String Bikini Swimsuits: A Brief History

The bikini is a two piece swimsuit with one piece covering the breast and the other piece covering the buttocks. The Brazilian String Bikini uses string as ties to hold the pieces in place. The shapes of both pieces resemble women's underwear. The G-String Bikini exposes the buttocks.



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Most people do not realize that the bikini is actually a Greco-Roman invention. As early as 1400 BC Greek women wore a two-piece garment for athletic purposes. Archeologists have found statues in Pompeii of the Roman goddess Venus wearing a bikini.

The modern bikini was invented by French engineer Louis Reard in 1946. He named it after Bikini Atoll - the site of nuclear weapons test in 1946. The bikini caused an explosion of excitement, just like an atomic explosion.

The popularity of the bikini worldwide is due to "The power of women, and not the power of fashion" according to French fashion historian Olivier Saillard. Women's swimwear has evolved along with the advancement of the emancipation of women. In 1994 the bikini became the official uniform of women's Olympic beach volleyball.

The bikini has spawned many variations, with the string bikini swimsuit being one of the most popular. The string bikini first appeared on Brazilian beaches in the early 1970's. Rose Di Primo, a young Brazilian model, was trying to make a name for herself in the Brazilian fashion photography scene. A photographer offered her a job modeling a bikini.

Rose accepted the job, but didn't have a bikini and had no money to buy one. So she asked her mother, a seamstress, to make one for her. Being an understanding mother, she refused. So Rose took her underwear as a pattern and proceeded to make her own bikini. However she did not have enough material, so she cut the sides of the bottom piece and used string to connect the front and back sides. She liked the look, so she did the same with the top piece.

In a matter of an hour a new style of bikini was created and the Brazilian String Bikini became an overnight success.