65Th Birthday of the Bikini

Updated on July 06, 2011
A.R. asks from Keller, TX
8 answers

There have been several questions lately about bikinis and their appropriateness on little girls/tweens. Today is the 65th birthday of the bikini and I came across this article, thought I would share it to get your thoughts:

http://thelook.today.com/_news/2011/07/05/7019009-happy-b...

It's interesting because there are pictures of bikinis today vs 1960 vs 1940 - and boy have they shrunk! In the other thread many of the supporters stated they wore them as children and see nothing wrong with them; the pictures show that our bikinis were much more modest than today's bikinis. For the record - I don't like skimpy bikinis on little girls/tweens. Having said that, if they looked like the 1940's bikini, or even the 1960's bikini, I would let my daugher wear one.

So how about you? Does seeing the evolution (ie shrinkage) of the bikini over time change your mind about whether or not you'll let your child wear one?

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

thanks for posting...Some of the so called bikini's of today are just plain disgusting no matter how good your physique is...there are just some things that we shouldn't wear...but too each his own.

I had a bikini...a nice red one...but alas I last wore it on my honeymoon....

2 moms found this helpful
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D.B.

answers from Chicago on

I agree, no bikinis on my daugters. They can wear tank style bikinis but that's as far as I will let it go. Mine are still young so I can tell them what I will buy and what I won't buy. I really don't understand girls of any age that wear bikinis to water parks. Really? Come on, they aren't going to stay on and you look surprised when your top is over your head when you come down the slide? please. I also don't get teenage girls that are with their parents at the pool or whatever and they are wearing next to nothing bikinis. I as a parent and I know my husband for sure, would not want creepy men/boys looking at my girls in a bikini, no matter what their age. I can't imagin any dad being comfortable with his teenage daughter wearing one of those out in public, expecially if he is with them. lol Bikinis are not comfortable and if you wear one, you shouldn't be surprised if men or other women stare at you. Bikinis are really for laying out in the sun, not for water. I agree with Lucky, some of these bikinis are just nasty no matter how nice your body is. You might as well be wearing your bra and g-string out in public. What really makes me crazy are moms that feel that they should wear bikinis while their kids are hanging off of them at the pool. i'm sorry but why does a mom with her husband and kids in tow need to be wearing an ity bity bikini at a public pool? It seems so uncomfortable and inappropriate. I think its kind of creepy when a mom has her kids with her and she's wearing next to nothing. You're not at the Mirage in Vegas sunning yourself. And lets be honest VERY FEW women, young or old actually look good in these bikinis that they like to sport! lol

2 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

I agree with you. And that the bikini of 'yesteryear' was cute and probably easier to swim in!! At any rate, looking at the pictures of todays models in those bikinis with a couple of strings, their bones sticking out well- sorry, they look like they need a good spaghetti dinner and a bowl of icecream. I'm not sure if that even looks sexy to me. The more bikini-circa 70's showed a curvacious well fed looking woman and I think she was probably able to dive into the water and keep the suit on. Not sure about today's girls, but I really didn't think it was sexy either. I will have to show it to my husband. He of course is an expert.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Cleveland on

Oh my goodness. Please don't judge women for wearing bikini's. They are adults and have the right to wear what they please. Right now I am pregnant, and wear a tankini that covers my belly well. When not pregnant, I will wear a tankini with a skirted bottom, or if I am fit, I wear a bikini top with a skirted bottom. I would never wear a one-peice, as they allow my boobs to sag and that makes me feel uncomfortable. I agree that our children should dress appropriately - my girls were a tankini or the bottoms with the swim t-shirt; but out of the 7 or 8 suits they each have, only two are this type and the rest are one-peices. They don't know any different. I wouldn't buy something for them to wear that my husband wouldn't approve of either. Again, as an adult, we have the right to wear what we feel comfortable in, such as you women wearing a one peice, that is your right and I'm sure that is what you are most comfortable in.

2 moms found this helpful

K.B.

answers from Milwaukee on

Oh I see the shrinkage of the bikini. I could easily pull off the ones designed in the 60's and 40's, not so much the current ones.

My daughter wears a two piece but it is the shirt/shorts combo. I will not buy her a skimpy bikini till she is 16, maybe even 18. A modest one I would consider, but I approve first.

I think it is every parents own comfort zone but at some point I think the little girls should not be wearing bikinis because it looks wrong and I have seen way too many slip off. I teach my daughter modesty and respect for her body and that is sitting like a lady when in a skirt and not wear swimsuits that will easily slip off.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

If the bikini is 65 years old, let's see more 65 year olds wear them.
There was a photo I saw a few years back of a grandma on the beach in the French Riviera wearing an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow bikini.
Suffice it to say she had to wear the top practically around her waist because her chest was hanging that low - she looked to be somewhere between 72 and 85 (but the sun DOES age your skin to it's hard to guess how old she was).
I liked Annette Funicello style bikinis.
I don't like what they are wearing today (it's debatable they are wearing anything at all - I've see G strings with more coverage).

1 mom found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

I don't have a problem with the bikini and I am surprised at all the judgement made toward women who do choose to wear one and allow daughter's to wear bikini'sor 2 piece suits.

As long as I can rock it in my body that I have worked for I'm going to wear my bikini.

I have never owned a 1 piece and never will simply becauase I personally don't care for one. I don't judge anyone else for wearing one. I tend to be lot more open minded and don't judge people on how they dress.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

I hate to say it.... but it's not the 65th anniversary... since they were worn a couple thousand years ago. There are ancient greek friezes as well as both greek, and minoan red and black figure potter depictions of them. Persia and the far east had them as well. Cold northern, and later any puritanical region didn't have them... although most places here in the US and Southern Europe in the past 200 people swam NAKED... but this Louis guy didn't invent them, he just popularized them. ((I absolutely HATE it when people publish articles with zero research put into them. It's just so IGNORANT))

I always thought bikinis on girls without breasts was kind of silly, but they work VERY practically on any little girl who isn't potty trained yet (for being able to change out swim diapers without having to strip them completely naked), and in our land-of-no-sun they're great for increasing vitamin D absorption.

For body-comfort, yes. I'd buy them for my toddler and allow my girl's to wear them. I never wore them growing up, because I did diving and surfing. Either case would have meant I was sans top or bottom several times a day.

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