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A swimsuit noted in-universe for its extreme brevity.

While MoralGuardians have been complaining about swimsuits showing too much skin as long as there have been swimsuits, this trope really took off after the introduction of the bikini.

To qualify, a swimsuit must be described or reacted to in terms of how small it is, or how much it shows. For example, if the text claims it's "two postage stamps and some dental floss", or onlookers are shown having their eyes bug out.

The swimsuit does not actually need to be worn for this trope -- displaying it to someone who asks "where's the rest of it" or declares "no daughter of mine is wearing such a thing!" qualifies.

Note that this trope is ''not'' any swimsuit which the audience thinks is unusually small, it must be reacted to as such within the story.

Compare ThongOfShielding. Contrast with the OldTimeyBathingSuit or the SchoolSwimsuit.
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!!InUniverseExamplesOnly

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex''
** In episode 15, Touma's mother wears incredibly scant swimwear, much to his horror. ''Especially'' since Touma's seeing her as [[TokenMiniMoe Index]].
** In the [[BeachEpisode beach]]/[[PoolEpisode pool episode]] of ''Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun'', Kuroko [[http://imgboot.com/images/Keiri/railgun9_12.png chooses one of these]] out for herself. She lacks the typical voluptuous body-type usually seen with this trope, although {{Rule 34}} was quick to pick it up and run with it all the same.
** In the Railgun SS novel, Xochitl asks Saten to get her a swimsuit. Saten gives her [[http://images.wikia.com/to-aru-majutsu-no-index/images/5/5a/Xochitl_%28bikini%29.jpg one]] that greatly embarrasses Xochitl with how revealing it is.
* The ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' series has an interesting [[InvertedTrope inversion]], when the other cast members note that [[MsFanservice Yoko's]] swimsuit is less revealing than her normal outfit. Kittan even yells at her that the more skin she shows, the better; he gets her sniper rifle's barrel in his face for his trouble. A few seconds later, every single male in sight gets a {{nosebleed}} from resident {{Kawaiiko}} Nia's conservative one-piece, despite her being pre-adolescent and not much of a body to show off. Kittan immediately remarks, "Maybe less skin is OK as well." Cue CrossPoppingVeins from Yoko.
* In ''Anime/BusouRenkin'', Papillon's swimwear draws this reaction from bystanders. It's actually more concealing than a normal Speedo, but it's the ''way'' he wears it that makes it provocative. Also, the standards of a normal speedo are the ''only'' metric by which it covers a lot. By ''any other measure'', it's incredibly brief.
* Kasumi's skimpy bikini in the ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' BeachEpisode "Battle for Miss Beachside" comes as a shock to her sister Akane, as this isn't what you'd expect from a YamatoNadeshiko like Kasumi. It still isn't as small as the one worn by Kodachi, however.
* The ''{{LightNovel/Kanokon}}'' BeachEpisode has Nozomu try to pass off three bandages (two little ones and a big one) as a swimsuit. Oblivious as to why the other girls object to it, she (or rather Chizuru) is eventually forced to purchase a more normal swimsuit at said beach.
* Ruby's swimsuit in ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'' Season 2, with witnesses saying it's just a string.
* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi Rei''[='=]s [[BeachEpisode Pool Episode]], Miyo Takano sports an [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vlcsnap-2009-07-20-02h00m13s169.jpg outrageously revealing tiger bikini]]. [[GagBoobs Mion]] even lampshades it, wondering why "[[HypocriticalHumor it's not against the law to have boobs that big]]."
* ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'': In the BeachEpisode based on the manga omakes, the women are shopping for swimwear and [[HugeSchoolGirl Isane]] is mourning the fact all the cute costumes are for shorter women. Her sister Kiyone finds her a [[http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3497/kotetsu.jpg swimsuit]] that she can wear, the catch being that it's entirely too revealing and skimpy for [[ShrinkingViolet Isane]] to even contemplate wearing it. Her captain, [[MamaBear Unohana]] intervenes and takes Kiyone's side, further shocking Isane. Then she reveals the swimming costume she's going to [[http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8562/unohana.jpg wear]]... and even Kiyone's jaw hits the floor. Only Isane's and Unohana's swimwear are commented on in-universe.
* In Chapter 27 of ''Manga/OmamoriHimari'', [[TokenMiniMoe Shizuku]] of all people is wearing an extremely skimpy bikini.
* Yoshinoya models one of these in ''Manga/HidamariSketch''. Remarkable for a "safe" SliceOfLife anime.
* [[CloudCuckooLander Tatsuko]] of ''Manga/FateKaleidLinerPrismaIllya'' tries to buy one of these, prompting screams of "Stop that exhibitionist!" and "She's kiddie porn walking!" from her classmates as they tackle her to the ground to stop her.
* It seems as if many of the female characters from ''Manga/FairyTail'' can't find swimsuits that fit them properly, what with the amount of boobage left showing.
* In ''Anime/{{Mazinkaiser}}'', Lori and Roll wear a one piece that can be described as "two postage stamps and some dental floss." Of course, it's a Go Nagai series, so what's to be expected of it? Unsurprisingly, Kouji (and his little brother, Shiro) are head-over-heels gaa-gaa over it and Sayaka is none too pleased.
