The quest for the perfect binkini body
This month is the 62nd anniversary of the itsy-bitsy bikini's debut on the catwalks of Paris in 1946 . While its revealing, minimalist approach may have caused outcry among the more modest members of society all those decades ago, today it is a beach essential for every fashion-savvy woman.
What you may not realise is that the mastermind behind the bikini — or menace, depending on your stance — was in fact a man.
Louis Reard, a forward-thinking car engineer, was struck by the two-piece swimsuit idea while helping his mother in her lingerie store. And foreseeing the raucous outcry his invention would ignite, he named it after the South Pacific atoll where the US had been conducting tests for the atomic bomb .
With the birth of the bikini, so too was born the quest for the perfect bikini body. Without the tummy-tucking power the cossie offered, toned stomachs became the order of the day all those years ago and, of course, remain so today.
Bikinis are not restricted to the summer months; they are the de rigueur ensemble for trips to the pool, sauna and spa. In short, the goal to look good in one is not a summer-only fix.
Love it or hate it, the bikini, in all its fabulously fickle forms, is here to stay. To help you look the best in yours, check out more from our our Fitness section.
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