June 13, 2011 
Girls in Bikini’s and 3D printing… what more could you want! Well that’s exactly what Continuum Fashion have done. Previously Continuum have released an application that allows you to design custom dresses in 3D which are then laser cut from flat 2D panels, the move into 3D printing was just a matter of time. The N12, (named after the Nylon 12 they are printed from) is not the first 3D-printed piece of clothing, but its the first one that you can actually purchase and have sent to your door thanks to Shapeways! Previous experiments into the use of 3D printed clothing have remained purely experimental and are not available for purchase. This represents the first affordable 3D printed clothing item that will lead the way for more items fabricated using 3D printing technologies.
The Bikini’s are designed using custom written software which optimizes the design to suit the shape of the wearer so each piece is custom fitted to the individual. I’m not sure how comfortable a hard plastic nylon bikini would and I think I’d have a hard time convincing my girl friend to wear one but its definitely an interesting application for 3D printing!
Check out more from the article at Shapeways http://www.shapeways.com/n12_bikini
