New Bikinis in the 60's
The history of the bikini can be traced back to antiquity. Illustrations of Roman women wearing bikini-like garments during competitive athletic events have been found in several locations. The most famous of them is Villa Romana del Casale. French engineer Louis Réard introduced the modern bikini, modeled by Micheline Bernardini, in July 5, 1946, borrowing the name for his design from the Bikini Atoll, where post-war testing on the atomic bomb was happening.
However, the bikini didn't immediately find favor. The Los Angeles Times reported in 1949, "The bathing beauty queen...blond Bebe Shopp, 18, of Hopkins, Minn...got an enthusiastic welcome in Paris, but she said she hasn't changed her mind about French swim suits. ... 'I don't approve of Bikini suits for American girls,' Bebe told her French interviewers... "The French girls can wear them if they want to, but I still don't approve of them on American girls." |
In 1960, Bryan Hyland releases a hit single: "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." Two years later, Ursula Andress emerges from the sea wearing a belted white bikini as Honey Ryder in Dr. No, Sean Connery's first James Bond film. That same year, Playboy finally puts a bikini on the cover.
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