Swimming has picked up not only as a very effective way of exercising, but also the pool has become the latest venue for lissome lithe bodies to flaunt swimwear, right from the desi "tighties," those long pieces of cloth covering the swimmer's body till the knees, to the reasonably decent frocks, to the pets of the designer brigade, the ones who don't mind going down to Delhi to get a Rohit Bal or a Jatin Kochhar piece.

Of course, affordability remains the determining factor here. Swimwear in the city ranges from Rs 150 to Rs 500 and designer wear range starts from four figures and more.

There also has been a marked change in colour preferences over the years. Bright multi-coloured prints are the raging hits. "Sea green, magenta, parrot green, blues and reds... all these colours hint at a young-at-heart attitude and are being preferred by many," says a shopkeeper in Sector 17.

Swimming is not only treated as a calorie-burner sport but also as a fashion statement nowadays. Says Nisha, "Swimwear has become more of a statement and no one really buys just whatever is available in the market.'' A dealer in sports wear at Sector 22 says "sometimes we have to return our first batch and order the second batch on the basis of what young girls demand."

A regular swimmer at the Golf Club says women are more fussy about the kind of swimwear they use whereas the men use anything from plain swimming trunks available in sector 17 to Reebok or Nike's cycling shorts. Men seem to prefer dark blues and blacks while choosing a pair of trunks. Young women in the age-group of 30 to 35 years' form a big chunk of the swimmers in the city. "But the real show stealers are young ladies wearing bright colours and latest floral prints,''says Bharti Sharma, a young swimmer. While most girls are still wearing the "tighties" the posh pools in town see chic style statements when the party begins early morning. A scarf tied delicately on the slender waist is the latest. Girls are no more the coy, gauche beauties. Call it being health conscious or a victim of the "You've got it, so flaunt it" mantra, Swimmimg has hit big time in the city.