* ''LightNovel/{{Kampfer}}'' Female Natsuru and Akane are force to where these in front of an entire classroom.
* During a couple's costume contest in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', during the swimsuit portion, a girl puts on a skimpy piece that gives her partner a {{Nosebleed}}.
* In the uncensored version of the [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/ET02 second chapter]] of Manga/TheElectricTaleOfPikachu, Misty is wearing a swimsuit that is basically a few strategically-covering strips of material. Ash ends up [[MaleGaze staring]] [[DistractedByTheSexy so much]] she belts him in the face with a Shellder.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Done alarmingly frequently in ''ArchieComics'', considering that it's supposed to be for kids. Artist Dan [=DeCarlo=] was an unrivaled master of {{Fanservice}}, so there are frequent shots of Veronica being indecent at the beach. One time she even got arrested -- as did Cheryl Blossom when she attempted to go topless at another one.
* ''[[http://tinyurl.com/38mg7t2 Gemini Storm]]'''s 4th issue reveals that during pool parties, this is the standard uniform for the waitresses.
* The [[FurryFandom furry ]] comic, ''Zu'', had a story called "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-dot Bikini (Redux)" where a very nice bunny has a incredibly small (and unseen to the reader) bikini that causes everyone to WildTake at the sexy sight of her. Her boyfriend, a rather easygoing otter, manages to keep his composure, although the sight of her leaning down is a real test of that. At the end of the story, the bunny girl is charmed that he was trying to keep his dignity, but he loses it in a change room when he finally realizes that while everyone looks at her lustfully, only he, himself, ''will go home with her!'' At that, he dances with joy at the incredible sex he's bound to have that night.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* In a ''ComicStrip/BeetleBailey'' strip, someone asks Killer at the beach why a girlfriend isn't wearing the swimsuit he bought her. Killer answers that her father had standards: a swimsuit must be larger than a postage stamp.
* In the 9/2/12 strip of ''Rex Morgan, M.D.'', June Morgan goes shopping for a swimsuit at La Thong, and the file clerk describes their products as "microscopic."
* In the 2/18/13 strip of ''Momma'' (a reprint from the 1980s) Momma's daughter poses in a new bikini, and Momma says, "...when I had you vaccinated there, I never ''dreamed'' it would show--that's what I think!"
* An early strip of ''Doonesbury'' involving an islander 'volcano virgin' and her overprotective father played with the trope: apparently he didn't mind his daughter sacrificing herself to the volcano, as long as she did it in ''sensible'' clothing.
--> '''Father:''' You call that a sacrificial vestment?! I can see right ''through'' it!
--> '''Virgin:''' Oh, Daddy, you're so old-fashioned.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/{{Borat}}'' ends with the excessively hairy male lead in one. It actually covers ''more'' than normal male swimwear, but it still manages to look perverted as hell. A reporter discovered that wearing it on public beaches can get you charged for breaking public decency laws -- despite of technically showing less skin than other men on the beach.
* This style of swimwear is one of the chief draws of Skinmax-style B-movies like ''Bikini Carwash Company'', ''Bikini Carwash Company II'', ''The Great Bikini Off-Road Adventure'', ''Beach Babes from Beyond'', ''Savage Beach'', ''Return to Savage Beach'', and ''Day of the Warrior''. In ''Bikini Carwash Company'' the guys also wore banana hammocks.
* In ''My Father the Hero'', there's a scene where the father meets up with his daughter poolside with her in a white one-piece swimsuit. Imagine his surprise when she gets up and it's revealed to be a thong bottom....
** In one version, a much more modest suit is digitally superimposed which makes the entire scene farcical as the father character overreacts to a perfectly normal swimsuit.
* In ''Film/SixDaysSevenNights'', David Schwimmer's character remarks, "I thought it was an eyepatch!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jokes]]
* One joke has a girl buying swimwear. After asking multiple times for more and more daring designs, the clerk brings her something that seems to be an empty hanger with a price tag. The girl asks where the bikini is. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm holding it the wrong way." The clerk turns the hanger around, revealing the bikini, which was hiding behind the price tag.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In the classic SF story ''The Wheels of If'', the AlternateHistory-hopping protagonist goes to the beach, and finds that people are wearing nothing but a knit strap around the waist. When he tries to go skinny-dipping, the cops show up to arrest him for indecent exposure. Turns out he's in a timeline where it's okay to show genitals and nipples in public, but [[CultureClash navels are obscene]].
* Mentioned in the last two scenes of ''[[XWingSeries Wraith Squadron]]'', when the survivors are enjoying themselves at the beach and the uniform for the day is bathing suits that might generously be called minimal. In the last scene, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Commander Wedge Antilles]] is asked why he's still fully dressed and working, not out in a scrap like his squadron, and says that he'd make them uncomfortable.
* In ''Citizen Girl'', G is given a bikini which she at first mistakes for a necklace, an illusion not helped by the fact that it actually does fit in a jewellery box.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In Cycle 12 of ''Series/AmericasNextTopModel'', the final five have a bikini-shoot on a Brazilian beach. The resulting photos had to be blurred for television, particularly from the rear.
