With summer fast approaching, Plums Lingerie looks to its summer collection with an homage to a pioneering piece of beach fashion, the bikini.
Although the bikini arrived in 1946, courtesy of two French fashion designers in the French Riviera, and was still banned as recently as the 1951 Miss World Contest, it was not until the 1960s that the bikini became de rigueur on the worlds beaches . The 1960 song 'Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' and Ursula Andress' iconic performance as Honey Ryder in the 1962 Bond film, 'Dr. No', helped to catapult the two piece swimsuit to iconic status.
In recent generations, we enjoy a more relaxed approach to social convention (a century previous may have seen angry mob-like reactions to exposed flesh) and combined with today's shape enhancing materials means that bikinis are light-weight, comfortable and an essential item for the beach and poolside.
Pre-1946 - Before the fashion industry
The history of the bikini is not as brief as the garment itself. This story doesn't begin in the 20th century. Minoan wall paintings and ancient Greek and Roman artefacts suggest that the bikini goes as far back as 1600BC.
We can look to the women of the 19th and early 20th centuries to understand the bikini's modern history. Beachwear was back on the social agenda as the seaside became part of people's lifestyle.
Surprisingly, nudity was the preferred 'swimsuit' of 19th century women, with neither modesty nor icy waters able to provoke their inhibitions. However, contemporary society of the time demanded propriety, and clothes were put back on. Beachwear fashion became highly conservative, and seasiders began wearing impractical outfits, oftentimes covering the wearer from head to toe in wool or flannel.
By WWI, woollen 'tank-suits' were being worn, that hugged the body and enhanced women's natural curves. A shift towards practicality, style and freedom had arrived; across Europe the younger generation started to bare more despite the opposition they encountered.
As WWII approached, the femme fatales of Hollywood became style icons, and fashion became sleeker - beachwear gradually exposed the female form; arms, legs and, in particular, backs.
Post-WWII - The bikini arrives
Few could have predicted what was to come in 1946 when the bikini, as we know it, made its grand and shocking entrance onto Europe's beachwear scene.
Attempting to capture the spirit of a liberated and optimistic post-war society , Jacques Heim presented what he boasted to be "the world's smallest bathing suit" during the early summer of 1946. Naming it 'the Atome' - a reference to the atom, the world's smallest known particle, he clearly laid out his intentions for his creation. Less than three weeks later, however, French engineer Louis Reard followed with what he called 'the Bikini'; fiendishly marketed as "smaller than the smallest bathing suit in the world".
Reard emerged victorious, boasting a costume that comprised just 129 square inches of cotton, which could, he emphasised, be pulled through a wedding ring. His business initially soared as French women embraced its mischievous nature.
Despite this, the bikini struggled to make an immediate impact on the world's beaches. Society was at odds with the garment. Bans were enforced across Europe, influential commentators persecuted those who attempted to pursue the fashion, and even Hollywood bowed to the conservative judgement of ethical watchdogs.
Though people, particularly the press, were captured initially by the garment's sheer provocative nature, most were not ready for such an explicit display of the female body. Stars like Bridget Bardot and Marilyn Monroe, who used the bikini as a career prop, kept the bikini in the spotlight. For some time it remained the property of European women in the vanguard of fifties fashion - women in the upper-classes less prone to public scrutiny.
The 1960s and enduring progression
The swinging sixties marked the turning point for the contestable two-piece. The bikini hit the mainstream as a sexually liberated and outspoken youth 'let it all hang out'. Most importantly, the bikini broke America.
The media played its part, Hollywood in particular, where a spree of beach-themed films emerged throughout the early sixties. The 1962 film Dr No, in which Honey Ryder (actress Ursula Andress) casually strode out from the water in a white bikini, was one of a flurry of films which served to cement the bikini's position in popular culture. The scene has since been declared a defining moment in cinematic history.
The free-loving tide of the sixties proved too strong to quell. By 1967 over 65% of "the young set" had switched to the bikini, and their mothers were rapidly following suit. Few could play it down, a "less is more" attitude prevailed - the bikini had arrived and it was here to stay.
This Season
Today a plethora of bikini styles are available; the string bikini, the tankini, the halter bikini, and the infamous thong bikini. Spin-off products and services, like the bikini-wax and diet planning, created a style culture that took beach-fashion to the next level. Women now soak up the summer sun wearing the latest styles, tailored using the latest developments, and feel confident about the way they look.
Swimwear styles have come and gone but the bikini has endured. Its simplicity, ease and flattering glamour make it a must-have wardrobe item for summer. With designs, technology and materials available to suit any figure, the bikini is your little black dress this summer.
By:Andy Raimbault
