The Economics of Swimwear

It's that time of year, and I'm going through the same old ritual, selecting the swimsuit de saison, a quest properly embarked only with sufficient preparation and fasting to be worthy of this annual rite. And, like the timid soul that I am, begin the venture like any self-respecting woman of the Oughts would do: by internet search. This lowers the level of anxiety to acceptable, and one does not have to go through the rack in the store under the gaze of the typical sarcastic teen girl employee who is fitter than me. Really, going into Victoria's Secret can be an occasion for a little Dutch courage beforehand! Anyway, while surfing, I found a darling Prada silk bikini bottom, and I clicked on details in hopes of finding the matching top.
http://www.elle.com/Fashion/Trend-Reports/Trend-Report-The-Classic-Silk-Scarf/(imageIndex)/3/(play)/false
Alas, no halter. No home for my ta-tas. And the bottom by itself goes for a mere $450! However, I could protect my modesty by purchasing a silk twill top. That would set me back $1350, a steep price for respectability on a North Carolinan beach. I definitely don't think I could swim with the Hamptons crowd! I'm more in the $20 separates category. Last year's swimsuit can go another season.