The two piece bikini may be a commonality in today’s world, but it has not always been like that. As swimming and other water activities have for so long been great activities of humans, the need for a swimwear that would allow the wearer to move freely in the water arose. The first women’s bathing suit resembled that of a long gown, although lighter. These designs, of course, still are not fit enough to allow the wearer to enjoy swimming. Social norms and etiquette at that time dictate that skin should be exposed as little as possible. As a matter of fact, when more skin-exposing designs of bathing suits were used, “bathing machines” were introduced to separate men and women within the swimming areas. Several years later, a pair of French designers broke barriers when they introduced the two-piece bathing suit, which is widely known as the bikini.

The history of the bikini

Garments strongly resembling the bikini have actually been around for centuries. The most famous account of this is the 4th Century AD mosaic dubbed as the “bikini girls” from Sicily. The mosaic features women playing sports and doing physical exercises while wearing two-piece garments, the top covering their breasts while the bottom covering their buttocks and groin areas. However, the modern two-piece suit that people are familiar with today was introduced in 1947. Featuring a newspaper print design and modeled by Micheline Bernardini, the two-piece garment was a design by French designers Louis Reard and fashion designer Jacques Heim. They named their creation after the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, where nuclear weapons were tested during that time. In a sense, their creation was indeed a bomb which started the explosion of what would become the most popular beach garment in the world.

More than a sexy garment

This swimsuit has many functions. With its minimum skin coverage, it allows the wearer to move comfortably and freely in the water. Exposing much of the skin to the sun also allows the wearer to have a relatively equally tanned body. With its numerous sexy designs, this popular swimming attire is also a highly fashionable apparel. Today, the bikini is featured in numerous events which include beauty pageants and sports that require more free movement among the players. This two-piece garment features many variants, ranging from the most modest ones to the most revealing designs. This swimwear style is indeed here to stay and make waves.