Though adorned with distinctive ties and charms, modern backless bikinis are nearly identical to the risqué two-piece sets that were first officially introduced in the 1940s, when a lack of conservatism meant they went unseen by women and men for nearly two decades.
On July 5, 1946, 18-year-old French exotic dancer Micheline Bernardini boldly donned the first-ever natural black-and-white bikini at a press conference at a public swimming pool in Paris.
When Louis Réard, a famous French mathematician turned fashion designer, came up with the bikini design that women have been wearing for nearly 80 years, he wanted it to be attention-grabbing. Decorated with newspaper clippings, he hoped it would shock and frighten people in the same way as the atomic bomb did in 1945. And when Bernardini’s photo appeared on the front page of newspapers, it did just that.
National Bikini Day: 5 things you didn’t know about the skimpy two-piece swimsuit
Louis Réard designed the first two-piece swimsuit, cut below the navel, when French exotic dancer Micheline Bernardini was asked to wear the bikini in front of journalists on July 5, 1946. (Photo by Bettmann via Getty Images | Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
After professional runway models refused to wear nearly nude swimsuits, Réard hired Bernardini to strut in front of the cameras in G-string bottoms and triangle-top designs.
According to History.com, Bernardini received approximately 50,000 fan letters, mostly from men, following the news of the incident.
The design, which uses very little fabric, was named “Bikini” by Réard after nuclear warhead tests conducted earlier that week off the tiny Pacific island of Bikini Atoll.
Bernardini’s 30-inch cotton and jersey swimsuit quickly became popular, but Réard’s designs struggled to gain favor with Americans until the 1960s. European women began wearing skimpy bikinis in the 1950s, but Spain and Italy banned the swimsuit style from public beaches in the early 1950s.
The revealing nature of swimsuits was largely a result of the rationing system during World War II.
SI SWIM SEARCH Finalist and Mother of Two Kristen Ruelle Gaffney Shows Off Her Curves on the Miami Runway: ‘It Was a Magical Moment’
After professional runway models refused to wear revealing two-piece outfits in public, French exotic dancer Micheline Bernardini was hired, and after her photos were published, she received nearly 50,000 fan letters. (AFP via Getty Images)
World War II put a heavy strain on rationing throughout the United States and Britain, with restrictions on items such as food, shoes and fabrics being imposed to save money.
To purchase rationed goods, people not only had to pay for the food and materials, but also had to pay “points” with their purchases. Points were issued to people, including babies, in the form of blue and red stamps for various selected items.
Readily available but rationed items were cheaper in points than items in high demand: In 1943, a pound of bacon cost 30 cents, or 7 points, according to the National WWII Museum.
When it came to clothing, Britain rationed fabric in 1941. Women’s dresses had to be 11 point, and men’s shirts eight point, according to the Imperial War Museum website.
The length of men’s shirts was restricted, and double cuffs on collared shirts were banned altogether. In addition, clothing prices rose and fabrics were restricted; some textiles, including silk, became completely unavailable to designers and manufacturers.
SI Swimsuit Cover Girl Brooks Nader Reveals Secret to Looking Great in a Bikini
Nearly 80 years after the first two-piece bikini was introduced and subsequently banned from some European beaches, the swimsuit remains popular among women around the world. (Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images via Sports Illustrated)
At the time, women’s fashion was not given much importance and clothing options for women were scarce. The general public continued to be fashion-conscious and made do with what was readily available and affordable.
As British and American governments tried to save their countries money, designers like Réard shifted their designs and marketing strategies to appeal to audiences, creating stylized garments that used raw materials and resources such as cotton to meet rationing requirements – and the bikini was born.
Rationing ended after World War II, but the bikini remained.
While Réard gave Bernardini his namesake, bikini drama and fans, his design was not the first two-piece swimsuit available to sunbathers, although it was the first to be cut below the navel.
In 1946, Réard’s rival, the fashion designer Jacques Heim, introduced the “world’s smallest swimsuit,” which he named the “Atome” after its size, but his first designs were released in the 1930s.
Click here to get the FOX News app
According to the Jewish Museum, Haim wanted to create the same level of excitement over this tiny piece of beachwear as an atomic bomb going off.
Nearly 80 years after women began appearing poolside in bikinis, the swimsuit remains a striking and attention-grabbing summer accessory.
