Oh bikini! This type of swimsuit attracts the eye and makes the woman the queen of the beach. It seems that this outfit is the result of the evolution of modern society, but it is not. Many historical facts indicate that the bikini has a much longer and more complicated history of occurrence. The following list will examine in more detail the history of the appearance and some very interesting facts about bikinis.
1
They were worn in antiquity
In the photo: Ancient Roman mosaic “Coronation of the winner”
It is believed that bikinis first appeared in France a few years after the Second World War. But evidence was found that clearly shows that bikinis or similar outfits were worn long before our days.
The ancient artists from the settlement of Katalkhoyuk back in 5600 BC depicted their revered goddess in a dress that is very similar to a bikini. These images were found by contemporaries and carefully studied. Also, images of paintings and urns of Ancient Greece, which also show women in similar robes, have come down to us. These images were left back in 1400 BC. The plot paintings show women playing something like handball and other sports.
The outfits of Ancient Rome are also very similar to bikinis. In Sicily, in particular, the ancient Romana del Casale mansion has been preserved, in which there is a work from the mosaic “Coronation of the Winner”. It also depicts women in dresses very similar to modern bikinis. Such facts show that the fashion for outright outfits was in ancient times.
2
In ancient literature there are mentions of a bikini
There is not only visual evidence of the existence of bikinis in antiquity, but also a number of references in the literature of that time.
For example, the writings of Ovid, an ancient Latin poet, describe women who hide their charms under narrow strips of cloth wrapped around the chest and body. Is this not a description of a bikini?
Marital, the second most important Latin poet, who lived between 86 and 102 A.D., wrote a comedy work in which he talks about a pretty loose-headed girl. He describes her as a drinking, frivolous lady who commits adultery with both men and women, while wearing clothes that look like a bikini.
3
They were shown on blue screens
The main popularizers of bikinis were movie stars. The French actress and sex symbol Bridget Bardot in 1953 at the Cannes Film Festival was photographed in an explicit swimsuit, after which the sale of bikinis went up sharply.
Moreover, it is known that the first appearance of a bikini in our time took place on the screen in several films. It was the Hollywood of the 1930s. Then the law on morality and censorship in the cinema had not yet entered into force.
There is also a 1933 film by the great Babe Berkeley film “Golden Prospectors”, on which girls dancers are dressed in revealing costumes of coins. By the way, on our site most-beauty.ru there is an interesting article about the most coveted and beautiful Hollywood actresses in the history of cinema.
4
The war helped the appearance of a bikini
In the photo: Rita Hayworth - one of the most beautiful red-haired actresses in history
As we already said, bikinis appeared about sixty years ago after the Second World War. But before the war, such progress was not observed. And the global conflict is relevant to this.
In 1942, about 16 million American men and women were involved in the war. Of course, to ensure such an army needed funds, in particular, for uniforms, food and more. Such spending forced the National Security Council to cut back on fabric production for civilians and to give up all its strength for the army.
But clothing manufacturers have found a way out of the situation. In particular, a two-piece swimsuit for women was developed. That's about how this revolutionary swimsuit was invented. And about the most beautiful models of swimwear in the world, read this article with many photos.
5
The name has dark associations
The man credited with creating the bikini was French engineer Louis Rird. The date is July 5, 1946. This is the period of the first nuclear bomb test that took place on the Bikini coral reef in the Marshall Islands. Rird chose these islands for the presentation of his revolutionary swimsuit for women, a few days after the test. At the place of presentation, he named his costume.
The inspiration for Rirdo's design was the sunbathing people on the beaches of St. Tropez. He noticed that many are trying to bend their swimsuits in order to increase the tanning area and open up bright areas of the skin. So the idea of creating an open swimsuit was born.
However, an anthology can be drawn between a bikini and a nuclear bomb. This swimsuit just blew up the world with its frank design, waves enveloping the entire planet.
6
Reard had an opponent
In the photo: Jacques Heim and his model
While Rird inscribed his name in history, he might not be the only inventor of a bikini. Similar ideas were with Jacques Jaime, a fashion designer from France who ran a Cannes store selling swimwear.
In May 1946, a couple of months before Rird presented his creation, Jaime had already shown a new two-piece swimsuit. He called it Atome, which means "atom" in French. With this name he wanted to highlight its minimalism, comparing it with an elementary particle.
But why didn't Jaime become the person who invented the bikini? He compared an atom, and Rird said a couple of weeks later at the presentation that he had managed to “split the atom”. His swimsuit was even more frank, with an even more radical design. Ultimately, all the laurels went to Rird.
7
The confrontation of the bikini was very tough
In the photo: Miss World 1951 Kiki Hackansson
When bikini swimwear first appeared, they met with fierce resistance. The design was considered so scandalous that even professional models did not dare to wear it for an official presentation. Rird had to pay well for 19-year-old Michelin Bernardini, who worked in a casino to develop a figure design.
The press conference also aroused the indignation of journalists who were very embarrassed to see the Michelin bare stomach. Then bikinis were completely banned in some European countries. In the United States, he was also met with disapproval at first.
Then an attempt was made to popularize him at the Miss World contest. But when the winner of 1951, Swede Kiki Hackansson received her prize, dressed in a bikini, the religious community simply exploded with indignation. The contest organizers even had to ban a bikini, but not for long.
8
They were much more practical than some of their predecessors.
With the advent of bikinis, many women breathed a sigh of relief, because they were much more practical than the swimsuits that were used at that time. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, bathing was given great importance to female modesty. Women wore bulky suits that covered their entire body. They were also sewn of wool and flannel. Just imagine the pleasure of swimming in such an outfit. After bathing, they became shapeless, heavy and dried for a very long time. As a result of the evolution of swimwear, bikinis also appeared that allowed women to go swimming along with men.
9
These days there are many types of bikinis
It took a long time for this type of swimsuit to take over society. But after the approval of the public, various variations of the bikini began to appear.
One of the first was a bikini thong. It is believed that they were accidentally made by the Brazilian model Rosa Primallo when she was left in a competition with several shreds of fabric to make an outfit for filming. Designers noticed this frank, but very attractive swimsuit, and soon presented to the public a new model in the city of New Orleans at the opening of the casino.
Monokini, designed by Rudy Gernreich, was a swimsuit with a closed lower part and two thin stripes covering the chest. This option was not very popular.
There were versions like microkini that exposed the body as much as possible. Tanzini appeared in 1990 and is a bikini that can be combined with a T-shirt or t-shirt.
Finally, such an option as burkini, which covers the entire body with the head. This option was specifically designed for women from Muslim countries.
10
You could not afford the most expensive bikini option
Some types of bikinis go beyond the reach of everyone. Such an example was created in 1977. This outfit was made of platinum, worth about $ 10,000. That year, Miss Great Britain wore it to participate in the Miss World contest. Naturally, everyone was struck by this sparkling and very expensive outfit. For that time it was a lot of money.
In 2006, fashion designer Susan Rosen outdid him, who made a swimsuit worth $ 30 million. It was completely made of diamonds, each of which was at least 150 carats. Of course, there is no question of any convenience when wearing such an expensive swimsuit.
Among the less expensive models can also be called "bling-kini" from the company Pistol Panties. The swimsuit is inlaid with Swarovski crystals and costs £ 2,000.