Who would have thought that the name of a remote Pacific atoll, site of atom bomb testing in the late 1940s, could have become wedded in the public mind to one of the sexiest and most enduring clothing items of the summer? Marking an atypical career trajectory, French mechanical engineer-turned bikini designer, Louis Réard, known as the godfather of the garment’s modern-day incarnation, is said to have come up with the moniker in a wink to its tiny size yet explosive impact, with the term ‘bombshell’ adopted as a popular reference for the ladies in these revealing swimsuits.
The story goes that Réard, who had taken over his parents’ lingerie business in Paris, entered into competition with fashion designer Jacques Heim to produce the world’s smallest two-piece,having observed women on the beaches in Saint-Tropez rolling up the edges of their swimsuit bottoms while tanning. (The first functional two-piece is said to have been invented by swimwear designer Carl Jantzen in 1913).
Harnessing his technical skills to reduce the proportions and fabric of the fledgling two-piece, in 1946 Réard launched the string bikini, honed from four triangles of fabric and fastened with spaghetti ties. He recruited a nude dancer from the Casino de Paris to model the creation, causing a cultural explosion. For the first time, radically, bikini bottoms dropped below the navel.
urves on film
The design evolution of the bikini traces the emancipation of women, as a symbol of liberty and body confidence, with generations of silver screen icons helping to stoke its myth. Significant moments include the 1956 French film, And God Created Woman, where all that stood between the audience and Brigitte Bardot’s private parts were some brief cuts of fabric, and, of course, original Bond girl Ursula Andress’s white bikini moment in Dr. No (1962). Sporting a matching army knife belt, replete with dagger, Andress, as she emerged dripping from the water (a scene later emulated by Halle Berry in Die Another Day), epitomised the femme fatale. Andress auctioned off the bikini at Christie’s in London in 2001, raising $61,500 (£35,000),sagging slightly below estimations.
String variations
The past few decades have delivered a volley of new takes on the bikini: from the tankini, pairing a bandeau (a strapless top) with bikini bottoms, to the Brazilian thong, the sartorial equivalent of dental floss. There are triangle tops, tie-tops, and halter-tops, and for below, t-strings, g-strings and V-strings (Victoria’s Secret-branded g-strings), offering subtle design variations at the rear. Nowadays anything goes, be it a skimpy yellow polka dot number, a sporty style à la Lara Croft, or a big-bottomed, pin-up design evoking Hollywood screen sirens.
Recent years have seen a return to more covered up, retro styles in swimwear, and an increased appetite for the one-piece. In a world where celebrities visit malls wearing swimsuits (I’m looking at you, Rihanna) – the more covered up look is an antidote for those jaded by the shock factor.
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