And God created... the bikini

A little over one billion swimsuits are sold worldwide each year, including 23 million in France.

The women’s swimsuit season is short, lasting from April to September. During this period, 85% of annual bikini stock disappears from store shelves.

In general, women's swimsuits made of lycra are crafted from polyamide (a petrochemical derivative) and elastane or Lycra, a compound that gives the fabric its stretch. These materials have replaced the wool and cotton used in the early 20th century, which had the disadvantage of not being waterproof and would deform when in contact with water.

Sealinea is innovating for you and offers a complete collection of bikinis in Charmeuse (shiny voile), Mesh (Tulle), and Metallic Lycra. These new lightweight, extremely comfortable fabrics are used in our design of elegant string bikinis and Brazilian bikinis, and are sure to inspire you.

On the right, the blue bikini "Seychelles".

Below, the golden string bikini "Bahamas"

Although the amount of fabric used in swimsuits has decreased over the years, bikinis are carving out a space in ready-to-wear fashion. Sales have increased by 6% over the past three years. This enthusiasm is largely due to fashion houses’ efforts to continually renew their collections.

The craftsmanship of a well-cut bikini, much like that of women's lingerie, is highly complex. Skilled hands are essential for the stitching, which must withstand contact with water — a delicate task for even the best sewing machines.

To the delight of men, women account for 70% of the swimwear market.

While men's swimwear options remain limited (bathing string, swim briefs, or swim shorts), women have a vast array of choices. These range from the classic one-piece swimsuit to the bikini (two-piece swimsuit), the classic Brazilian bikini, the string bikini, and even the micro bikini.

Bikini – Brazilian cut, hippie-style, in lime green "Saint Barth"

Today, women are more liberated and far less modest. There is something for every taste. The evolution has happened gradually, hand in hand with societal changes. The bikini is no longer just a bathing accessory but also an item of seduction — almost on par with lingerie, to which it bears a strong resemblance. Bikini fashion has become democratized and very trendy in countries like ours. Today we see attractive colors, refined cuts, and originality has found its place in the market. Women match their bikinis to their skin tone, pareos, jewelry, makeup, etc. Even at the beach, one must be beautiful, sexy, and polished!

However, choosing a swimsuit always comes down to personal taste... and personality! Indeed, some women remain more modest than others...

The History of the Bikini

Contrary to popular belief, sandy seaside shores weren’t always packed with bathers. Up until the 18th century, the sea was feared, and Westerners kept their distance. They rarely approached the shore and preferred to build homes further inland. Only Eastern cultures, which incorporated water into spiritual rituals, practiced bathing or aquatic immersion at that time.

Later, the sea gained recognition for its curative properties in treating certain ailments thanks to its saline and mineral qualities. But bathing remained primarily a therapeutic treatment, recommended for the sick or for those suspected of having contracted rabies. In fact, an 18th-century dictionary defined bathing as: "Those who are bitten by rabid dogs go bathe in the sea." Bathing was also recommended for city women, who were often inactive and constricted by corsets.

By the end of the 19th century, the therapeutic benefits of sea bathing were widely known, yet swimming was still a pastime reserved for the wealthy. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the activity became popularized.

By 1915, one no longer needed a medical prescription to swim, though therapeutic bathing persisted. Still, taking a dip wasn’t easy: one had to pour one or two buckets of water over oneself before entering the sea, then submerge quickly and stay in only 5 to 10 minutes, followed by a brisk walk to warm up. At the time, people bathed in their everyday clothing — women wore long dresses and bathing caps. To swim, bathers often hired a "bathing guide" to accompany and watch over them, although many guides didn’t know how to swim themselves. For those nervous about the water, ropes were installed in the sea like handrails. Patients prescribed sea bathing did so in wooden cabins on wheels that were rolled into the surf, allowing water to seep through the cracks.

