History of the Brazilian Bikini

When you say
the word bikini, it no longer translates to the one invented in 1946 by Louis
Reard and donned by Micheline Bernardini. A string bikini, it was far ahead of
its time in the fashion world and banned in many countries. The United States
would shun the bikini, of any sort, for over a decade, reasoning that any
decent person would never wear such a thing. It was 1957 when the US finally
adopted it. Even then, you would have to thank the entertainment industry for
bringing it to the mainstream, such as Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie
Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” pop song, which fueled a buying frenzy in our country
for the first time in 1960. The big screen movies came next and the American
Bikini has been a mainstay ever since.

Today, a new
style of bikini is being adopted in a lot of the same manner as the original.
The Brazilian Bikini is now being worn by celebrities on the big screen,
changing people’s perception of the more revealing swimwear, much the same as
the big screen in the 1960’s. Expect the revealing swimwear trend to continue
for quite some time, as our culture has opened itself to the Brazilian way of
sunbathing.

While
celebrities have done a lot to bring the Brazilian Bikini to the forefront of
the American mainstream, you cannot discuss the invasion without acknowledging
the Brazilian Wax, as the two seem to go hand in hand. The cut of the Brazilian
Bikini bottoms, all three of them, requires hair removal in places you might
never have even considered before, with the assistance of warm wax.

The Brazilian
Bikini bottom has a signature cut of being very high on the hips, barely
covering the pelvic bone in the front. In the back, the three different bottoms
are revealing, more revealing and very revealing. It begins with the Tanga,
which offers moderate coverage on each side in the back. The Asa Delta, brings
the strip in the back in much closer, just short of a thong. Then, the Fio
Dental is literally “dental floss” in the rear.

The Brazilian
Tops, like the bottoms, leave little to the imagination. There are three
styles, with the same basic goal: sunbathing taken very seriously. The Triangle
top covers the breast area with two fabric cups, shaped like a triangle,
connected with strings that tie at the neck and back. The Halter top has the
same shape, but it uses more fabric. The top is not conservative, though.
Instead it is basically worn by those with a larger bust to keep them from
“falling out”. The Bandeau is a slender tube top, which fastens in the middle
of the back, with or without ties to the neck.

Which ever top
or bottom is chosen, the result is the same, a more revealing bikini that
celebrates the female anatomy. This is certainly not the bathing suit for
everybody, but for the select few who adopt the Brazilian Swimsuit, expect them
to exude confidence and to have a sense for adventure.

Omar Lagudali is a designer of http://www.brazilianbikinis.us