UK department store chain Debenhams says that sales of bikinis at its stores have risen by 118%, driven by women who were born around the time of the two-piece’s invention in 1946.
When Debenhams customers between the ages of 50 and 65 were asked what style of swimwear they take on holiday, 71% said they had traded in their one-piece for a more revealing two-piece.
Sasha Nagalingham, swimwear buyer at Debenhams, said: “There are no rules to say when a woman should retire her bikini. Women over 50 are as interested in looking glamorous as their younger counterparts; and the beach is no exception.
“Over 74% of the customers who now wear a bikini also said that they had been inspired by images of older celebrity women stepping out in a two-piece, with Helen Mirren’s red bikini the most commonly mentioned instance.”
