A worsening pandemic, ever-heightening political tension, raging wildfires threatening thousands of homes and lives -- the summer of 2020 brought with it many surprises.
But perhaps none has been more unexpected than the return of the 1950s sailor-style bikini.
First, Selena Gomez rocked the "Popeye with boobs" look, and for obvious reasons, there were no complaints.
The singer posted the pic above on Instagram as a teaser for her "Ice Cream" music video, which is the sort of thing that probably would have become an overnight cultural sensation, if it weren't for the fact that we're all a smidge distracted by the many forces that might kill us at any moment.
Just a sad case of bad timing, like Jay Z dropping his Blueprint album on 9/11.
Anyway, for a while Selena's supremacy as the sexiest sailor on the seven seas went unchallenged.
Then Kylie Jenner realized someone was stealing her Instagram shine.
As we've stated many times this year, Kylie's quarantine content has been one of the very few highlights of being stuck at home for six months and counting.
This week's installment brought us Kylie seemingly biting Selena's style in a navel-baring naval ensemble.
But while some fans were quick to call out this apparent act of sartorial plagiarism, Kylie's look is actually based on the aesthetic of her makeup line's recently-released summer collection.
Yes, this is a strange time of year to drop a bunch of summer-themed products, but Kylie lives in Calabasas, California, a place where there are no seasons or financial concerns, so people can splurge on overpriced summer crap in September.
So yeah, to be clear, it's almost certainly a pure coincidence that Kylie and Selena both decided to rock the candy stripe look within about a week of one another.
But the lack of celebrity beach activity this summer has left us starved for an old-fashioned "who wore it better?"
So we ask you, gentle readers -- which one of these sultry sea-farers is likely to inspire more full masts?
Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez both rocked sailor-themed bikinis in recent weeks. Now, we're asking our readers: which Instagram icon is the sexiest sailor on the seven seas? View Poll »
Look, we cant't guarantee the fate of any presidential ballot that gets dropped in a mailbox.
But we can assure you that in the crucial Kylie vs. Selena race, your vote matters!
Look, in 2020, sometimes you have to focus on the little victories.