Bikini

The bikini, or two-piece, as it sometimes known, is a nearly ubiquitous piece of women's swimwear apparel. A man named Louis Reard developed the bikini in the 1940s and named the fashion piece after one of the Marshall Islands--called Bikini Atoll. Although Reard is credited with inventing the bikini, he actually built on the ideas of another French designer named Jacques Heim.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the bikini gained cultural cache, thanks in part to hit songs like the 'Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' and movies like Beach Party. Over the years, bikini styles diversified, as well. Today you can find string bikinis, which feature revealing bottoms and tops made up of triangles of fabric connected by, well, strings.

The so-called Brazilian thong debuted in the 1970s. This style of bikini features an incredibly thin, small back. Other incarnations of the bikini include the micro, the slingshot, the teardrop, and the rather risky mini micro. Whereas two-pieces were once considered rather avante guard and dangerous, today bikinis are recognized as natural outdoor uniforms. Indeed, professional women's beach volleyball players are mandated to wear bikinis during play.

A host of women's clothiers manufacture and market quality bikinis, tank tops, and thongs. Roxy Surf Wear for women, for example, sells a diverse array of rugged but sexy beach outerwear. Even mainstay companies like Gap and Banana Republic sell bikinis during the spring and summer months, and swimsuit designers around the world continue to innovate on the form.