European women first began wearing Bikini bathing suits in the 1930s,
but only a sliver of the midriff revealed and the navel was vigilantly
covered. In the US the modest Bikini made its appearance during World
War II during wartime rationing of fabric
In prudish America, the bikini was successfully
resisted until the early 1960s, when emphasis on
teenage liberation brought the Bikini en masse to the
beaches. It was immortalized by Brian Hyland's hit
song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot
Bikini" By 1960 with "beach blanket" movies of Annette
Funicello and Frankie Avalon, the surfing set and the
Beach Boys songs the popularity of the bikini
continued to grow
