Meanwhile, the French will take a minimalist approach to Bikini that will last even longer. No one is sure why the designer named it Bikini, but it must have had something to do with the big explosion he meant to set off.
The original bikini, unveiled at a Paris pool in 1946. It would fit into the box the girl was holding. It was so scandalous that no model would wear it so they had to hire a nude dancer.
I think the name was meant to conjure up images of scantily clad natives in a tropical island paradise. “Bikini” just sounded better than “Kwajalein,” “Guadalcanal,” “Palau” or “Tarawa.” Especially since those names did not conjure up images of a tropical paradise for most American men.
And make no mistake, the Bikini was marketed for American men. Something I instinctively knew on Spring Break in 1979 and 1981.