From woolen swimwear to high-cut bikinis, the two-piece bathing suit has seen an extreme evolution over the past century. Take a walk through the decades to see how your favorite swimsuit came to be!
1910s: The decade that started an unstoppable revolution of bikinis. Carl Jantzen invented the two-piece bathing costume in 1913, but it was very different from modern suits. The bathing suit is two pieces but covered from the shoulders to just above the knee. The suit was made of wool and came with a stocking cap.
1920s: In keeping with the rebellious flapper era, bathing suits became shorter and more formfitting.
1930s: Enter the exposed midriff we know and love today! Even with showing a bit more skin, the belly button was always covered. During this era, swimsuits became more water-friendly with manufacturers using materials like latex.
1940s: French designer Louis Réard invented the string bikini, exposing belly buttons everywhere. The name “bikini” is a nod to the first atomic bomb site, Bikini Atoll, because of its risqué design.
1950s: After Brigitte Bardot was photographed sporting a bikini on the French Riviera during the Cannes Film Festival, the two-piece swimsuit became extremely popular in Europe. American actresses soon jumped on the trend.
1960s: Bikinis became more mainstream in America after Ursula Andress famously wore one in the James Bond film Dr. No.
1970s: While the string bikini was introduced to the market in the 1940s, the style didn’t gain popularity until the ’70s. In 1974, thong bikinis were introduced in Brazil.
1980s: The high-cut bottom was born and nearly 20% of all bathing suits were bikinis.
1990s: Tankinis were the latest in swimsuit fashion in the ’90s. Clean lines and minimalist designs dominated the runway.
2000s: Thanks to the movie Blue Crush, swimwear took on a sportier look with boy-short bottoms and triangle tops. As tops and bottoms were now sold separately, mixing bikinis became all the rage.
2010s: In the 2010s, bathing suit manufacturers got wise and realized that every body is a bikini body. Size-inclusive swimwear finally hit the market and encouraged body positivity for all.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
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