From their first public appearance in the mid-nineteenth century, bathing suits, both one- and two-piece, were constructed of wool, cotton, and less frequently, terrycloth. By the late s, bathing suit manufacturers began taking advantage of new developments in fabric technology when Lastex and nylon, a quick-drying elasticized fabric, were developed.
These new synthetic fibers allowed for an incredibly revealing silhouette. Postwar swimsuits had a conical bosom created from wire and padding. Boned and cupped, the two-piece bathing suit greatly resembled the foundation garments of the day. The string bikini was even briefer than its predecessor, with string ties for the minimal halter bra and triangular panties also tied, and worn low on the hip. Bridget Bardot, frolicking in Saint-Tropez, popularized the look, sometimes sans top.
For a more chic look, Italian sportswear designer Emilio Pucci produced bikinis in soft silk jersey in his ebullient trademark prints and colors. A big development came from Rudi Gernreich, when his monokini was introduced in Hawaiian Style. Brigitte Bardot Makes a Splash. Best Bikini of All Time. Like a Bond Girl. Slim Aarons-ing.
Terry O'Neil Getty Images. Introducing the Thong. Neon and Neoprene in the '80s. The Burkini. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.
After being turned down by many fashion models, he found Micheline Bernardini. She was 19 year old a nude dancer employed at the Casino De Paris, and she agreed to be the first to wear his daring bikini. Michelle Bernardini debuted this scant garment during a poolside fashion event at the Piscine Molitor in Paris, and it changed swimwear as we know it.
Bikini Atoll is a location in the Marshall Islands where the United States conducted nuclear testing between and He knew how explosive his swimwear garment would be to the fashion scene and gave it a name fitting of its historical impact — the bikini.
Since it was the first swim wear to expose the navel, and was thought of by some as indecent. Unsurprisingly, most of the letters were penned by men. The bikini is just one item with a controversial and interesting history.
Many traditions and commonplace items also have an interesting origin. Would you like a reminder of this post about the origin of two piece swimsuits of the bikini? Just pin this image to one of your fashion boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later. About the author. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics.
Find out more about Jess here. In the United States, the modest two-piece made its appearance during World War II , when wartime rationing of fabric saw the removal of the skirt panel and other superfluous material.
Meanwhile, in Europe, fortified coastlines and Allied invasions curtailed beach life during the war, and swimsuit development, like everything else non-military, came to a standstill. In , Western Europeans joyously greeted the first war-free summer in years, and French designers came up with fashions to match the liberated mood of the people. So he turned to Micheline Bernardini, an exotic dancer at the Casino de Paris, who had no qualms about appearing nearly nude in public. As an allusion to the headlines that he knew his swimsuit would generate, he printed newspaper type across the suit that Bernardini modeled on July 5 at the Piscine Molitor.
The bikini was a hit, especially among men, and Bernardini received some 50, fan letters. Before long, bold young women in bikinis were causing a sensation along the Mediterranean coast. Spain and Italy passed measures prohibiting bikinis on public beaches but later capitulated to the changing times when the swimsuit grew into a mainstay of European beaches in the s.
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