The modern history of the bikini begins in 1946 when the first bikini-style swimsuit was revealed in France to a shocked and titillated crowd. During the summer of 1946, today's very popular two-piece swimsuit was simultaneously created and named by two French fashion designers. While both designers produced a similar product, it would be Louis Reard's invention (christened the "bikini" after the famed Bikini Reef) that would become the world's official smallest ladies swimwear. At its debut, the brazilian bathing suit produced quite a stir in both France and the larger world. Because it was so much more revealing than its swimsuit predecessors, Reard was unable to find a French model who was willing to showcase the bathing suit. Out of desperation, he was forced to hire Micheline Bernardini, a Parisian woman with a history of nude dancing.  

As a matter of fact, several women were arrested for donning bikinis on public beaches during the late 1940s and 1950s!  

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