Fun, Sun & Drawstrings

The Bikini swimming suit, which made a coy appearance on some beaches last summer, will make a big splash along U.S. shores next summer. At least, the swimsuit makers think so. At their showing of suits for winter resorts and next sum mer, makers ranging from big Catalina, and Cole of California, to Manhattan's petite Margaret Pennington, were plainly convinced that the Bikini, and two-piece suits in general, will be the brief thing to wear. Reasons: the rise in private pools, the step-up in travel to Europe, which has broadened the U.S. woman's taste while relaxing her modesty, and the huge increase in dieting to keep in trim. More women can afford to show more of their figures. Says Neiman-Marcus Buyer Sally Tutt: "The Bikini will be a big thing this year for sun and fun. The well-traveled waistline has been going up and down since fashion de-emphasized the bosom, and the spotlight is now on the navel."

Makers offered Bikinis that can be converted by a drawstring or tabs to more modest two-piece suits, as well as matching cover-up jackets and slacks. California's Rose Marie Reid called her convertible "the Bikini with a conscience."

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