This month in 1946, two French designers introduced the itsy bitsy teeny weeny bathing suit that revolutionized swim fashion.
Nowadays seeing a bikini-clad woman on the beach doesn’t raise any eyebrows, but the two-piece swimsuit has come a long way since its scandalous origins. In the early 20th century, women’s bathing suits were traditionally one pieces with shorts and looser silhouettes, a far cry from the Brazilian two-pieces that models like Gisele Bundchen have made popular today.
The movement from the modest one pieces to the bikini was gradual, with a couple shocking bumps along the way. Athletes and performers started appearing in midriff baring ensembles around the turn of the century, from nightclub mainstays like Josephine Baker (pictured right) to female Olympians. By the ’30s, exposing the midriff was becoming more of a fashion norm, with couturier Madeleine Vionnet debuting a belly-baring evening gown and American designer Claire McCardell creating the first cut-out swimsuit – a one piece sans sides.
The ’40s brought the two-piece swim suit, though the decade’s take on revealing skin was reserved. The suits typically only exposed a sliver of skin between the top and bottom pieces – not nearly enough to get a good stomach tan!
The bikini as we know it got its start in 1946 when two designers in France separately introduced their two-piece creations. Both Louis Réard, a mechanical engineer and son of lingerie shop owners, and Jacques Helm, a fashion designer, landed on the concept of the two-piece suit just months apart. (Coincidence? Maybe.)
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