The modern bathing suit has a fascinating legacy. In the past, women wore swimming costumes that covered nearly every inch of their skin, but over the years swimsuits have trimmed down to the popular bikinis we wear now.
Many current swimsuit trends like high-waisted bottoms, G-strings, and one-piece suits aren't as original as you may think; they're actually inspired by past styles that have been around since the 1950s.
We've compiled a list of 13 influential swimsuits that have made a lasting impact, from the first ever bikini designed in 1946 to Ashley Graham's two-piece on the 2016 cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue.
The first ever bikini was designed in 1946.
In the summer of 1946, French designer Louis Reard debuted the first two-piece bathing suit, according to Slate.
The bikini was made of newsprint and featured a G-string strap, which was considered scandalous at the time. In fact, the suit was so controversial that fashion models wouldn't wear it. Instead, Reard enlisted Micheline Bernardini, a dancer, to wear it.
After Bernardini wore the strappy two-piece, bikinis became increasingly popular.
In 1948, Elizabeth Taylor posed for a portrait in a halter-top bathing suit.
Compared to Reard's bikini, Taylor's suit is conservative. However, this popular style of bathing suit was considered revealing at the time.
Wearing a polka dot one-piece with built-in shorts, Taylor looks like a classic pin-up girl.
Actress Brigitte Bardot embraced the bikini in the 1952 film, "The Girl in the Bikini."
In the French film "The Girl in the Bikini," Bardot plays a woman named Manina, who — as the film's title suggests — wears a bikini. Her low-waisted two-piece exposes a lot of skin and was a shocking fashion choice at the time.
While France and other European countries embraced the bikini in the mid-20th century, the style was slow to catch on in the US.
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