We need to talk about swimwear in 2025.

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When exactly did we all decide that it costs $200 for what is essentially two triangles of fabric and some string? Because I must have missed that memo.

I was online shopping the other night for a new bikini and I nearly choked when I saw the price. $120 for the top. $110 for the bottoms. That's over $200 for something that covers hardly any of my body. Make it make sense.

I've always had a complicated relationship with bikinis. As I've gotten older, my body has changed — my boobs have gotten bigger, my body curvier — and shopping for swimwear that suits it has become more of a mission.

Here's my first bugbear: why don't bikini brands use cup sizes like bras do? At the very least, provide a guide showing what cup size corresponds to your sizing.

Remember how I mentioned online shopping for a bikini the other night? Well, I bought one and sized up to be certain it would fit my boobs. Boy, was I wrong.

"It looks like it's made for an A cup," my sister said.

Watch: When Clare Stephens once tried the viral bikini bottom. Post continues after video.

Now, the bottoms. I don't mind showing a little bit of butt, but you won't catch me dead in a g-string style bikini. Good luck finding anything else, though.

As our beauty editor has written, the ultra-tiny bikini trend has exploded recently. Swimwear designers are embracing Y2K fashion, Gen Z is leaning in, but those of us wanting something between itty-bitty and full coverage are left with slim pickings.

So we're getting fewer options and somehow paying more for them. The worst part? We all know it's absurd, but we buy into it anyway.

When I mentioned this at work, it sparked a 20-minute conversation about the lack of options versus the ridiculous prices. We were going in circles because the whole thing is circular — limited choice, high prices, poor sizing, repeat.

When exactly did we all decide it would cost $200 for a bikini? Image: Getty.

But what choice do we have?

Most of us are just trying to look decent at the beach without going broke. The sizing issue makes it worse. You can't even shop smart because nothing fits properly. So you end up ordering multiple sizes online, keeping one, returning the rest (hassle), or you order just one that fits poorly — like my new bikini.

This isn't me sh*tting on brands that make bikinis (well, it sort of is) — there are so many fabulous swimwear labels that I love and rave about. There are so many I would love to own, too. But I can't justify the price.

I don't know the answer, but I do know that I feel disappointed and let down by a section of the fashion industry that I loved and still want to love.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Please let me know in the comments.

Feature image: Getty.