The Bikini- Swimwear’s Finest Design

Most people think of the bikini as a modern invention, but evidence has been found that women wore the bikini for athletic purposes since 1400 BC. Ancient Greek urns often depict women performing athletic endeavors while wearing bikini like garb. And bikini-like swimwear was worn long before the first official bikini. In fact two-piece bathing suits can be found in films made as early as the 1930’s.

Bikini Swimwear Is The Bomb

Modern bikini swimwear was invented by a French engineer and a fashion designer in the year 1946 and introduced in Paris, France. Because it was expected that the introduction of the string bikini would be like dropping a bomb it was named after a nuclear weapon test site called Bikini Atoll.

In 1951 many countries threatened to boycott the Miss World Contest, so bikini swimwear was banned from the contest. It wasn’t until 1957 that the bikini caught on in the United States. Movies and radio were very instrumental in the status of bikini swimwear. From the song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”, which started a bikini buying spree in 1960, to the movie “Beach Party” and Ursella Andress as the Bond girl in the movie “Dr. No”, bikini swimwear has never been more popular.

Modern Bikini Swimwear

Modern bikini swimwear is very fashionable and comes in a multitude of styles. Most are made of modern fabric blends made of spandex, Lycra, polyester, nylon and cotton. The colors are vibrant and displayed not just in solids but a variety of patterns such as floral, stripes and gradients.

Some modern bikinis have normal swimsuit bottoms while others are more like very short shorts. But on the worlds most popular beaches you will undoubtedly find many bikini bottoms that are called thongs, where the back of the thong is but a thin string and does not cover the buttocks at all. The thong become popular in Brazil during the 1970’s and soon spread around the globe.

Where To Buy Bikini Swimwear

If you have a perfect “Barbie” figure you can probably purchase bikini swimwear on the web. But most women will need to try on several different styles to find one that suits their own body type. Many retailers from discount stores, like Target and Wal-Mart, to high-end department stares, such as Nordstrom and Macy’s have a wide selection of bikini swimwear. A trip to your local mall should give you plenty of choices.