1952: The rise of the bikini
Although the firs bikini was designed in 1946, it wasn’t until the beginning of the 1950s that it gained momentum, thanks to stars such as Brigitte Bardot wearing it and bringing it to life. We all know the classic 1950s bikini, the one where the bottom part was high-rise, reaching the waist, making it look almost like a one-piece swimsuit (compared to the style of today’s bikini).
Women’s swim-wear back then was less about swimming about more about the looks – looking like the ideal pinup girl. The bikini, however, wasn’t the obvious choice of swimwear at the time. On the contrary – the bikini was reserved for the more daring women (Hollywood stars, for example) while most women preferred the one-piece swimsuit, although, as we said, the difference between the two wasn’t as dramatic as it is today.