The Yellow Bikini Has an Unlikely Birthplace

The bikini has become the most recognizable type of woman’s swimsuit today. Worn by models, actresses and beachgoers, the bikini has become an icon of freedom and comfort in women’s swimwear. Bikinis are offered in virtually any size, design or color. If you want to purchase a red bikini, a blue bikini, or a yellow bikini—you can find the perfect one for you! However, while many people are familiar with the bikini, fewer people are aware of the history of the bikini.

The Bikini’s Birthplace

Contrary to what one might assume, the term “bikini” did not originate in Paris, Milan, or New York City. In fact, bikinis, including the yellow bikini, were born in the Marshall Islands. In the summer of 1946, an atomic bomb was dropped on Bikini Atoll, in a test. Bikini Atoll is located in an isolated region of the Pacific Ocean.

The term “Bikini” is the only word in Modern English, which originates from the language Marshallese. Soon after the nuclear test, the fashion term bikini had also been integrated into French, and subsequently into English. Then on July 5, 1946, Louis Reard shocked Paris’s fashion world with his newest fashion design. It was a meagre swimsuit that only included four pieces of material, shaped like triangles. Narrow straps held these triangles in place, which had been carefully positioned on the female body.

One might assume that several flamboyant fashion models would be thrilled about unveiling the bikini to Paris’s fashion world. In fact, not one could be found. Instead, a nude dancer from the Casino de Paris posed in the new swimsuit attire. Like the atomic bomb that had been tested in the Marshall Islands, the industrialized world’s interest in bikinis, including the yellow bikini, exploded.

Bombs and Bikinis

The irony of the bikini’s name existed in its being a woman’s fashion item that commemorated the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, during peacetime. The United States conducted a total of 23 nuclear tests there, for over a decade afterwards.

The Bikini Boom

While the term bikini immediately became popular in English, it failed to become a common component of beachwear, until much later. The 1960 hit song "Itsy-Bitsy-Teenie-Weenie-Yellow-Polka-Dot Bikini" helped to promote not only the yellow bikini, but others as well. Also, the 1960s unconventional fashion styles and beach movies helped bikinis, such as the yellow bikini, to increase in popularity.

The story of the bikini’s creation remains as intriguing as the swimsuit itself. In commemoration of the bikini’s birthplace, today, many tourists wear bikinis, such as a yellow bikini, when visiting Bikini Atoll.