It’s A Thong Song Summer
Thongs are out out for summer 2024, and the girlies are into it
Thongs are one of the most controversial items out there. Some people love them, and a lot of people don't. But with summer 2024 being peak thong season, there's no escaping them. Question is, which side of the camp do you fall on?
Picture this: it’s thirty degrees and you’ve just downed homemade cocktails at a house party that's overly crowded and in full swing.
Sweat is dripping down the crease of your back.
Music is playing so loudly from blown-out speakers you can feel the beat of the rhythm through the floorboards.
You have to shout to get your friend’s attention who is, quite literally, two feet away.
Teenage boys are clustered around knock-off DJ decks in one corner, while a group of girls are over in the other corner piled onto a sofa.
Everyone’s having the time of their lives and its peak summer vibes.
Sisqo's 1999 Thong Song is playing in the background, and the girls and guys are bumping and grinding in true X-rated fashion.
Does this mental image conjure up a scene of a house party from the noughties? Aka the Millennial partying heyday? You’d be right in thinking so.
But in actual fact, you’re oh so wrong. This is more akin to a summer 2024 scene, the season of true ass-shaking thong-ery.
Charli XCX is the latest celebrity to embrace the trend of displaying the waistband of her underwear for all to see in true brat fashion. It's the dawn of the new visible panty line (VPL), and this vibe is the polar opposite of accidental VPLs we used to feel embarrassed about.
In a teaser Instagram post, the English songstress showcased not just herself and her lacy number, but three visible boxer waistbands adorning someone else entirely.
And who was the other body in question? Well, that’d be none other than Billie Eilish, of course.
Beyond these two reigning pop culture icons, visible underwear has become a statement for those who want to say something without having to say anything at all.
South African pop star Tyla, for instance, showcased a glimpse of yellow Marni viscose briefs above the waistband of her waxed cotton ADRIANA HOT COUTURE skirt on a Dazed magazine cover.
It’s giving hot girl summer all over again, but make it thong edition.
The origin of the word thong traces back beyond distant memory, to the Old English word "twong" – meaning a leather cord.
And actually wearing a thong goes as far back as 1939, with what was once considered a raunchy and risque item of clothing quickly coming to symbolise a sexual coming-of-age of sorts – all the while continuing to face intense cultural scrutiny.
The thong has followed a journey of twists and turns as it made its way to its current path of prevalence.
By the mid-1990s, the stigma around thongs died down as they popped up in music videos, fashion magazines, and Victoria’s Secret catalogues and shows. Once again, we gotta give Sisqo credit where credit is due.
One of the most infamous who would've thought it thong moments was when Monica Lewinsky's "thong flash" incident got leaked during President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment trial, solidifying the scandalous reputation of thongs in the process.
The early 2000s saw celebrities like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton popularising the visible thong trend with low-rise jeans and basic bitch attire.
And by the late 2010s, thongs on show once again entered the pop culture meets fashion arena, with Rihanna’s Swarovski crystal-embellished dress at the 2014 CFDA Awards making everyone's heads turn.
Dua Lipa even rang in the year 2023 in a glittery chainmail dress from Ludovic de Saint Sernin SS23, featuring a low-cut back that was so low it was her plain white cotton thong that emerged as the star of the show.
In the present day, the rise of the exposed thong is very Y2K coded.
And we have figures like Emily Ratajkowski, Chlöe Bailey, and Julia Fox to thank for this, as the girlies publicly wearing visible thongs has allowed naked dressing to go mainstream.
Not to feel left out of the action, fashion was quick to jump on thong mania for AW24.
Marc Jacobs introduced playful thong looks inspired by paper dolls, Christian Cowan showcased toned-down dresses highlighting the thong, and Ludovic De Saint Sernin followed a similar path.
Over at The Blonds, however, thongs were given a dose of main character energy, with models walking the runway in intricate designs that were so in your face you couldn't possibly look away. And would you even want to?
Wherever you stand on the thong spectrum, and chances are you do have an opinion on thongs, there’s no denying it, the panties are out.
It's a little bit slutty and a little bit hedonistic and a little bit IDGAF.
The girlies are getting loose and low, thongs on show. I’m calling it, it's a thong song summer.
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