Bikini variants
[2] Modern bikini fashions are characterized by a simple, brief design: two triangles of fabric that form a bra and cover the woman's breasts and two triangles of fabric on the bottom forming a panty cut below the navel[3] that cover the groin in front and the buttocks in back.
[13] There is an urban myth that the Brazilian fashion model Rose di Primo created the first string bikini when she had to sew one with insufficient fabric available to her for a photo shoot.
[14] The first formal presentation of string bikini was done by Glen Tortorich, a public relations agent, and his wife Brandi Perret-DuJon, a fashion model, for the opening of Le Petite Centre, a shopping area in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana in 1974.
Models recruited by talent agent Peter Dasigner presented it by removing fur coats by Alberto Lemon on stage.
By the end of the season, Gernreich had sold 3000 swimsuits at $24 apiece, which meant a tidy profit for such a minuscule amount of fabric.
[23] In the 1960s, the monokini led the way into the sexual revolution by emphasizing a woman's personal freedom of dress, even when her attire was provocative and exposed more skin than had been the norm during the more conservative 1950s.
[citation needed] Micro bikini designs for men were introduced at the end of the 1960s consisting of briefs that barely covered the coccyx and the pubic hair.
[30] During the 1980s the popularity of highly revealing thongs such as those found in the microkini led to a rise in the use of Brazilian waxing to remove most of the hair from the pubic area.
Celebrities wearing microkinis have included Emily Ratajkowski, Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid.
In Europe the wearing of microkinis at beaches or hotels or public pools is often allowed[38] but it may be considered culturally inappropriate in more conservative societies.
[41] The tankini is a swimsuit combining a tank top, mostly made of spandex-and-cotton or Lycra-and-nylon, and a bikini bottom introduced in the late 1990s.
[42][43][44] According to author William Safire, "The most recent evolution of the -kini family is the tankini, a cropped tank top supported by spaghetti-like strings.
[50] According to Katherine Betts, Vogue's fashion-news director, this amphibious sportswear for sand or sea lets the user go rafting, playing volleyball and swimming without worrying about losing their top.
It reappeared a few years ago as a bikini bottom with a stringed halter of two triangular pieces of cloth covering the breasts.
[53] Writer William Safire wrote in The New York Times: "Stripping to essentials, if the trikini is three pieces, the bikini two and the monokini one, when will we see the zerokini?
"[54] Dolce & Gabbana designed trikinis for Summer 2005 as three pieces of scintillating fabric that barely cover the wearer.
[62] A bandeaukini, alternatively called a bandini,[63] bandkini or bandikini, is a bandeau top, with no straps going over the shoulders, worn with any bikini bottom.
[74] Two-piece swimsuits with usual skirt panels were popular in the US before the government ordered a 10% reduction in fabric used in woman's swimwear in 1943 as wartime rationing.
[12] Subsequent variations on the theme include the monokini, tankini, string bikini, thong, slingshot, minimini, teardrop, and micro.
[100] The fabrics and other materials used to make bikinis are an essential element of their style and crucial modifiers of swimsuit design.
[3] Crochet, lace, PVC, raffia, fur, latex, velvet and other uncommon items are also used as bikini material.
[101] Fashion adviser Malia Mills has two basic criteria to check the material—it does not wrinkle into a bundle at the back, and nothing "falls out" when picking a towel or raising the arms.
[112] While spandex is used in most swimsuits designs because of its high elasticity, lower expense,[108] and water wicking nature, its major drawback is that it breaks down in chlorine, commonly found in swimming pools.
[100] UK actress Diana Dors wore a mink bikini designed by Julie Harris at the Cannes Film Festival to become an instant sensation.
[117][118] Italian sportswear designer Emilio Pucci produced bikinis in soft silk jersey in his signature style.
[3] Rio de Janeiro designer Triya created a rigid metal bandeau top that looked a cast of the model's chest.
[126][127][128][129] Inventor Claudia Escobar made bikinis out of tanned and dyed salmon skin in 2003 which earned a Green Seal of approval for sustainable products.
[132] Pistol Panties, a label favored by celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss, introduced a UK£2,000 bikini in 2009.
[135] By the 1970s, when American women began to adopt European styles, bikini variants started to diversify widely.
[136] Designers like Tom Brigance at Lord & Taylor department store cut his swimwear from colorful cottons in stripes, large prints, and polka dots to give early bikinis a more tailored look.
