Glorious History Of Bikini

Bikini - one of the many remarkable things donated to World by the French. It was invented… by engineer vehicle manufacturers, Louis Reard, who once took a new profession - designer of bathing suits.


On July 5, 2006 worldwide fashion industry noted a landmark date - 60 years ago super-weapons of seduction appeared in the women's arsenal, having been during six decades forcing men turn at them on the beaches, the first bikini-style swimsuits emerged!


Although, the history of fashion shows that even 1600 years ago in the Roman Empire there were seductress who wore bathing suits, consisting of two parts. They are shown on the ancient mosaic in one of the temples of Sicily.

Separate swimsuits were not a special novelty. wartime played its role in it, when they called for a rational approach to everything. In 1943, in the United States it was requested to reduce by 10% the consumption of fabric, going for tailoring of one female leotard.


So there were separate bathing suits. On the beaches of the U.S. the men have shown increased interest in women, which have embraced the patriotic appeal.

Reard finds his swimsuit cutting it from 30 inches(0.76 sq. m.): bust of the two triangles connected with lace and open panties.

Louis Reard developed a design of swimming suits, which disturbed the masses. The only lack was - a suitable name for the new items: something defiant, exotic, so that to draw attention to it.

Four days before the displaying a new model in Paris, U.S. army conducted the nuclear tests on the island, known as the Bikini Atoll. The name was found - "Bikini".


On July 5, 1946 a new bikini swimming suit saw the light.

Later Reard repeatedly noticed that the costume received the name of the island but not in honor of the nuclear explosion.


While the fact remains obvious that Reard benefited the most appropriate and discussed theme at that time for naming his model. Simultaneously with Louis Reard the similar separate swimsuit was produced by Jacques Heimand and named `The Atom`.

The new model was presented as the smallest in the world swimwear. Reard immediately responded, saying that his bikini `is less of the smallest in the world` swimsuit. Indeed, the new bikini swimsuit of Reard was so frank, that Parisian models did not dare to show it at the podium.


Micheline Bernardini - professional stripper of one of the Parisian clubs was hired to show. She agreed without hesitation to show bikini. Bernardini did not have a beauty in the classic sense, but after her appearing in bikini her popularity has increased noticeably in the press. Fans rubble the model with letters (they call the number about 50 000 letters).

The emergence of bikini aroused lively discussion throughout the world. In Catholic countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy, the bikini had been forbidden. The organizations fighting for improving of morality, put pressure on Hollywood with the requirement to delete scenes from films where actresses were dressed in bikini. One of the writers said, `bikini opens all women's secrets, except mother's maiden name` of the owner of such a leotard.

Movie Star Esther Williams, who has had more opportunities to observe women in bikini, than any all of them, noted that bikini is a manifestation of flippancy of its owner.

So lasted until mid-1950-s. All had been changed after the acclaimed film was released on the screens: "And God created woman". The first European sex bomb Brigitte Bardot acted in the film in bikini, that had destroyed all barriers at once! After the film becoming cult it was already impossible to stop women. The beaches in San Tropez and Italian Riviera instantly have been flooded with fashionable swimsuits. The church was forced to admit defeat. And garment factories, working in three shifts, a few more years could not cope with orders.