It's hard to imagine, but the bikini, a cultural icon in the U.S., has only been around for 60 years. The actual word "bikini" has been in existence since 1946, however the popular two-piece swimsuit that embodies that name has existed since about 1600 B.C. What follows is the fascinating history of the bikini.
Based on evidence from Roman mosaics and murals, historians believe that the bikini was popular swim suit attire for ancient Roman women. In a time when cultural and moral norms were much more lax than they are today, the bikini was right at home. Actually, historians have evidence that the bikini was in existence long before ancient Rome. Cave excavators have discovered Minoan wall paintings from 1600 B.C. that show a two-piece outfit similar to the modern day bikini.
Modern day evidence of the bikini began in the summer after the close of World War 11. As France recovered from the reeling effects of the war on its home soil, Jacques Heim, a fashion designer from Cannes, was busily working on this latest style invention, a two-piece swimsuit of a very revealing nature. Heim debuted his creation in 1946. He named the swimsuit the "Atome" in honor of the recently discovered atom, the smallest particle of matter yet detected. He then sent skywriters over the beaches of Cannes to announce the Atome, "the world's smallest bathing suit," was now available for purchase.
The man who has gone down in history as the inventor of the bikini is not Jacques Heim, but Louis Reard. Reard, a French mechanical engineer turned swimsuit designer, unveiled his Atome creation, just three weeks after Heim. Reard named his swimsuit the "bikini," taking the name from the Bikini Reef, one of a series of islands in the South Pacific where testing on the atom bomb was occurring. Reard's bikinis was introduced to the U.S. markets in 1947 to a shocked America, and slow sales. The bikini was even outlawed in public in many U.S. cities. It would be nearly 20 years before American women truly embraced the bikini. Since the 1960's there has been no turning back. American women, and men, began a love affair with the bikini which has lasted to this day. Perhaps the sexual and moral revolution of the 1960's accounted for this love affair. Long live the bikini.
Monday, January 13, 2014
History Lesson Of The Day: The Bikini
It's hard to imagine, but the bikini, a cultural icon in the U.S., has only been around for 60 years. The actual word "bikini" has been in existence since 1946, however the popular two-piece swimsuit that embodies that name has existed since about 1600 B.C. What follows is the fascinating history of the bikini.
Based on evidence from Roman mosaics and murals, historians believe that the bikini was popular swim suit attire for ancient Roman women. In a time when cultural and moral norms were much more lax than they are today, the bikini was right at home. Actually, historians have evidence that the bikini was in existence long before ancient Rome. Cave excavators have discovered Minoan wall paintings from 1600 B.C. that show a two-piece outfit similar to the modern day bikini.
Modern day evidence of the bikini began in the summer after the close of World War 11. As France recovered from the reeling effects of the war on its home soil, Jacques Heim, a fashion designer from Cannes, was busily working on this latest style invention, a two-piece swimsuit of a very revealing nature. Heim debuted his creation in 1946. He named the swimsuit the "Atome" in honor of the recently discovered atom, the smallest particle of matter yet detected. He then sent skywriters over the beaches of Cannes to announce the Atome, "the world's smallest bathing suit," was now available for purchase.
The man who has gone down in history as the inventor of the bikini is not Jacques Heim, but Louis Reard. Reard, a French mechanical engineer turned swimsuit designer, unveiled his Atome creation, just three weeks after Heim. Reard named his swimsuit the "bikini," taking the name from the Bikini Reef, one of a series of islands in the South Pacific where testing on the atom bomb was occurring. Reard's bikinis was introduced to the U.S. markets in 1947 to a shocked America, and slow sales. The bikini was even outlawed in public in many U.S. cities. It would be nearly 20 years before American women truly embraced the bikini. Since the 1960's there has been no turning back. American women, and men, began a love affair with the bikini which has lasted to this day. Perhaps the sexual and moral revolution of the 1960's accounted for this love affair. Long live the bikini.
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