Bikini Swimsuits Then & Now

Bikini swimsuits have evolved in time along with people’s conceptions about the beach and tanning. Until the 18th century, the ocean or the sea generally inspired fear and even repulsion, due to its impredictble character. The oceans’ water and breeze were considered unhealthy, especially because the algae smell. Moreover, people back then thought the ocean was populated with all kinds of monsters and strange creatures. The oceans’ world was considered a mystery, amplified by stories with sirens and marine creatures. In order to protect themselves against those ocean creatures, the sailors back then decided to name their ships after saints’ names (Saint Joseph, Saint Stephan).Gradually, while people started to think differently about the sea/ocean world, notions like beach, bath and swimsuits were used more and more.

The first historical data related to swimsuits was found from the flourishing Roman times. Archaeologists have found drawings of women wearing two piece swimsuits, similar to the ones that were popular in 1960. After the roman period, swimsuits were forgotten for many centuries.

In 1900, people never went to the beach to tan their skin, as the fashion demands were quite different from today: the white skin was an example of purity, and if women went to the beach, they always stayed in the shade. The shape of their bodies has hidden by their small dresses with large sleeves and black panties and hats. Moreover, the dresses were designed with weights that prevented them to rise in the beach wind. When women went into the water, the same weights prevented the dress to rise on the surface of the water.

After the First World War, undershirts with stripes or in one color were very popular; men and women wear them in order to underline the shape of their bodies. Until 1915, the only activity women did while staying on the beach was to jump around in the water while holding a rope that was tied on the shore. Swimming was a sport dedicated exclusively to men. Now women started to swim as well, and the design of the swimsuits had to change in order to offer more comfort while being in the water. This is the moment when the one piece swimsuit is designed. 1946 was a year of controversy – the year when the first bikini swimsuit was invented. The only problem is that the bikini swimsuit was considered so provocative, that no respectable model would wear it. Swimsuit designers choose strippers to present their creations.

The first women ever wearing a bikini swimsuit was a stripper from Casino Paris, Micheline Bernardini.

In the 50’s, the bikini has a high cut, covering the underbelly, but starting with the 60’s, the bikini swimsuits become smaller and smaller. The 80’s bring the thong bikini, inspired from the traditional costumes of Amazonian tribes. The 90’s bring a true diversity of swimsuit designs. Designers created a large range of shapes and colors, ending the taboo period of bikini swimsuits. Today, the swimsuit collections contain even haute couture pieces, proving once again the power and the versatility of this item in our wardrobe.