Limelight: So young at 60 By Lubna Abdel-Aziz It may seem incredible, but that most curvaceous, audacious, flirtatious attire -- the bikini -- is turning 60! Always advancing liberal thought and deed, it was befitting that France would be the mother of the bikini, and as any proud mother, France is preparing a big birthday bash to celebrate the coming of "old age" of this staid attire of yesteryear, that has changed "the fashion world more than any other". It was April of 1946 when a French automotive engineer, Louis Reard, introduced his revolutionary piece of swimwear for a generation just released from the hell of World War II. Fully expecting an explosive reaction to his invention, he borrowed its name "bikini" from another explosive and controversial event that shook the world, the first post-war nuclear test by the US at Bikini Atoll, a coral island in the South Pacific. But who would opt to wear that outrageously daring, baring outfit in public? Even European women who had found new personal and sexual freedom following the weary war years, were scandalised by the flimsy costume. Reard dared to reveal one part of the female anatomy, which had never been seen before, or even mentioned -- "le nombril" -- the navel. Even the renowned fashion designer Jacques Heim, who boasted of creating "the smallest swimsuit in the world" never dared to uncover the sacred navel. Reard declared to fashionable Parisians: "my bikini is smaller than the smallest swimsuit." But to his surprise, there were no takers for his bikini. No one would even model it, let alone buy it. Even not-so-coy Hollywood, regarded the navel as indecent under the "Hays Code" (1930s). Reard's hopes for revolutionising the industry were dashed; only a Parisian nude dancer, Micheline Bernardini, agreed to pose in the scandalous suit, causing a major furore, but nothing else. When offered for sale in Paris on 5 July, there were no takers. Nonetheless the date marks the birthday of the bikini, and France is set to celebrate with great reverence, yet another icon of its famous fashion industry. Not wholly free of offence, or loud-mouthed, rude persuasions, the new bathing suit, certainly had its limitations. No self-respecting French demoiselle was remotely tempted to don the new national "piéce de resistance". In fact, it was officially banned in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, after the Vatican denounced it immoral. Conservative Americans liked it even less, and ignored it for years. Vogue magazine expressed its contempt in 1951: "Our readers dislike the bikini, which has transformed coastlines into the backstage of music halls, and which does not embellish women." Unable to sell his invention, Reard went back to designing lingerie for his mother's boutique, which he had taken over. Despite the long aversion that lasted for years the bikini managed to survive and become the most popular beach requirement! It took 10 years when finally, movies and movie stars came to its rescue. First it was the sex goddess, Marilyn Monroe, who dared, then Rita Hayworth, who did. Many more Hollywood belles followed. Not to be outdone, France offered her very own, Brigitte Bardot, fetchingly appealing in her two-piece undress in Et Dieu crea la Femme (And God created Woman, 1956). By the time Raquel Welch posed for Life magazine in her fur bikini in 1966, the 20 year-old, had altogether lost its shock value, finally becoming acceptable, now accounting for 40-50 per cent of the beachwear market. Swimming was by no means a modern sport activity. It was prevalent among the ancients for both men and women. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used it for recreational, athletic and military practices. Murals in Luxor and Pompeii show women swimming in the nude, or wearing two-piece suits, remarkably similar to the bikini. The citadel of the ancient city of Mahenjo Daro (Pakistan), had a public bath 12x7 metres lined by bricks, dug as far back as the third millennium BC. The whole notion of swimming and swimming apparel seemed to have been lost during the Dark Ages, and only surfaced in the 19th century. The railway brought the seaside closer to the masses in Britain, spawning a need for swimsuit fashion. Women wore non-transparent long dresses with weights sewn into the hems so they would not rise in the water. By the 20th century a version of a two-piece swimsuit consisted of a gown covered from shoulder to knees, and a set of trousers reaching the ankles. The Victorian was followed by the more daring Edwardian, with a sleeveless dress, and a pair of black stockings. In 1907 Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman visiting the US to perform her underwater ballet, was duly arrested for indecent exposure, because her swimsuit showed arms and legs. What a difference a century makes! Gradually, swimwear became less conservative, evolving with the times. One part of the body, then another, began to be uncovered. New fabrics allowed for new varieties, more practical, more comfortable, and, ah yes, more figure- hugging. The midriff and the navel were the last to be revealed, producing the dramatic effect of a nuclear explosion. But did it stop there? The bikini was followed by the monokini, making way for the tanga which came to us via Brazil, inspired by traditional garments of native tribes of the Amazon. We know it as the thong, the T- back, the G-string, or the latest version, the dental floss bikini.. To set a concept in motion is the most anybody can hope to do in this world, and though few know the name Louis Reard, everyone knows the name of his creation. Les Galleries La Fayette, the famous Parisian chain store, is presenting an exhibit of Le bikini a 60 ans, while publisher Assouline has produced a 396-page guide of the historic Gallic creation. Wish we were all as young and hip at 60 like the bikini, worn by every beautiful figure, and others, summer after summer. Vive le bikini, now a traditional classic un-dress code. We are children of our landscape Justine Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990)
