Episode 20: The History of the Bikini

The Confident Entrepreneur With Jennifer Ann Johnson · Sep 21, 2022 · 7m

The two-piece bathing suit was introduced in 1930’s in Europe initially as a halter top and shorts. Only a sliver of midriff was revealed, and the navel was well covered. The excitement was dwarfed by WWII, however, when wartime fabric rationing put swimwear on the back burner

It wasn’t until post-war times that the bikini really had its shot at popularity, as post-war Western Europe eagerly headed back to the beaches in summer 1946. In response to the liberated mood, two French designers, Jacques Heim and Louis Réard, simultaneously had the genius idea to develop a two-piece swimsuit. Heim…