When the bikini was first unveiled on July 5, 1946, the skimpy two-piece swimsuit sent shockwaves through the fashion world. Today, it has become a mainstream staple, but its origins are as explosive as its name suggests. French inventor and former car engineer Louis Réard named his daring creation after Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, where the United States conducted nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War. The original costume, dubbed “the world’s smallest swimsuit,” was made from just 30 inches of fabric and debuted at a Paris swimming pool show.
A to C: Atomic Origins to Carry On Antics
**A is for Atom Bomb:** Réard’s ‘explosive’ swimwear took its name from Bikini Atoll, the site of US nuclear tests. **B is for Beach:** He got the idea from watching women at St Tropez beach in France folding down their swimsuits to get a better tan. **C is for Carry On:** Barbara Windsor’s bikini famously pinged off in a scene from the 1969 film Carry on Camping, achieved using a fishing hook. The stunt raised £9,500 for charity in 2021.
D to F: Diamonds, Fur, and National Bikini Day
**D is for Diamonds:** The most expensive bikini, featuring 150 carat diamonds and worth £20 million, was designed by Susan Rosen in 2006. Actress Molly Sims wore it for a 2012 shoot. **E is for Events:** July 5 is officially National Bikini Day. **F is for Fur:** Raquel Welch famously starred in a fur bikini in the 1966 prehistoric epic One Million Years BC. The poster of the actress posing in it became a bestseller.
G to I: Gold Bikinis and Ancient History
**G is for Gold:** In 1983’s Return of the Jedi, Carrie Fisher wore a gold bikini as Princess Leia, describing it as “what supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell.” **H is for History:** Depictions of bikini-style costumes date back to ancient times, found on Greek urns and Roman mosaics in Sicily featuring women playing sport. **I is for I’m a Celeb:** Myleene Klass caused a sensation when she donned a white bikini for shower scenes on the 2006 series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. She bought it for £40 and later sold it for £7,500.
J to L: James Bond, Kelly Brook, and the Largest Parade
**J is for James Bond:** The iconic white bikini worn by Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in the 1962 movie Dr. No sold for £41,000 in 2001. She said, “This bikini made me into a success.” **K is for Kelly:** In a 2008 poll, model and Daily Star pin-up Kelly Brook was voted as having the best bikini body ever. **L is for Largest:** The biggest ever bikini parade, held in China in 2012, featured 1,085 participants.
M to O: Miss World, Nude Origins, and Orange Homage
**M is for Miss World:** The competition, first organised by Eric Morley in 1951 for the Festival of Britain, was originally known as the Festival Bikini Contest. Swedish model Kiki Håkansson won. **N is for Nude:** When fashion models turned down the chance to model Réard’s risqué outfit, he hired 18-year-old Micheline Bernardini, a stripper at a Paris club, to pose in it. She is still alive today at age 98. **O is for Orange:** Halle Berry paid homage to Andress’s bikini by wearing an orange number in a similar scene for the 2002 movie Die Another Day.
P to R: Popularity, Quirky Contests, and Red Scenes
**P is for Popular:** French actress Brigitte Bardot helped make bikinis trendy when she wore a floral one on the beach at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953. **Q is for Quirky:** There is an international contest called Miss Bikini of the Universe held in China, and in 1992 a movie called The Bikini Carwash Company was released. **R is for Red:** One of the most iconic movie scenes featuring a bikini was Phoebe Cates emerging from a pool in a red costume as Linda Barrett in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
S to U: Sport, Trendy, and Unusual Bikinis
**S is for Sport:** In the 1990s, bikinis became the official kit for women’s Olympic beach volleyball, debuting at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. **T is for Trendy:** The US Beach Party movies of the 1960s helped popularise the bikini. One was first featured on the cover of Playboy in 1962 and Sports Illustrated in 1964. **U is for Unusual:** At the 2013 Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga donned a seashell thong bikini.
V to Z: Videos, Wedding Rings, and Zany Contests
**V is for Videos:** Nicki Minaj wore a neon pink bikini in the video for her 2012 track “Starships.” **W is for Wedding Ring:** Réard said a true bikini “unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring.” **X is for X Rated:** The bikini has often been contentious. Pope Pius XII condemned it as sinful in the 1950s, and in 2013 an advert starring Pamela Anderson in one was banned for being sexist. **Y is for Yellow:** Brian Hyland had a UK top ten hit with “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” in 1960; Bombalurina went to No. 1 with a cover version in 1990. **Z is for Zany:** In the past, a club at Cambridge University staged a controversial bikini jelly wrestling competition.
