Writing a 1950’s pulp sci-fi story. Think “Buck Rogers Meets the Amazon Warrior Women of Zenob-9”. Something that would be right at home in the pages of “Fantastic Story,” “Out of This World Adventures” or “Startling Stories”. What’s a good word for the animal skin bikini top that old timey cavewomen/jungle women wore? Examples: Raquel Welch wore a fury bikini, which sounds like a place holder word the writer used until he could think of the right term. Blouse is more of a shirt. Tank top isn't right either and maybe a touch masculine besides. Halter top makes me think of a co-ed doing jello shots. Bodice maybe? I don't know. Something that pulp writer in the 50's would use. Thanks.
Considering they're fictional and have no basis for real clothing of the time (women would likely have been bare-breasted or worn smock type animal hides, depending on where they lived), I don't know of an official term that exists. I'm not sure any of the suggestions work, either. Bikini just comes across as weird. Too modern and sexy, unless you want it to sound sexy. Maybe just a narrow fur wrap?
I like to set stories in the past and it is a problem deciding whether to use the language of the period or modern language to describe the past. You can also do something in between. You can describe her clothing using the tone of the rest of the writing. Something like the two narrow strips of animal skin she had on, left little for a man's imagination and the lightest breeze would reduce that to zero.
Maybe a halter top with one shoulder strap? That sounds too technical though. A lot depends on how you're approaching it. Is it at all postmodern, aware that it's a story and self-referential? If so fur bikini would be fine. Otherwise maybe something like her nakedness was covered with brief scraps of animal hide top and bottom.
depending on how developed the "shirt" is, it could be anywhere from a simple animal skin covering to a form of leather armor. Your descriptor isn't terribly important as long as you explain that there's barely anything being covered/protected.
