Source: Chris Thompson / Provided by Photographer Chris Thompson
July 5 is
National Bikini Day!
The holiday celebrates the anniversary of the invention of the two-piece bathing suit. Due to the assumed ‘explosive’ effect it would create, the two-piece bathing suit was named after Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific where the U.S. conducted atomic tests in 1946. French designer Jaques Heim wanted to name the swimsuit ‘atom,’ but designer Louis Réard thought ‘bikini’ was better.
Although it’s now looked at as one of the greatest inventions of all-time, the garment wasn’t always viewed that way. While the bathing suit made waves in Paris (where it made its debut) as women all over Europe pranced around beaches and pool sides, other countries were much more hesitant to adopt the new trend in fashion. In fact, bikinis were banned in multiple countries until many years later. It wasn’t until film stars
Ava Gardner and
Brigitte Bardot started to wear bikinis on public beaches and in their films that the risqué design really started to gain traction. The United States finally took to the bikini in the 1960s.
Today, bikinis are made in all different colors, shapes, sizes and styles. The expansion of styles have allowed women to feel more confident wearing them. The promotion of body positivity is one of the main reasons this holiday is loved by so many across the world.
There are numerous ways to participate in National Bikini Day including:
- Buying a new bikini
- Visiting a beach or pool
- Putting on your favorite one piece
- Learning the history of the bikini
- Checking out how bathing suits have progressed over the years
- Using #NationalBikiniDay on social media to share how you celebrated
In commemoration of the holiday, we put together a gallery of our favorite celebrities in their itty bitty bikinis. HAPPY NATIONAL BIKINI DAY, ENJOY!
