Bikini, blog
Brazilian bikini fashions are famous the world over. Bikini manufacturers of all types and sizes are scattered throughout the Southeast Region–not just on the coastline. Key production areas include Belo Horizonte, Divinopolis, Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, and topping them all…Cabo Frio. Known as the capital da moda praia, the capital of beach fashion, Cabo Frio produces so much sexy swimwear that it has an entire street dedicated to its manufacture and sale. Rua dos Biquinis is just across the bridge (Ponte Feliciano Sodré) from the canal area. On Bikini Street, you’ll find dozens of shops and fashion centers with more bikinis than you can imagine at the best prices in the entire country. Most of the stores have their own, private labels and do their own manufacturing, so you won’t find two stores with exactly the same thing. And prices are factory direct.
Brazilian bikini styles are often too racy and extravagant for foreign women, but many manufacturers have more conservative lines for international tastes. The famous fio dental model (literally meaning “dental floss,” but it translates to the g-string or thong style) would probably be censored in the United States, but is quite common on Brazil’s beaches. Ironically, as scandalous as Brazilian bikinis can be, Brazilian women are not as fond of nude beaches as foreigners are and most would never consider going topless on a public beach, much less frequent a nude beach. That explains the relative lack of nude beaches in Brazil. The most common bikini style, known as amarradinho (little string ties) can be encountered for as little as R$10. This style, too, is pretty revealing for foreign tastes.
You’ll find bikinis with hand stitching, beadwork and even decorative painting, as well as belted bikinis, bikini shorts, mesh skirts, and all kinds of wonderful ways to adorn yourself while visiting Brazil’s sensual beaches.
Bikini photos are from Brazilian-Bikinis.org
Bikini, Rio, beaches
Rio de Janeiro no longer a haven for bunda
In an absurd, but valiant attempt to disassociate the Brazilian backside from Rio de Janeiro (specifically the near-naked female derriere so ubiquitous along Brazil’s coastline), city authorities voted to prohibit the sale of postcards that are endowed with portraits of this particular Brazilian national treasure. Yes, postcards have been identified as the culprits. Authorities feel that postcards featuring sexy, scantily-clad Brazilians only encourage the association of sexual tourism with Rio “…which stigmatizes us with undignified labels,” suggests state secretary Sergio Ricardo. Of course, one need only cast one’s eyes to the sandy beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema to find an endless variety of sand-sprinkled lower halves, fanning across the sand like dunes along the waterfront. Reality is so much more interesting than postcards, anyway. But could bikinis themselves be the next target of censorship for Rio de Janeiro?
Without a doubt, sexual tourism is a problem in Rio, as it is in many of Brazil’s coastal cities. It contributes to the country’s astronomical HIV/AIDS statistics and adds a number of other problems to boot–problems that need to be addressed. But it’s probably not the public relations effort from the postcard-buying public that is to blame–or the fact that so much moon shines along with the sun at Copacabana. No, sexual tourism is the result of neither promiscuity nor exhibitionism. Rather, it comes from that special mixture of poverty, democracy, and international tourism. Remove any one of these three ingredients and sexual tourism falters. Now that’s something to write home about.
Bikini, beaches
New fashions offer variety, economy and a touch of self-expression
Brazil’s bikini fashions are always out in front and what’s showing on the beaches of Brazil this summer is likely to appear in the northern hemisphere this June and July. So what’s Brazil up to this year in beach fashions? Apparently, the hit of the season is a mix-and-match, combine-and-clash kind of approach. It’s floral bottoms with checkered tops and unmatched colors. It’s last year’s bottoms with that top from three years ago that no longer has a bottom to match. It’s economical, for sure, and it offers a kind of artistic self-expression. You get to demonstrate how you combine unrelated bikini parts to make a personal statement. Plus, in Brazil’s beachwear shops, it’s common to find barrels of unmatched bikini parts at blow-out prices. So you can appear on the sand with brand-new unmatched swimwear, if you like. Or buy three or four bikinis and start shuffling. When you think of it, it’s actually a lot of fun.
