International Bikini Day celebrates the introduction of the bikini on July 5,1946. The bikini was invented by French automotive designer Louis Reard, naming his invention after Bikini Atoll, wher…
The bikini turned 71 years old on July 5,2017. The iconic two-piece midriff and leg-baring swimwear was introduced to the public on July 5,1946. French automotive designer Louis Reard is credited with the design. When he was unable to convince any of the prevailing models of the era to pose in his creation, he hired Micheline Bernardini, a 19-year-old nude dancer to model it for him. Over time, the bikini has launched the careers of actresses and models from Raquel Welch, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth and Ursula Andress to Adriana Lima, Christie Brinkley, Naomi Campbell and Chrissy Teigen. Thanks in part to heavy marketing by the likes of Victoria’s Secret and other swimwear makers, bikini sales are an $811 million industry in the U. S. alone. While opinions vary, the bikini is also viewed as a liberating garment for women, allowing the wearer to challenge the status quo of social norms related to the baring of a woman’s body in public.
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