Yes, it's July and swimsuit season is in full swing. Do any of us really feel good about that? Probably not. But, the way I see it  is its too hot outside to wear head-to-toe clothing on the beach or by the pool, not to mention if you go for a swim you run the risk of sinking,  but more importantly, it's not conducive to a great tan, and tan fat looks way better! Which is the only reason I wear a bikini. It's all about the tan and fat looking, well, not sooo fat. Which is pretty much how the bikini was born, women wanting to get a better tan. 

The summer following the end of WWII was a liberating time for Europeans. They were ready to put the war behind them and get on with their lives. After one summer of lockdown due to the Coronavirus, I can't imagine what these people felt after some seven years of war in their backyard. They were ready to have fun and enjoy life to the fullest. During the war, fabric was rationed and people weren't spending much money.  Fashion designers felt the hit. Now that the war was over, Fashion designers embraced this time of liberation and were willing to take risks. 

The bikini was marketed as revealing everything about a girl except her mother's maiden name.

The French designer, Louis Réard noticed on the beaches of St. Tropez, the sunbathers rolling up the edges of their suits in order to get a better suntan.   On July 5th, 1946 Réard revealed his design at the Piscine Molitor, a popular public pool in Paris. He dubbed it the "bikini" after the Biikini Atoll, the coral reef in the Marshall Islands where the first US nuclear weapon was tested only a few day prior. The designer had trouble finding a model brave enough to sport something so risqué, but exotic dancer, Micheline Bernardini, was willing to take one for the team. Expecting a great deal of publicity, good and bad,  Réard had fabric with printed newspaper type across the suit. 

Despite the apparent controversy-many countries banned the bikini for many years-it was a hit and now a mainstay in the fashion industry. 

Micheline Bernardini modeling the first modern bikini. She is holding a small box into which the suit can fit.