The bikini has been a staple of Island beaches for half a century. Most Island women have at least one bikini, even if they're boomers who may never have the courage to wear it in public again.

Juliet Lighter, 30, of Kane'ohe, a surfer and former Miss Hawaii USA, who is pursuing a masters degree in communication, wore her first bikini at age 6. "It was pink and black polka dots, and we bought it at Liberty House," she said, laughing.

At age 5, freelance producer Carmen Rodrigues, 33, of Waikiki started out in a pink-and-white polka dot bikini. Her current favorite: a white halter top with a delicate floral print by O'Neill that stays put even in big surf.

The two-piece suit still had the power to shock during the '60s: While feminists were burning their bras in cities across America, a few scandalized mothers were burning their daughter's bikinis.

"My favorite bikini was a blue-and-white Tahiti Imports print. One day when I came home from the beach, my mother whipped it right into the fireplace. She thought it was too exposed. But I'm a stubborn redhead, so I went right back out and bought another one," said Suzy Hemmings, 55, of Maunawili.

The bikini in question, with 4-inch sides on the bottom and a full coverage on top, would hardly be considered scandalous now, when Brazilian-cut bikinis and thongs are commonly seen on the beach.

Four decades later, the bikini is here to stay. Misa Marie, buyer for the Allure shops, which carry more than 100 lines of swimwear, said 65 percent of the suits she sells are bikinis. "There are so many variations, from the thong to high-waisted styles," that there's a bikini for every body type, she said. "Right now halters are hot, but so are bandeau (tube), strapless and underwires."

I DREAM OF BIKINI

Peggy Hangca Hubacker of Ala Moana recalled showing up for work as a lifeguard and swimming instructor for the city Department of Parks and Recreation in the late 1960s wearing a Speedo-style two-piece and was told that was a no-no; only one- piece suits were allowed. Today, you seldom see a female lifeguard in anything but a bikini.

Raise the subject of bikinis with Lighter, and she recalls her most embarrassing surf moment: "I was about 21, and I underestimated how big the waves were. I spotted a cute boy and wasn't really paying attention. Suddenly my top came off; I was frantically searching for it when he noticed me and started talking to me. ... I'm totally red and clinging to my board."

Lighter never found the top. A friend had to paddle out and bring her a towel.

While she won't go into the whole story, Hubacker shyly shared this bit of wisdom: "Thongs aren't good for bodysurfing. I learned that by holding my bikini while riding a wave."

A BRIEF HISTORY

In the '40s and '50s, Hawai'i's most popular suits were a bikini precursor — sailor mokus. Made by Linn's of Waikiki, a family-owned clothing company, they were sailor-suit-style shorts (two rows of buttons ran up the front) paired with a modest halter top. No one is quite sure what the fabric was. It looked like cotton twill but wore like iron.

By the '60s, waterwomen and beach bunnies were taking their favorite fabrics to Take's, a custom swimwear shop, to have a bikini made to order. Off-the-rack bikinis just weren't cool.

Tahiti Imports was a favorite haunt for two-color prints. Polka dots, gingham and denim were other favorites. Tahiti Imports itself also offered custom bikini service, with owner Don Severson doing personal fittings. The two-color Tahitian prints made popular by the iconic little import shop have seen a resurgence recently.

In the '60s, bikini bottoms came just below the piko, or navel, and were about 4 inches wide on the sides. Tops usually had string ties but provided full coverage in front.

The iconic white bikini worn by Ursula Andress in "Dr. No" in 1962 was a life-changing experience for Hubacker. "After seeing the movie, I went right out and shopped for a bikini. I just knew it had to be white. White bikinis have been a staple ever since, and I still have a white bikini," she said.

Hemmings said the ultimate style statement for her and friends in the mid-'60s was to have a sand-sliding board made to match their bikinis: Friend Blair Rothwell would take a yard of matching fabric and fiberglass it right onto the board.

In the '70s, knitted or crocheted triangle tops and bikini bottoms were the rage — a style that's seeing a comeback this summer. They were never the most practical styles for serious waterwomen, however, as they stretched when wet — and who wants a saggy 'okole?

Modern inventions such as Lycra makes 21st-century swimsuit performance ready.

Lighter has about 40 bikinis today — all of them from Pualani. Iwalani Isbell, a surfer, designs the form-fitting, Lycra-strengthened styles.

"I like the freedom of a bikini. You can run, swim, surf — do anything in a bikini," Lighter said. Currently training for the Ho-nolulu Marathon, she wears a bikini top when running, with or without a tank top over it.

Embellishments such as shells, beading and embroidery, as well as ring details, are au courant for 2006. "Every year we look at a zillion bikinis, and every year they still look fresh," said Allure buyer Marie.

Marie has found that fit, trim local women are extending their bikini-wearing years. The new high-tech stretch fabrics make a difference.

Are bikinis here to stay? Yes indeed. "The bikini will never go away," Marie said emphatically.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.