History of Brazilian Bikinis

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.