Suit Up Ladies: girltrunks Are Making a Splash

The words strike fear in the hearts of women of all sizes, conjuring images of teeny weeny bikinis and the inevitable wardrobe malfunctions. With bottoms that ride down and tops that ride up, women truly get the short end of the stick when it comes to summer swimwear.

That is, until now. Launched in 2009, Ohio-based designer Debbie Kuhn is bursting onto the market with a comfortable new concept that will have you gearing to go this summer: girltrunks. Kuhn designed the two-piece suits because the traditional swimsuit market offered nothing that covered the legs. After accepting an invitation to tube down the Madison River in Montana, she remembers futilely searching the racks at Nordstrom when she had a novel idea.

“Why don’t I pair a tankini top with men’s swim trunks?” said Kuhn. She did just that and wore her newly created swimwear in Montana. “It was a day in time I remember vividly. I felt so liberated, in swimwear of all things, and I wanted to share that feeling with other women.”

We’re glad she did. The trunks fit like Bermuda shorts and are made of a quick-drying polyamide material with mesh lining that dries almost instantly, unlike many traditional women’s bathing suits. They are available at www.mygirltrunks.com in sizes 4-24 and come in two leg-covering lengths. Pair the trunks with a halter or tank top that has a flattering fit and you have more than a swimsuit. You have an outfit — no cover-up needed.

Like their slogan, “Reinventing swimwear for women,” girltrunks deliver a sense of confidence women so desperately lack during bathing suit season. But the suits don’t just flatter — they’re versatile, too. Swimming, hiking, volleyball, waterparks and building sand castles on the beach; women’s swim trunks lend themselves to any activity. Short to tall, skinny to plus-sized, apple to pear, teenager to grandmother; women no longer must remain a prisoner to their beach towels. They now have the freedom to choose.