In the Eye of the Beholder

THE supreme test of a woman's bathing suit ought to occur in the eye of the male beholder. Seven experienced girl-watchers studied the new designs and rendered the following judgments--on the suits, not the models.

> "There sure are going to be some strange tans around this summer."

> "The Marquis de Sade would have liked the leather and chain-link suits. I suppose they come with matching accessories like whips and dog collars."

> "What possibly could be the point of the golden chain? That line is just not a natural line of force and makes no esthetic or sexual sense."

> "Side cutouts are wrong: no one is interested in the sides of a woman, for which, as far as I know, there is very little use."

> "Gernreich's plastic suit is offensive. Those black patches look like they were painted on by a movie censor."

> "Putting lace on a neckline that goes down to the navel is confusing and contradictory. It's a conflict of interest--sort of like wearing a see-through robe in the church choir. What's more, it's hard on the eyes."

> "The gimmicky suits only detract from the woman within, and she has to be some woman to make them work."

> "For those of us who revere the original design, these fripperies are like the commercialization of Christmas."

>-"I'd never trust any of them on anyone over 30."

> "Should all this effort be expended in pursuit of a better way to expose a woman's navel? Why not?"

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