Behold the Mighty BIKINI
A
As the snow finally melts and the birds return from their southern routes in the Northern Hemisphere, those that have been bundled up and suffering through record snowfalls and frigid temperatures for the past 6 months can finally breathe a sigh of relief as summer is only a hop, skip, and jump away. Soon the toboggans and snowboards will be replaced by wave runners and surfboards, and the goose down jackets and fleece lined boots will be traded for sundresses and flip flops. The ski slopes will be empty, and the beaches packed. And once again, the almighty Bikini will reign as king on all of the queens at the beach. What a lovely thought indeed! I can
already smell the sweet scent of cocoa butter suntan lotion in the air.
The glorious separated pieces of small tiny fabric held together by strings and other things that we commonly refer to as the Bikini, was invented nearly 72 years ago by a French engineer named Louis Réard. Réard was a mechanical engineer who had through a twist of fate, taken over his mother’s lingerie business and become a fashion designer.
He had noticed that women were rolling up the edges of their cumbersome swimsuits in order to get better suntans during a visit to St. Tropez
A Brief History Of One Of Fashion's Most Iconic Creations
Brigitte Bardot,
while shooting the
1965 film "Viva Maria"
Photo: Louis Malle
10