A bikini is a women's two-piece swimsuit that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering the intergluteal cleft and a little, some, or all of the buttocks. The size of the top and bottom can vary, from bikinis that offer full coverage of the breasts, pelvis, and buttocks, to more revealing designs with a thong or G-string bottom that covers only the mons pubis, but exposes the buttocks, and a top that covers only the areolae. Bikini bottoms covering about half the buttocks may be described as "Brazilian-cut", while those covering about three-quarters of the buttocks may be described as "cheeky" or "cheeky-cut". In May 1946, Parisian fashion designer Jacques Heim released a two-piece swimsuit design that he named the Atome ('Atom') and advertised as "the smallest swimsuit in the world". Like swimsuits of the era, it covered the wearer's belly button, and it failed to attract much attention. Clothing designer Louis Réard introduced his new, smaller design in July. He named the swimsuit after the Bikini Atoll, where the first public test of a nuclear bomb had taken place four days before. His skimpy design was risqué, exposing the wearer's navel and much of her buttocks. No runway model would wear it, so he hired a nude dancer from the Casino de Paris named Micheline Bernardini to model it at a review of swimsuit fashions.
A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, women, and children. A swimsuit can be described by various names, some of which are used only in particular locations, including swimwear, bathing suit, swimming costume, bathing costume, swimming suit, swimmers, swimming togs, bathers, cossie, or swimming trunks for men, besides others.
Speedo International Limited is a British distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories based in Nottingham, England, known for its swim briefs. The company has roots in Australia but is not based there anymore. Founded in Sydney in 1914 by Alexander MacRae, a Scottish emigrant, the industry-leading company is now a subsidiary of the British Pentland Group. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wristwatches. The Speedo brand was previously manufactured for and marketed in North America as Speedo USA by PVH, under an exclusive perpetual licence, which had acquired prior licensee Warnaco Group in 2013. As of January 2020, the Pentland Group purchased back the rights from PVH for $170 million in cash, subject to regulatory approval.
Jennifer Hawkins is an Australian model, television presenter and beauty queen best known for being crowned Miss Universe Australia and later the same year Miss Universe 2004. She was the host of Australia's Next Top Model, and was brand ambassador for Lovable Intimates, Mount Franklin Lightly Sparkling and Range Rover, and formerly the face of Australian department store Myer.
Competitive swimwear refers to the swimsuit, clothing, equipment, and accessories used in the aquatic sports of swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, triathlon, and water polo.
Jodhi Meares is an Australian glamour model, television personality and fashion designer.
Pania Rose is an Australian fashion model well known for her 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition appearance.
Melissa Ann Odabash MBE is an American fashion designer and former model based in London. She is known for her swimwear designs and has been noted by Vogue as creating the "Ferraris of swimwear." Odabash's designs have been worn by Beyoncé, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and the Princess of Wales.
The Miss Universe Ireland is a national beauty pageant that has selected Ireland's representative to the Miss Universe pageant since 2002.
Samantha Downie is an Australian model, who participated of the fourth cycle of Australia's Next Top Model.
Many stylistic variations of the bikini have been created. A regular bikini is a two-piece swimsuit that together covers the wearer's crotch, buttocks, and breasts. Some bikini designs cover larger portions of the wearer's body while other designs provide minimal coverage. Topless variants are still sometimes considered bikinis, although they are technically not a two-piece swimsuit.
Evidence of bikini-style women's clothing has been found as early as 5600 BC, and the history of the bikini can be traced back to that era. Illustrations of women wearing bikini-like garments during competitive athletic events in the Roman era have been found in several locations, the most famous of which is at Villa Romana del Casale.
2wink Australia is an Australian men's underwear and swimwear apparel brand based in Perth, Western Australia. The apparel is sold in 30 countries.
Way Funky Company Pty Ltd is an Australian swimwear apparel manufacturing company based in Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 2002 by Duncan McLean, and specializes in colorful chlorine resistant sports swimwear. The company also produces competitive swimwear approved by FINA.
Robyn Lawley is an Australian model.
The history of swimwear traces the changes in the styles of men's and women's swimwear over time and between cultures, and touches on the social, religious and legal attitudes to swimming and swimwear.
Zimmermann is a luxury Australian brand of fashion. Zimmermann was founded in 1991 by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann.
Inamorata is a brand designed by Emily Ratajkowski that launched as a swimwear line.
Eileen Mary O'Donnell, known professionally as Eileen O'Donnell, is an Irish model and international beauty pageant titleholder. O'Donnell started her career in 2011 and has since modelled in the categories of fashion, skincare and swimwear. She has gone on to collaborate with numerous notable brands including Pretty Little Thing, GymKing, MVMT Watches, The Couture Club, Ziaja Skincare, Benefit Cosmetics, amongst others.
Monika Tilley was an Austrian-born American designer noted for designing loungewear and activewear. Many of her designs were featured on models in publications including the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. She focused on functional design and some of her designs were considered racy and provocative for their times. She was a founding member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and two time recipient of the Coty American Fashion Critics' Award in the swimwear category.
