The beach costume, bikini, invented on July 5, 1946 in Paris, "turns" 79 years old today. An iconic garment and synonymous with freedom and emancipation, writes "iodonna.it".
A favorite garment of Hollywood stars and every ordinary woman, of every age and origin, the bikini appeared in the summer of 1946 – thanks to the French designer who created the first prototype, called Atome.
On July 5, Louis Réard offered an 18-year-old stripper from the Casino de Paris – Micheline Bernardini, to pose in a swimsuit smaller than the existing prototype.
A prototype that the tailor himself had defined as "the smallest swimsuit in the world."
The parade in the Molitor swimming pool area was unforgettable, so much so that in 2015, at the same location, a celebration was held for that historic event.
While many figures called it a scandal – the Vatican called it an immoral and sinful outfit – the success was incredible.
Micheline Bernardini herself received 50,000 letters, many declarations of love and just as many marriage proposals.
Réard's prototype – made up of fabric triangles fastened together with twine – was called "bikini", after the Pacific Atoll – where just a few days earlier the United States had carried out the first bombing of "Operation Crossroads", as a nuclear test.
The contribution of cinema and Brigitte Bardot
An important impetus towards the bikini's entry into popular swimsuit culture came thanks to cinema.
Among the first actresses to publicly declare their love for this innovative garment was Brigitte Bardot.
She wore it on the French Riviera during her vacation and also in the film "Manina, the Girl in the Bikini" in 1952.
In those years, many beaches in Australia, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Italy still banned the use of this costume in public.
As the years passed, more and more actresses chose it on the big screen and in real life.
Among the most iconic in 1962 was Ursula Andress – wearing a white bikini with padded cups – in “Dr. No,” the first installment of the “James Bond” saga.
The bikini is now one of the most "popular" clothing items and synonymous with normality for many women on beach vacations.
But to reach this point, she had to resist time, overcome prejudice, and ride the wave of female emancipation.