"Scuttlebutt" THE WORD

From its maritime origin and the rich heritage of the sea, the word Scuttlebutt has come ashore and into everyday language of the 21st century.

In the age of sailing ships, it described a holed cask of drinking water. The "scuttled butt" became The Spot onboard where sailors congregated to talk about or hear the latest rumours about their ship or voyage. Such "talk from the scuttlebutt" became simply, Scuttlebutt.

Scuttlebutt is still defined as chat, rumour or gossip and in the jargon of the day has come to mean: the word, the lowdown, the skinny, the buzz.

"SCUTTLEBUTTS" THE CONCEPT

Scuttlebutts is a unique and daring concept for the beachwear industry to adopt and exploit. When it comes to seeing and being seen, looking and being looked at, Scuttlebutts is the biggest innovation in swimwear, sans pareil, since the bikini.

Scuttlebutts is about using a traditional and classic form of maritime signals, by which ships at sea communicated, and incorporating these messages into beach wear and beach gear.

Specifically, the concept takes the beauty and distinctiveness of International Signal Flags and their established code of meanings and brings them ashore as swimwear for all sun-loving beachgoers and landlubbers to enjoy, admire and interpret.

The result is not only a stunning collection of beachwear, but beachwear that sends a signal, a visual message, without the wearer ever saying a word.

The flags of the International Code of Signals when hoisted on the halyards of ships at sea are one thing. When "hoisted" as swimwear, the flags take on a new life with delicious, even risqué, new meanings, whimsical double entendre and eye-popping allure.

The age-old game of flirtation is afoot, or rather afloat, and with Scuttlebutts swimwear the beach is the place to play it. With hundreds of signals available to select, the bathing suit will become the wearer's own art form, people literally wearing their own persona.

As never before, a day at the beach will offer up the opportunity for social interaction as Scuttlebutts facilitates the need for fashion with the desire to communicate and the enjoyment, indeed, excitement of game playing.