Sanna’s Brazil Fashion, a Japanese clothing company, introduced bikini jeans, a design that narrows the distance between blue jeans and a string bikini.
The problem it solves
The design came from a straightforward engineering constraint. Designer Sandra Tanimura described it to The Telegraph:
We specialize in making low-rise trousers and our customers wanted them to get even lower. It was very difficult meeting these demands without the trousers falling down.
The physics is not complicated. Trousers stay up by sitting on the hips, and below a certain rise there is nothing left for them to sit on. Past that point, no amount of fit adjustment helps.
The solution
I came up with the idea of using the bikini strings to let the trousers hang really low without falling.
Adding ties changes what holds the garment up. Instead of relying on the waistband gripping the body, the strings carry the load, which removes the constraint that limited how low the rise could go.
Details
The first two designs were made in Lycra. The jeans were priced at £45 and sold online.
Frequently asked questions
Why do bikini jeans have strings?
Because a very low rise leaves nothing for a waistband to sit on. The strings hold the garment up instead.
What were they made from?
The first two designs were made in Lycra.
This report dates from 2009.
