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The bikini. For years, this one piece of swimwear has been a wondrous thing for most men, and a source of constant frustration for many women.
The “bikini,” as we know it, wasn’t introduced until 1946. But, actually archaeologists have discovered proof of “bikini like” garments dating back 1600 B.C. In fact, in 1950, one researcher from Italy was shocked to come across some paintings on the walls of a Sicilian gymnasium that illustrate no less than eight women wearing bottoms that resemble a diaper and strapless tops.
So, while it’s obvious that the two piece swimsuit appeared many centuries before 1946, it was then that it exploded into existence, never to disappear again. However, its introduction was not without controversy.
Coincidentally, the invention and introduction of the bikini of the 40’s was brought upon by two separate French designers; Louis Reard and Jacques Heim both had the same great idea, completely unrelated to the other’s.
In 1946, Reard had created a two piece swimsuit. He actually named his the “bikini.” His tag line was, “It’s smaller than the smallest bathing suit in the world.” The name of the garment was in honor of atomic bombs being set off, experimentally, close to the Bikini Reef, in the South Pacific. Apparently, it was expected to generate similar earth shaking reactions, like the A-bomb.
At the same time, Heim was creating and introducing his bikini, with the clever moniker of “Atome.” This was yet another reference to the atom, although not to the explosions. He was referring to the size of the atom, which at the time, was believed to be the very smallest particle known to man.
Heim created his bikini to be sold exclusively in his own shop, and he hired skywriters to advertise it for him.
It was on July 5th, 1946 that the very first bikini was worn by a French model at a Paris fashion show. The American reporters covering the event were not only thrilled with, but they were completely flabbergasted by the skimpy suit.
While the general consensus in America was that the bikini was simply disgraceful, and too shameful for women to wear, it was actually introduced in the U.S. just one year later. And, what seems comical to us and our standards today is, the bikini’s back then were not at all what we would call a bikini.
The swimsuit bottoms were over the navel. The tops allowed no glimpse of the breasts, whatsoever. They were, for the times however, extremely daring and risqué.
As the years went by, the bikini underwent numerous transformations. By the 70’s, and the “sexual revolution,” the bikini became even more flashy and revealing. The navel was shown, finally, and the tops were skimpy in their coverage. Many designs and varieties came and went, but all were much more similar to what we, today, think of as a bikini.
In the 80’s, the thong bikini came about. Although designers tried to claim that the design came from tribal Brazilian Amazons, the only thing the people cared about was the fact that it offered the least coverage to date. And, basically, no rear at all.
No matter what type or style of bikini has been introduced since 1946, one thing is for sure. The bikini has never been short on shock value for the American people.
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