An extremely provocative swim suit, both because of its brevity and its political subtext, based on the pattern of the Confederate Battle
Flag. For example, depending on the wearer, it may be worn as a sexy yet
ironic statement about the fabled Lost Cause, or as a literal affirmation of the wearer'
s Southern heritage. Obviously, the implicit message is necessarily subjective.
Its first known manifestation was
one worn by Bridget Fonda in "
Shag: The Movie." While some Southerners were offended by it, Southern sociologist and chronicler John Shelton Reed pronounced it to be "fetching."