Upside-down bikinis: the trend acclaimed by Love Island and the Kardashians

What could explain the upside-down bikini trend? Given the style's popularity among the Love Island contestants, one would reasonably assume a hasty re-pairing with their bikini tops after a session in the "beauty salon" (Casa Amor's code for the bedroom, apparently). p>

It's not just the Islanders, though — most of the Kardashians have been posting selfies posing in bottom-up bikinis, most recently Kendall this week, who paired her lean yellow thong number with a satisfied smile. In fact, Kourtney and Kylie were the first to adopt the look when it appeared last summer.

And although you don't actually need to spend money for a specific 'upside-down' bikini”, fashion brands have not missed the opportunity to encourage so many, among them Jacquemus, Asos and Abercrombie & Fitch. Fashion shopping app Lyst has seen searches for this style increase by 203% in the last month and reports that worldwide demand is up 98% month over month.

If, however, you're not a Kardashian, or an Islander, or Dua Lipa, or Hailey Bieber, or under 25, the look can be a little confusing. In a video titled "Make It Stop", a mid-life TikToker laments, "I know the world has gone a little crazy and people are acting really stupid, but we sure haven't gotten that far in brain function that we forget how to put on a bikini?"

"It gives an opportunity to show off a little cheeky underbust," says Antigoni Buxton, one of the Islanders of this year, who regularly "flipped" her bikini. "A bit of underboob with a bit of a tan line looks pretty hot." Plus, she adds, "it lifts my breasts and makes them look so much better."

Is the gravity defying underbust a not a high-risk strategy, though? Buxton is reassuring (sort of), saying that every two plays carry danger. "There's always a risk if you do a dip or a bombshell that it'll come off, but the upside-down bikini isn't a higher risk."

ITV < /em>Love Island fashion stylist Flora Murray adds: "A lot of brands make swimwear with extra long ties to allow the wearer to style it their way." Buxton explains that these make the wearer feel more secure, which is helpful for making that big splash. But it also allows for the possibility of "flossing", when bikini bodies are tied around the belly with long bikini ties.

There is also another reason , less vain and more worthwhile, for the inside-out fashion hack: "It's a cost-effective and less expensive approach to creating new fashion from your existing wardrobe," says Katy Lubin of Lyst. "It's also eye-catching - wearing something in an unexpected way makes people look twice at it." A win for the Islanders, then.

With Casa Amor complaining about running out of clothes, it's a hack Buxton thinks we'll see more of. With the humble two-piece triangle top, she says, "you get four bikinis in one." You can wear it as intended, inside out, upside down with the ties crossed on the front, or with the back knot brought back on the front.

"With the nature of fast fashion and saving [money] is just awesome,” she says.