By strict and correct definitions - as explained to me by a costume maker in Las Vegas making show costumes that started her career costuming the Ziegfeld's Follies. (Sadly she has passed away - boy the stories she had, not to mention the best fitting g's, thongs and bikinis)
A Fundoshi is a single long piece of fabric that through twisting and tucking is formed into a garment that can either be a loin cloth or thong, depending on how the front fabric is tucked. The sumo wrestlers pretty much introduced them to the wester world.
A G-String, as the name indicates, is a pouch that covers the genitals connected by a string around the waist and another from the base of the pouch to the waist string via the butt crack. Made popular by strippers back in the 20's.
A Thong is virtually the same except for the connection from the base of the pouch to the waist string is a piece of fabric, usually about an inch wide. The waist can be anything from a string to what appears to be a brief or bikini from the front with the buttocks exposed in the back. This was developed out of necessity. Some decency laws considered the anus part of genitalia so had to be covered.
As we have seen recently, even the designers and makers of swim and under wear haven't done their homework to find out the correct definitions before they label their garments. At this point, probably no one cares but it would be nice if all used the same names in describing the garment.
While we're at it, a Tanga is a suit that resembles a g-string in the front, has a very thin waist band and pretty much full coverage in the back. The Rio cut bikini is getting called a Tanga incorrectly. The Rio is a very brief bikini that is cut as most suits - a front and a back that taper up to form a very narrow side. The name comes from the city that developed it in the late 70's through the 80's. (From an ultra skimpy bikini to a baggy Sunga?? Are the nuts??)
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