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Barely-there Brazilian-cut bikinis and one piece cut-out styles are the swimwear of choice for younger (or confident older) customers this summer.
Not to be confused with a thong, Brazilian style bikinis are a skimpy brief hemmed high on the cheek to create a flattering illusion of longer, leaner legs and a smaller bottom. Teamed with string triangle tops or strapless bandeaus', today's swimwear customer is more likely to be seen in bling at the beach than in a racer-back.
Strongly influenced by Brazilian culture since its launch in 2004, Flamingo Sands has a reputation for being cheekier than other Australian swimwear labels.
Initially inspired after a trip to Brazil, co-designer Nicky Rowsell was influenced by Brazilian's liberated body image.
"They enjoy showing off their 'assets' down at the beach and always carry it off so well, no matter what their body shape. They ooze sex appeal and inner self confidence and this is what is always so attractive."
More poolside cocktail glamour than functional swimwear, Rowsell admits Australian customers were slow in accepting their 'brief' style of beachwear initially.
"Australian swimwear has always mainly been about function as we live in such a sporting/surf orientated culture. However, the European way of life tends to place a greater emphasis on looking good. When we launched, we were made to change our cuts (by adding a few centimetres at each side of the bum) as no Australian buyers wanted to take the punt. Our first order was from Selfridges in the UK - they got what we're about. Australian buyers have since come around which is a relief and we've become known for the racier, sexy cut we specialise in. The Brazilian cut is genuinely more flattering on most figure types. It actually creates the illusion of your bum being smaller."
Adding that a fuller brief which covers your entire bottom actually accentuates your size, Amanda Fenton, Australian distributor for Brazilian swimwear label Nana Carana, says Brazilian styles that only cover half your bottom basically make you look half the size.
"It's been a bit of an education process. When we had our launch in Melbourne a few of the models came in asking to wear the larger briefs. However once they tried on the smaller Brazilian styles they were amazed how great they looked and were saying "these make my backside look unreal" - now they're converted."
Imported from the Brazilian island of Florianopolis, Nana Carana was launched in Australia by Fenton in 2005.
"I used to live in Italy and noticed the styles of [swimwear] bottoms were changing. They were a different shape to what was available here. They were briefer and much more flattering. [Australians] often get criticised for having bikinis that resemble our big undies!"
Receiving increasing feedback from its retailers - whose customers were requesting Brazilian style swimsuits - veteran swimwear brand, Rochford Australia has also found many trend reports predicted the look.
"Overseas trips started showing up Brazilian styling in places other than Brazil", says Austin Group's swimwear designer, Jodie Milne.
"Catwalks began showing more and more tiny bikinis and cut-out one piece's began to show up in Vogue and on all the hottest celebrities. It was a natural progression to follow trend and satisfy demand."
Targeted at a younger market, particularly those exposed to celebrity looks, Milne says older female customers have been slower in accepting the brief style of swimwear due to Australia's active lifestyle and the impracticality of the skimpy brief.
"In Australia it will probably never take over the humble bikini all together, but it's definitely made its place and is here to stay. Long gone are the days when everyone wore the same thing to the beach. You can now have as much style on the beach as you do on the street."
Conducting surveys across Victorian, New South Wales and Queensland swimwear stores in November and December 2005, MaraJoara - an Australian swimwear line manufactured in Brazil - found most female customers were not keen on the slimmer cut brief.
"Of the 3000 women surveyed only five percent of women aged 18 to 39 said they would wear a Brazilian brief. And of that, almost all said they would only wear the "full Brazilian" cut", says Leesa Fogarty, MaraJoara's fashion designer and managing director.
"[Now] girls/women aged 13 to 26 are purchasing the Brazilian cut briefs with tiny tie sides, but women aged 18 to 34 are more inclined to source the [one piece] cut-out styles if they're after the Brazilian look. The majority of women still prefer a traditional brief or boy-leg cut bottoms, but Brazilian influenced textiles and embellishments are resonant within Australian culture."
Agreeing some female customers won't wear the Brazilian look if they don't feel comfortable, Cheetah's head designer, Heidi Vandervord says many of its customers have asked for a Brazilian brief as they're discovering it makes their bottom look smaller.
"This look is in magazines, at trade shows and on my research trips I've seen it continued across the world. Offering it in our separates program in both prints and plains, if customers don't feel comfortable in a [smaller] pant or cut-away one piece they can still opt for a sexy Brazilian look by having a basic pant and putting it with a sexy slim triangle top."
Not as ready to embrace revealing styles as Australia's female customers, the majority of the Australian men's swimwear market is still anchored by boardies.
Reluctant to take on a more cosmopolitan look, the average young male is still wearing boardies according to Vandervord.
"They're so influenced by the surf culture in this country. It's a look that's still a lot stronger than a European look."
Agreeing Aussie men are very proud of their board shorts, Milne says they go hand in hand with our surf culture.
"Overall I don't think the Aussie man is about to swap his beloved board short for this new trend; But in certain areas such as Bondi, [where] Australia's multiculturalism allows for this look to develop, it's begun to show through."
For guys looking for a pair of trunks that aren't too heavily branded or surfwear orientated, Rowsell says Lycra trunks are becoming more popular but mid-thigh shorts, significantly shorter than boardies, have been their best seller this summer.
"If you're a fashion-forward guy who's not into branding all over your swimwear and you don't surf, there hasn't been a huge offering until now. Men's shorts are becoming shorter and more retro in their cut/fit. For the past two seasons our mid-thigh retro shorts have definitely been our best seller. Australian men are still reluctant however to adopt the Lycra trunk which is so huge across Europe and Brazil. I think Australians as a whole are actually very conservative when it comes to fashion forward/skimpy swimwear trends."
Adding that the board short, in all its variations, is still a big favourite in Australia and will remain so for some time, Deborah Jamieson, Australian and New Zealand agent for forecasting company Promostyl says at the high-end of the market there is a growing demand for tighter, skimpier, smaller men's styles of swimwear.