In my neon bathing suit era
How TEEN's May 1989 issue foretold the future
It’s boring to talk about how trends come ‘round again, because duh, but sometimes the fact of it really smacks you in the face like a neon slash of zinc stick. I noticed it in a particularly glaring manner this early-summer season. Basically: the iconic May 1989 issue of TEEN, starring the one and only teen queen Tiffani-Amber Theissen, appears to have captured nearly every style of bathing suit we would all be wearing in the year 2024. What are the odds?
A note about the issue, first of all: it’s one of my favorites. If you follow Teen Magazine Museum you know that the 1989-1992 era of TEEN is my favorite (and for clarity, the best SEVENTEEN era is 1995-1997, the best YM era is 1993, and the best SASSY era is 1990-1992). And this issue? It’s my number two TEEN issue. (This is my number one, if you care.)
So, picture it: you’re doing that whole doomscrolling/disassociating thing on your phone. You click on ONE AD for bathing suits from a company you’ve never heard of. And for the next week, your feed is inundated with bathing suit ads, all from stores with names like ☀️VibezSummer☀️ and 💫SunnyChic💫 and 🌼MoonBloom🌼 (I made all of these up but you know what I mean), and you’re clicking and swiping and zooming and realizing, Wait a minute, I totally know these suits. I GREW UP with these suits!
Obviously, what I did next was dig out this issue and start comparing. Let’s take a look:
Trend: Suspenders.
The inspiration: on the left, an ad for Walmart’s H2OT line (get it? H20? Hot? Combine them into H2OT?) and on the right, a suspenders swimsuit by Hobie Jrs, both featured in the May 1989 issue.
And here, a social media ad I received from a company called — no kidding — beachsissi:
Which leads me to ask…
Trend: Zippers
I personally have a zippered suit from Target two years ago, so I’m clearly a fan, but the truth is I specifically chose that zippered suit two years ago BECAUSE it reminded me of these:
And here’s one of the many ads I was served with the same look:
I feel like zippers are such a no-brainer that I’m not even going to poll you about them. They’re cute on swimsuits! Embrace the zip!
Trend: Neon colorblocking
Colorblocking tends to come in and out (at least that’s my perspective as a non-fashionista), and I’m a big fan. Here are some colorblocked suits from 1989:
So dreamy. The ad for Chill Out gets me every time!
Anyway, here are some current colorblocked suits:
Neon’s so bright, you gotta wear shades 🕶️
Microtrends: Leopard print, shiny fabric, cutouts
Maybe these aren’t *quite* as popular as the ones above, but they’re around just enough that I noticed the similarities. Here’s a look at some of what TEEN showed us:
Left and bottom: cutouts
Top: shiny suits
Top right: shiny leopard print (two birds, one scone)
And what I’ve been served:
As someone who recently wore a suit with a crocheted back-strap and woke up to a *deeply* concerning set of tan lines, a note of warning: choose your cut-out suits wisely.
In conclusion, what does it mean that the editors of TEEN in 1989 chose the same kinds of bathing suits that would be in style a mere 35 years later?
Honestly? It’s probably just my nostalgia-wired brain thinking I see connections where they don’t really exist. Trends are circular. It’s likely that some Gen Z designer found an old pic of their mom on a beach with teased hair and a high side ponytail and got their creative juices flowing, and here we are. Being bombarded with Instagram ads for companies that may or may not be shady, selling us swimsuits that may or may not ever arrive on our doorsteps.
Happy summer!