By the late 19th century, a defined bathing costume emerged: unisex and dark-colored, it consisted of six pieces and resembled a tunic over puffy pants. Eventually, the "justaucorps" (tight-fitting suit) became popular among men and, later, women — notably thanks to Annette Kellerman, the first world swimming champion at the 1912 Olympics, who dared to wear the men’s swimsuit. The creation of the tight bathing suit is attributed to a Parisian hosiery manufacturer who originally designed it for Opera dancers. Over time, and with the spread of sports, swimwear became simpler and evolved into a fashionable, stylish accessory.

Louis RÉARD, a former automotive engineer, invented the bikini and first presented it in Paris on July 5, 1946, at the Piscine Molitor, worn by Micheline BERNARDINI, a famous nude dancer from the Casino de Paris. He claimed to name it after the Bikini Atoll, where a nuclear test had taken place five days earlier, hoping the fashion effect of his creation would be as explosive as the test. With the same pun in both French and English: “the bikini, the first anatomical bomb!” Louis Réard filed a patent to protect his creation. However, women in ancient Pompeii were already familiar with this garment over 2,000 years ago.

Bikini in blue and white "Janeiro"

The bikini, once described as “smaller than the world’s smallest swimsuit,” was initially met with resistance from moral and religious authorities. At its launch, it was not an immediate success; it caused a cultural shock and was even banned on certain beaches in Europe.

French authorities banned the bikini on the Atlantic coast (but not on the Mediterranean? Politics always has reasons that reason itself cannot understand!)

Then in 1968, Rudi GERNREICH blew the lid off hypocrisy and revolutionized fashion by riding the wave of sexual liberation that defined that pivotal year. He invented the Monokini!

In 1964, during his first bikini collection, he introduced a women's swimsuit that left the breasts bare. The press went wild. His reputation was made. It took a second launch in the early 1960s for Louis RÉARD to become popular and establish one of the greatest fashion phenomena. In 1956, Brigitte BARDOT made it famous in the film "And God Created Woman" in which she wore a gingham bikini. Many young French girls wanted to imitate her. The bikini even inspired a hit song: "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" by Brian HYLAND, which was later covered in French by Dalida, Brigitte BARDOT, and Richard ANTHONY: Itsy bitsy, petit bikini.

In 1962, actress Ursula ANDRESS turned the bikini into a global sensation in the film “James Bond 007 vs. Dr. No.” Her iconic white bikini, once dried, was auctioned at Christie’s in 2001 for £41,250. In the past, bikinis were made of wool, cotton, and jersey, but technological advances in recent decades have allowed for more practical materials to emerge, starting with Lycra, which was extremely popular in the 1970s. Later, Supplex and Microfibers took over and now dominate the swimsuit market.

The Bikini Today

After the "topless" trend of the 1970s and the thong trend of the 1980s and 1990s, the 21st-century bikini has become plural. With its diverse shapes, materials, and patterns, it has adapted to feminine curves to best satisfy and enhance every water goddess.

Today, there are even tan-through swimsuits that allow UV rays to pass through the fabric.

Sealinea designs all its bikini models using four different materials available in eighteen colors:

• • Lycra (elastane): soft, silky, and pleasant to the touch.
• • Tulle (shiny voile): silky, shiny, ultra-light, and translucent when wet.
• • Ultra-fine mesh (light tulle): finely openwork, thin, light, and tan-through.
• • Metallic Lycra: metallic sheen, silky, comfortable, fashionable, and very trendy.

To be the sexiest on the beach this summer, choose your swimsuit style from our sexy bikini collection: string, mini, micro bikini, or Brazilian, mini shorty string, bandeau bikini. Pick your favorite material and sculpt yourself a bombshell body!

Sexy black bikini "Dubai"

Sealinea sourced part of the information mentioned above from the following articles:

• Journal du Textile (No. 1963)
• Franchise-Magazine (June 2007) by Anne-Laure Allain
• Article written by Anastasia (2006)
• Les Echos No. 16930 from June 30, 1995
• "La grande histoire du Bikini" by Patrik Alac
• "Les carnets de la mode", Olivier Saillard, Editions du Chêne

Sealinea is a swimwear manufacturer and wholesaler that offers online swimsuit sales through its website.

The SEALINEA Team