Despite being made of so little women’s swimsuits cost so much. Why? Megan Wiegand answered:

• The small size of swimsuits makes them more difficult to work with. The woman is wearing less and so they’re more critical of their bodies. The swimsuit must do a perfect job of fitting the wearer.
• A swimsuit will ideally compress some places while revealing others.
• It can’t ride up or come undone when somebody dives, swims, or runs.
• It has to be able to withstand a variety of conditions including water, salt, chlorine, sun, and sand.
• Swimsuits are stretchy and stretchy fabrics are more expensive than standard ones.
• They stay on store shelves for a brief time and so manufacturers have less flexibility in terms of when they’re produced. This tight timetable means fewer manufacturer discounts.

Read more about how the rise of ecommerce is changing things, how you can find cheaper swimsuits, what experts think, the opportunity in plus-size swimwear, and more over here.

Source: Slate