waist to slip down to the waist.

The choice in styles are limitless for women. The "retro" trend has become popular of late, relying on resurrecting and slightly re-figuring successful styles from previous periods. This nostalgic movement was led by Norma Kamali and Anna Cole of California and what has resulted is a deluge in the covered- up two-piece from the Forties. Kamali's collection includes detailing the gathers across the brassiere and designing the shirred, skirt-like bottoms with front flaps over the crotch. The bikini, still popular, remains a garment claimed by the younger set as a garment to which they have a natural right to, a kind of badge of transition into adulthood. For now, it is up to another generation of designers to modify the bikini's profile, design a new set of proportions, and invent a style that would incorporate contemporary trends and attitudes. The question is now what to do with the swimsuit of the future and the ever-present challenge of having to do much more with even less.