April 16, 2008

Easy Street

Street Couture Bikinis

When you were a toddler, your mom loved to put you in ruffled pink bikinis.

You loved to pull the tops off and run in circles shouting, “Boobies! Boobies! Boobies!”

Things have really changed. You can’t find those ruffled suits anywhere.

Until now: Street Couture’s uber-dainty swimwear harks back to the styles of your youth. Because they’re made of incredibly thin cotton, they don’t lay flat. The result is a poof of air around the bum and breasts that gives the bikinis a childlike flair.

The suits come in two styles — straight-up string or bandeau top with brief bottom. The whimsy of the fabric is echoed in the playful patterns: geometric shapes in sugary hues like baby blue, pink, purple, red, and orange.

Crafted by local designer Branka Joldas, the suits are fitting for a fanciful jaunt to South Beach.

Well, at least the bottoms are.

Available at Crimson Carbon, 524 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach (305-538-8262).