The hoteest bikini girls on the planet
The Amazing History of the Bikini
The "official" version has the bikini invented by 2 French fashion designers, Louis Réard and Jacques Heim in Paris in 1946. But the fashion that inspired it is nearly as old as civilization itself. In fact, Reard and Heim merely reinvented a fashion that had been found on wall paintings dating back to 1600 B.C. Archaeologists discovered Minoan wall paintings from 1600 B.C. and Roman mosaics from 300 A.D. that depict the bikini.
Ancient bikini mosaics
Ancient mosaics depicting bikini

In 1943 as part of wartime rationing, the U.S. Government ordered a 10 % reduction in fabric used in woman's swimwear. The skirt panel was removed, and out came the bare midriff. At beaches across the country, men paid special attention to women doing their patriotic duty. Reard decided to push the envelope. His suit had shrunk down to 30 inches of fabric.

Bikini Atoll a tiny coral island in the Marshall Islands, where Americans conducted several atomic detonations, has also been credited with the name of the swimwear. The bikini was introduced a few days after the explosions, and the thought being its introduction would have the same explosive effect or that the burst of excitement would resemble a nuclear detonation. However, women in Paris were wearing bikinis one year before the bikini was "invented". This fact is documented with pictures in the July 16, 1945 issue of Life.

When the bikini was first introduced in 1946 by Reard and Heim, the fashion models of Paris refused to wear it, claiming it scandalous and indecent. It was Micheline Bernardini who paraded onto a runway at a poolside fashion show in Paris. She was a nude dancer hired by Reard.

Americans rejected the fashion claiming it to risqué and immoral. Even though many Americans believed the bikini was simply too scandalous for virtuous American women, the bikini would make an appearance into American fashion only one year later.

In 1956, the movie, And God Created Woman features French sex kitten Brigitte Bardot This film raises the stakes as a 22 year-old Bardot bares her buns and flashes her breasts. But even the original bikini girl could not ignite serious interest in the bikini.

As American morals became more accepting and lenient of the fashion, film stars and models soon began emerging everywhere in the bikini. Many Hollywood bombshells like Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, Ursula Andress (the first Bond girl) and Raquel Welch all began appearing in the new bikini fashion both on film and off. The bikini, and it's impact, was about to change forever.

 

Annette Funnicello and friends
Annette Funnicello and friends
The obvious sex appeal of the bikini spawned numerous surf movies in the early 1960s. The world was introduced to bikini clad Annette Funnicello and her pals dancing on the beach in bikinis. In 1964 the bikini soon became a fixture on dorm walls and garages around the world with the appearance of Babette March on Sports Illustrated's first swimsuit cover.
Babette March, SI's first swimsuit cover

Micheline Bernardini - The "first" bikini model

Micheline Bernardini
1945 Cover of Life Magazine
July, 1945 cover of Life Magazine
The shocking sexual revolution of the 70's caused fashion designers to revamp the bikini to be even more revealing and titillating. String bikinis of the 1970s exposed below the navel, among other things, for the first time. Fashion was pushing the limits with less and less coverage.
The 1980's, introduced the thong bikini into American fashion for the first time. The thong bikini offered the least coverage yet imagined in the rear of the suit.
Seriously hot bikini model
Hot blonde in bikini
Bikini girl
And today? The evolution of the bikini continues to excite and tantalize us. Just browse the image galleries and see for yourself!