Now bikinis are a common sight on beaches everywhere and British women alone shell out more than £285million a year on swimwear.
To celebrate National Bikini Day, here are 67 facts to mark 67 years of the two-piece . . . oh, and a few pictures too.
Although the modern bikini as we know it was launched in 1946, archeologists uncovered mosaics of the ancient Greeks wearing similar cloth styles dating back to 1400BC.
Ancient paintings from the same period show women wearing similar coverings to the two-piece bikini.
Before the bikini there was the bathing gown. In the 18th Century, women would
cover up in dresses made of wool or flannel.
The original bikini designed by Louis Reard consisted of only 30 square inches of fabric.
Reard declared it was not a real bikini unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring.
The bikini is named after the Bikini Atoll Islands in the North Pacific where the atomic bomb was tested, possibly as a nod to its explosive impact on the fashion scene.
The original bikini designed by Louis Reard consisted of only 30 square inches of fabric.
Reard declared it was not a real bikini unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring.
The bikini is named after the Bikini Atoll Islands in the North Pacific where the atomic bomb was tested, possibly as a nod to its explosive impact on the fashion scene.
Reard had a hard time finding a girl to model the bikini but showgirl
Micheline Bernardini stepped up.
Bernardini later received more than 50,000 grateful fan letters after her appearance.
The first bikini was described as showing “everything about a girl except her mother’s maiden name”.
The bikini was initially banned by predominantly Catholic countries.
At the first Miss World event in 1951, Swedish winner Kiki Hakansson became the first and last to wear a bikini for the crowning ceremony after prompting condemnation from the Pope.
More than 50 unnamed women were ordered off Australia’s Bondi beach in 1951 for wearing bikinis.
In the 1950s, swimsuits with pointed cups were popular. Some could be inflated to be as big as the wearer, or her hubby, desired.
Bernardini later received more than 50,000 grateful fan letters after her appearance.
The first bikini was described as showing “everything about a girl except her mother’s maiden name”.
The bikini was initially banned by predominantly Catholic countries.
At the first Miss World event in 1951, Swedish winner Kiki Hakansson became the first and last to wear a bikini for the crowning ceremony after prompting condemnation from the Pope.
More than 50 unnamed women were ordered off Australia’s Bondi beach in 1951 for wearing bikinis.
In the 1950s, swimsuits with pointed cups were popular. Some could be inflated to be as big as the wearer, or her hubby, desired.
Brigitte Bardot helped cement the bikini’s popularity by wearing one on the
beach at her first ever Cannes Film Festival appearance in 1953.
Diana Dors wore a mink design at the 1955 Venice Film Festival.
When the song Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini was released in June 1960 by Brian Hyland, bikini sales soared.
Diana Dors wore a mink design at the 1955 Venice Film Festival.
When the song Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini was released in June 1960 by Brian Hyland, bikini sales soared.
The white bikini worn by Bond girl Ursula Andress in 1962’s Dr No is often
cited as the most famous swimwear of all time.
Playboy first featured a bikini on its cover in 1962.
The last time Marilyn Monroe was on screen in a bikini was in 1962’s Something’s Got To Give.
The bikini made it on to the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1964.
Raquel Welch had three lines in 1966 film One Million Years BC but her furry two-piece stole the show.
The most popular bikini wax is the Brazilian, when all areas are waxed leaving only a “landing strip”.
The most expensive bikini in the world is worth £20million, with more than 150 carats of diamonds.
The world’s largest bikini parade, featuring 287 girls in Johannesburg, South Africa, took place in 2009 for breast cancer awareness.
Playboy first featured a bikini on its cover in 1962.
The last time Marilyn Monroe was on screen in a bikini was in 1962’s Something’s Got To Give.
The bikini made it on to the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1964.
Raquel Welch had three lines in 1966 film One Million Years BC but her furry two-piece stole the show.
The most popular bikini wax is the Brazilian, when all areas are waxed leaving only a “landing strip”.
The most expensive bikini in the world is worth £20million, with more than 150 carats of diamonds.
The world’s largest bikini parade, featuring 287 girls in Johannesburg, South Africa, took place in 2009 for breast cancer awareness.
The thong is known as “fio dental” in Brazil — dental floss.
This dental floss-style was developed by model Rose De Primallio.
Demi Moore was 40 when she made her bikini comeback in 2003 movie Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.
Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher hated her metal bikini in 1983’s Star Wars Episode VI — Return Of The Jedi. She said: “When I laid down, it stayed up. Boba Fett could see all the way to Florida.”
There’s a website dedicated to Leia’s bikini, leiasmetalbikini.com.
One in four women do not trust anyone to tell them honestly if their swimsuit looks good on them.
This dental floss-style was developed by model Rose De Primallio.
Demi Moore was 40 when she made her bikini comeback in 2003 movie Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.
Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher hated her metal bikini in 1983’s Star Wars Episode VI — Return Of The Jedi. She said: “When I laid down, it stayed up. Boba Fett could see all the way to Florida.”
There’s a website dedicated to Leia’s bikini, leiasmetalbikini.com.
One in four women do not trust anyone to tell them honestly if their swimsuit looks good on them.
Forty per cent of women look forward to flaunting their cleavage on holiday in
their bikini.
Forty-three per cent would quit Facebook for ever if they could have a body like a bikini model.
Pamela Anderson’s ad for web hosting firm Dreamscape Networks, featuring her in a skimpy bikini, was recently banned for being sexist and degrading to women.
Florida banned thong bikinis from state beaches in 1990.
Half of women say their tummy is their biggest bikini concern.
Forty-three per cent would quit Facebook for ever if they could have a body like a bikini model.
