National Bikini Day is a holiday that falls on July 5^th, which is apt considering that this is right smack in the middle of summer. This gives the holiday reveler the perfect excuse to either put on their favorite bikini and head to the beach or head to the beach to appreciate everyone else’s bikini. Either way, this is a holiday that wouldn’t have been possible some 100 or so years ago when it was most likely illegal to wear something as skimpy as a bikini in public.

The History Of The Bikini

Although we were unable to determine just exactly who invented National Bikini Day or when they invented it, we did notice that this holiday falls on the day in 1946 when Louis Reard launched his new invention: the bikini. But we’re getting a little bit ahead of ourselves here. To fully understand the history of the bikini, you first have to travel back to when the first functional two-piece swimwear was first invented.

The first two-piece swimwear—at least, the first two-piece that was fully functional—was invented by designer Carl Jantzen in 1913. Inspired by the fact that women had now been allowed to compete in Olympic swimming events, he designed an outfit that was close-fitting, had shorts for the bottom, and short sleeves for the top. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, swimsuits would become smaller and smaller as more and more women sought to soak in the sun instead of just swimming. These swimsuits also hugged a woman’s body better than previous swimsuits thanks to the wide availability of materials such as nylon and latex. Then on July 5^th, 1946, Reard released his new invention, the bikini, and the world hasn’t been the same since.

Fun Facts About The Bikini

It’s our belief that anyone wanting to truly appreciate this holiday has to know as much as they can about it. After all, bikinis aren’t just skimpy or colorful articles of clothing that are worn during the summer months. They’re a part of all of our history and should be appreciated for their historical and cultural significance. With those goals in mind, we would like to present some fun facts about the bikini.

Louis Reard named the bikini after the Bikini Atoll—a series of islands and reefs where the U.S. tested the hydrogen bomb.

Jacques Heim also created a two-piece that was similar to the bikini but was more conservative and covered the wearer’s navel.

Several places in the world still ban bikinis, including Hvar, Croatia, and Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

The first bikini to appear on the cover of Playboy Magazine occurred in July of 1962.

Ursula Andress’ Dr. No white bikini sold for £41,125—that’s over $53,800 U.S. dollars today.

Observing National Bikini Day

Observing this holiday isn’t too difficult. Either a person can celebrate by wearing a bikini, or by heading to the beach and enjoying all of the bikinis found there. People can also throw a bikini pool party—if they’re so inclined. The hashtag #NationalBikiniDay can also be posted on social media sites so people can show off their cutest bikinis.