* In Spike TV's ''{{Manswers}}'', they answer the question of just how tiny a bikini can be before it becomes an issue of indecent exposure. (For women, both nipples and the entire labia of the crotch must be covered. Which means that, if you interpret that to the letter, this can result in some very dinky swimwear indeed.)
* In the short-lived Tony Randall/Swoozie Kurtz sitcom ''Love, Sidney'', Kurtz is talking about a trip she and her five-year-old daughter Patti are going on. She shows Randall an extremely tiny bikini bottom, he says, "That's indecent!" She replies, "It's for Patti!"
* There's an episode of ''{{Series/Friends}}'' where Ross is dating a college student getting ready for Spring Break. When he sees her extremely tiny string bikini, his response is, "...to wear in front of people?"
* Although it is never seen, during a scene in ''Series/DoogieHowserMD'', various characters are offering bribes to the young doctor to be the one he takes on a prize vacation he is going to win. A female character cannot offer to take his shift at the hospital, but she holds up a very small bag and says "I have a bikini which fits in here."
* ''TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'': Will Smith is rendered speechless when a pair of twins mentions that their bathing suits are carried in their compacts.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* The song "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-dot Bikini".
* Also, Gunther's "Teeny Weeny String Bikini".
* In one of his songs ("Temptation Boogie"), Carmen has described a bikini that contains "less cotton than a medicine bottle". [[LoopholeAbuse No word on how much spandex though.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Print Media]]
* Common in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Eventually they just gave up and starting [[http://www.joannegair.com/ painting them on.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* WWE loved to pull this off during bikini contests. If the contest was on PPV, you were surely going to get something like this. Examples:
** {{Sable}}'s bikini at ''Fully Loaded'' 1998 was bikini bottom and hands painted on her breasts.
** The Kat at ''Royal Rumble'' 2000 had a bikini made of bubble wrap.
** Ashley Massaro at ''No Way Out'' 2007 showed up in a bikini with two tiny Playboy bunnies on her breasts.
** Torrie Wilson invoked this at ''Judgment Day'' 2003. At first she showed up in a normal bikini. When the audience wasn't sure if she was the winner, she removed that bikini to reveal what looked like two strips of dental floss. Naturally she won.
* A hilarious subversion occurred with Wrestling/MollyHolly against Terri. She claimed that [[JerryLawler King]] would go wild when he saw what was under her robe. [[spoiler: It was a [=1950s=] bathing suit complete with cap, snorkel and flippers]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The Amazing Bathing Suit from ''RuneFactoryFrontier'' is described as using far less material than the Cute Bathing Suit, which is essentially a bikini. You don't ever get to see it in-game, since it is kept in gift wrap and any girl you give it to will confess that it is too revealing to wear, but it happens to be the innkeeper Turner's favourite item to receive. He will then comment on how he would attempt to get his wife Rita to wear it.
* A few easter egg scenes in ''LegoStarWars 2'' have the "Beach Trooper", a Lego figure wearing a blue thong and a stormtrooper helmet. Which, [[BrainBleach when you consider they're freakin' stormtroopers...]]
* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive Xtreme Beach Volleyball'' is especially guilty of this. Some of the bikinis which the girls can wear are so tiny that dental floss would cover more. Of particular mention is the Venus, which is basically a few strips of material and [[DiamondsInTheBuff some sizeable gemstones]].
* Male example in ''{{Persona4}} Golden'': Kanji's speedo.
* In LeisureSuitLarry 6, you have to make your own swimsuit using a small scrap of fabric and some dental floss.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/MenageA3'', the bikini worn by [=DiDi=] when the PowerTrio goes for a picnic in the park is so tiny that it causes all onlookers, including pets, to be DistractedByTheSexy.
* Layla, of ''EerieCuties'' uses the [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/d/20100505.html promise of a moonlight date at the beach and a new string bikini]] to get Kade to play "bait" for Nina's EvilTwin. [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/d/20100531.html The bikini]] is both very tiny, and [[SlipperySwimsuit not particularly secure against waves]].
* One ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' filler featured an [[http://egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2005-12-09 attempt to get Sarah into one]].
* Thelma in ''NipAndTuck'' wore one only at Hortense's insistence. "Where's the rest of it?" (Hortense's was more substantial, but if she had NonMammalMammaries, it would probably be insufficient for decency.)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In the ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' episode "When Aliens Attack", Amy wears a literally spray-on bikini top which leads to a memorable exchange:
-->'''Amy:''' There. How do I look?\\
'''Farnsworth:''' Like a cheap French harlot.\\
'''Amy:''' ''[[ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne French]]?!''
[[/folder]]

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