Another blow to the patriarchy in beachwear was delivered by the First World War: the shortage of fabrics - in the first place, and the surge of vitality after years of heavy losses and deprivations - secondly - have led to the fact that women became more open to beach relaxation. Bathing suits turned into a kind of long shirts, passing in shorts, sometimes with a short skirt on. Fully closed were only the chest, abdomen and buttocks: arms, shoulders, legs from mid-thirties could be quite legally exposed to sunlight. Bathing suits of this kind were the prerogative of wealthy women, oftentimes ordering this kind of beachwear at Chanel.
Sports and activities in the period between the wars rapidly became fashionable, female swimmers and divers no longer shocked the society, and swimwear became more practical, less hampered for the movement of the first Olympic champions in swimming. Swimming caps or loose hair entered the scene.
By the early 40s the mass fashion was getting brave, and with the deficiency of fabric in America the first two-piece swimsuit started to pop out. When the war ended, the story of 20s was repeated: the loss and deprivation provoked a surge of love for life and its pleasures.
It was the first postwar year 1946, July 5 at the Casino de Paris where the star of stage dancer Micheline Bernardini has risen and the popularity of bikini exploded. According to the concept of bikini creators, there should be a ‘bombshell’ effect for the spectators.
The main promoter of the bikini in the middle of the last century was the young Brigitte Bardot, who had nothing to hide as for figure, posed for photographers in a bikini on the beaches of Cannes and Saint-Tropez, and starred in this outfits in the film ‘And God Created Woman’ which turned Bridget turn into a star.
Further development of the swimsuit happened, as they say, downward. In the 60 years - the time of the sexual revolution - the bravest fashionista wore swimsuit bra and panties having triangle fabric form connected with strings. It was the time when Brazilian hair removal was gaining momentum.
Since that time the trends were changing and evolving, but 1-piece swimsuits domination was eliminated once and for all.