About Bikinis

History

Revealing, two-piece clothing for females dates to at least the fourth century, when Roman gymnasts wore garments that were very much like modern day swimsuits. The current incarnation, however, was patented in 1946 by French designers Jacques Heim and Louis Reard. Competing with one another to create the "world's smallest bathing suit," Heim and Reard used a French fashion show to introduce a skimpy, two-piece garment so revealing that it bared the wearer's back and navel for the first time in society. After an initial public backlash against the less-than-modest nature of the piece, bikinis slowly gained favor, first along the French Riveria and, subsequently, in the United States. By the 1960s, the bikini had become a staple of American beaches and was featured in popular surfing and beach media such as the television show "Gidget." Several variations of the swimwear evolved over the following half decade, and the fabric became increasingly revealing. The same basic design, however, has prevailed.

The origins of the word "bikini" may be somewhat confusing; as the Latin prefix "bi-" means "two" and seems to apply nicely to the two-piece nature of the swimwear in question, it is easy to conclude that the bikini name originates from translated Latin roots. Such, however, is not the case; the bikini's name has much more marketing and publicity savvy roots.
The modern term "bikini" is taken from the island Bikini Atoll and the nearby Bikini Reef, both sites of World War II era atomic bomb testing. While some speculation exists as to why this particular name was chosen, historians cited on RandomHistory.com believe the name was picked because Reard believed the bikini would produce reactions among the populace with rippling effects very much akin to an atomic bomb.

Before the introduction of the bikini, women endured great efforts to conceal themselves at public bathing arenas. Contraptions such as the "Bathing Machine" and the 1920s-era flapper suits were all the rage of the time, perhaps a foreshadowing of the original public loathing of the bikini. As film media gained popularity through the 1930s and 1940s, dress codes began to relax somewhat, though the internal code of conduct observed by filmmakers still prohibited displaying sensitive regions of the female body, such as the navel and back. In the 1950s, the bikini began to gain popularity in lax areas of Europe, and French star Brigitte Bardot was photographed in a bikini in 1953. As private and backyard pools gained popularity in the 1950s, American women became increasingly bold and confident, prompting retailer Neiman Marcus to declare the bikini a "big thing" in its 1960 catalog. By 1962, the bikini was making appearances in popular American media, and Sports Illustrated featured a white bikini on the cover of its first swimsuit issue in 1964. With the 1960s sexual revolution in full swing, the bikini finally broke free, leading a 1967 article in Time magazine to declare that 65 percent of American females had already taken up the style.

As the bikini became increasingly accepted, it also became increasingly ubiquitous. In addition to beach outings and poolside fun, bikinis could also be seen in media, advertising, film and even on the cover of popular music. By the end of the 20th century, the fashion industry had pushed sex appeal to an extreme, allowing young females to bare their midriff with short-cut sweaters, polo shirts and other casual dress.

Despite the prominence of the bikini, modern society still accepts that the skimpy swimwear is not for everyone. Emily Post once declared that the bikini is "for perfect figures only, and for the very young." Fashion designer Norma Kamali--a prominent bikini maker--concurred, stating that bikinis were "not for anyone with a tummy."