Pamela Anderson’s ad for web hosting firm Dreamscape Networks, featuring her in a skimpy bikini, was recently banned for being sexist and degrading to women.
Florida banned thong bikinis from state beaches in 1990.
Half of women say their tummy is their biggest bikini concern.
Myleene Klass’s bikini shower scene in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out
Of Here! from 2006 has clocked up more than 270,000 hits on YouTube.
Helen Flanagan’s bikini nipple slip from the same show this year has pulled in fewer than 40,000 hits.
The world’s largest bikini photoshoot took place on September 25, 2001, when 1,010 women gathered in Sydney, Australia.
When posters of Beyonce’s H&M bikini ad went up on a bus stop in New York, a mystery person covered it up every day.
Beyonce hit the roof when H&M suggested airbrushing her curves. They remained untouched.
China is the world’s largest exporter of swimwear, responsible for about 70 per cent of shipments.
The International Olympic Committee demanded beach volleyball players cover up at London 2012. Thankfully they declined.
In Spain, a “bikini” is also a hot ham and cheese sandwich.
Sacha Baron Cohen showed the world what a male version of the bikini might look like with his green “mankini” in 2006 film Borat.
The average bikini cup size is a 36C.
Helen Flanagan’s bikini nipple slip from the same show this year has pulled in fewer than 40,000 hits.
The world’s largest bikini photoshoot took place on September 25, 2001, when 1,010 women gathered in Sydney, Australia.
When posters of Beyonce’s H&M bikini ad went up on a bus stop in New York, a mystery person covered it up every day.
Beyonce hit the roof when H&M suggested airbrushing her curves. They remained untouched.
China is the world’s largest exporter of swimwear, responsible for about 70 per cent of shipments.
The International Olympic Committee demanded beach volleyball players cover up at London 2012. Thankfully they declined.
In Spain, a “bikini” is also a hot ham and cheese sandwich.
Sacha Baron Cohen showed the world what a male version of the bikini might look like with his green “mankini” in 2006 film Borat.
The average bikini cup size is a 36C.
Kelly Brook keeps her bikini body in shape by using a hula hoop.
The biggest bikini bra size available online is a 40K.
The most popular colour they are bought in is blue.
Bikini sales plummeted during the 1980s and early 1990s as the one-piece experienced a resurgence.
Inspired by Madonna and her conical bra, bikini designers in the 1980s experimented with boned and wired bustier tops.
The burkini is the “anti-bikini”, a swimsuit that covers the whole body. Nigella Lawson famously wore one on Sydney’s Bondi Beach in 2011.
Myleene Klass, Kelly Brook and Geri Halliwell have all brought out their own bikini ranges.
The average British woman starts preparing her “bikini body” a month before hitting the beach.
Rihanna’s favourite bikini brand is Charlie by Matthew Zink.
Zink says small bikini briefs actually make big bums look smaller.
The cheapest bikini in the UK is Primark’s £3 coral string set.
The halterneck is the most popular bikini style sold in Wales.
The bandeau style is the most popular style sold in London.
Women from Northern Island wear the least revealing bikinis.
US novelist Erma Bombeck said: “Women shop for a bikini with more care than they do a husband.”
While in Barbados in 2011 Coleen Rooney wore 13 different bikinis on a single week’s holiday.
Coleen’s love of bikinis saw her dubbed “the bikini queen”.
US photographer Steven Klein said: “What makes a bikini sexy is the mind perceiving it and the body wearing it.”
Sales of thong swimwear soared after Sisqo’s 1999 hit Thong Song.
Women feel at their sexiest in a bikini once they hit 50.
US women spend on average more than £660million a year on bikinis and swimsuits.
Speedo is the biggest-selling swimwear brand in the world.
British babes Helen Flanagan, Kelly Brook and Jessie J all feature in the Huffington Post website’s top 100 celeb bikini bodies.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4998198/national-bikini-day-celebration-with-facts.html#ixzz2aVTZOPuN
The biggest bikini bra size available online is a 40K.
The most popular colour they are bought in is blue.
Bikini sales plummeted during the 1980s and early 1990s as the one-piece experienced a resurgence.
Inspired by Madonna and her conical bra, bikini designers in the 1980s experimented with boned and wired bustier tops.
The burkini is the “anti-bikini”, a swimsuit that covers the whole body. Nigella Lawson famously wore one on Sydney’s Bondi Beach in 2011.
Myleene Klass, Kelly Brook and Geri Halliwell have all brought out their own bikini ranges.
The average British woman starts preparing her “bikini body” a month before hitting the beach.
Rihanna’s favourite bikini brand is Charlie by Matthew Zink.
Zink says small bikini briefs actually make big bums look smaller.
The cheapest bikini in the UK is Primark’s £3 coral string set.
The halterneck is the most popular bikini style sold in Wales.
The bandeau style is the most popular style sold in London.
Women from Northern Island wear the least revealing bikinis.
US novelist Erma Bombeck said: “Women shop for a bikini with more care than they do a husband.”
While in Barbados in 2011 Coleen Rooney wore 13 different bikinis on a single week’s holiday.
Coleen’s love of bikinis saw her dubbed “the bikini queen”.
US photographer Steven Klein said: “What makes a bikini sexy is the mind perceiving it and the body wearing it.”
Sales of thong swimwear soared after Sisqo’s 1999 hit Thong Song.
Women feel at their sexiest in a bikini once they hit 50.
US women spend on average more than £660million a year on bikinis and swimsuits.
Speedo is the biggest-selling swimwear brand in the world.
British babes Helen Flanagan, Kelly Brook and Jessie J all feature in the Huffington Post website’s top 100 celeb bikini bodies.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4998198/national-bikini-day-celebration-with-facts.html#ixzz2aVTZOPuN
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