(Un)Dressing Your Age

Summer has finally arrived in Rio and you know what that means (besides dodging dengue fever mosquitoes, that is): time to go hunting for the latest styles in bathing suits. (Before you ask, the hottest thing is a strapless top, sold on the beach in Ipanema, that you can mix and match with your favorite bottoms.) The task is relatively easy for the young sirens that inhabit the sands from Arpoador to Barra; it becomes increasingly more of a challenge if you are a woman of a certain age. This is true of all types of garments down here, by the way. I thought I was the only one with this problem, but the other day a friend of mine told me that she had instructed her sons and daughter not to shop for presents for her at such and such stores. These, I'll let you know, used to be our favorite haunts for years; we have now passed them on to the younger generation. And are at a loss as to where we go from here. I have the advantage of dividing my time between Brazil and the U.S., so I hit the stores there. But, where bikinis and such are concerned, we all know that there is only one place in the world to shop and that is right here. Fortunately, there are stores and designers that have women like us in mind when they create their masterpieces: we're older, yes, but small, thin, young-looking and, may I add, not lacking in flair or spunk. So, they make it possible for us to (un)dress our age. Before I forget, my daughter has express orders to chain me to the dining-room table if I ever commit the unpardonable sin of looking ridiculous, on or off the beach.

This adorable three-piece (two bottoms, one top, bought separately from a collection called MixXX Salinas) in the photograph is called a "sunkini" and was purchased at Salinas, where we have faithfully shopped for thirteen years now. And no, we don't get discounts for so generously advertising their creations.

We firmly believe we were the first to write about the Brazilian bikini on the Internet (in 1995). The rather tongue-in-cheek essay is still available on our site.

On further sartorial matters: Aren't you dying to know what Michelle will wear on January 20th? I can't wait for her to surprise and delight us!