Bikinis are an indispensable part of any summer wardrobe. Sometimes they’re the ONLY part of a summer wardrobe. Every spring we find ourselves frantically searching for the one bikini that will make us the envy of every girl and the fantasy of every guy—a bikini that we will ultimately proceed to drench in chlorine, bake under scorching heat, marinate in salt water and pretty much forget about three months later. And designers honestly expect us to spend a significant amount of our hard-earned cash on it?

Now, here we have two plain white bikinis: one extremely expensive, and one refreshingly affordable. Can you tell which is which?

On the right: the Niko Jodie Mary bikini from Eres Swimwear, $325, available at nancymeyer.com.
On the left: a white chain bikini from Mossimo, $36, available at target.com.