Bikini introduced

History.com ^ | March 3, 2010 | History.com Editors

[DFG]

On July 5, 1946, French designer Louis Réard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled the new fashion, which Réard dubbed “bikini,” inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that week.

European women first began wearing two-piece bathing suits that consisted of a halter top and shorts in the 1930s, but only a sliver of the midriff was revealed and the navel was vigilantly covered. 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.

[DFG]

The bikini was introduced 75 years ago today.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[dynachrome]

Pictures of the evolution of the bikini are needed.

[CodeToad]

[frank ballenger]

Pictures needed....

Maybe the modern FReeper needs only views of the bombs being tested on the atoll and doesn’t care about the garment at-all.

[wally_bert]

Interesting mixture of styles.

[CodeToad]

What, a blonde and a bikini??

[Triple]

I think the Greeks had the bikini.

[Roadrunner383]

Ursula Andress coming out of the sea in that white bikini in Dr. No was a landmark moment for swimwear.

[lee martell]

Who invented that itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini?
Asking for a friend.

[Seruzawa]

The greatest invention next to the wheel and beer.

[a fool in paradise]

[21twelve]

The gal was cute enough - the bikini wasn’t the greatest looking. The top was okay, but the bottom looked like a huge napkin in front. I was surprised though, her butt was very exposed.

I saw an old photo from the 20’s from up on a beach on a lake. It was all men (and boys) in the water and all were wearing tops in the water. I wonder if they had different swim times for the women?

[dinodino]

Yum

[Libloather]

Who starts a bikini thread without pictures?

[wally_bert]

Camo and bikini.

[bigbob]

I remember hearing that by ‘68 the top part would be gone completely, and being highly disappointed when that did not happen. Still hasn’t, except in ways no man would ever want to see.

[dainbramaged]

itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini
I remember when that song was on the juke box in most places.

[SuperLuminal]

Ah yes! I remember the Bikini... It was my 5th year in the Corps...

When beaches got really hot

[reintarnation]

You can thank me later.