The bikini, a two-piece swimsuit, has been around for almost 80 years and was intended to attract attention.

The contemporary bare-backed bikini, despite featuring a distinctive tie or charm, closely resembles the first official risqué two-piece swimsuit from the 1940s, which caused both men and women to be repelled by its lack of modesty for nearly two decades.

On July 5, 1946, Micheline Bernardini, an 18-year-old French exotic dancer, dared to wear the first black and white bikini in public at a swimming pool in Paris during a press conference.

Louis Réard, a renowned French mathematician-turned-clothing designer, aimed to draw attention with the bikini design women have worn for nearly 80 years. He hoped the bikini featuring newspaper clippings would be as shocking and horrifying as the atomic bomb from 1945. The stunning photographs of Bernardini published on the front page of newspapers did just that.

Bernardini was hired by Réard to model the G-string bottom and triangle top swimsuit design when professional runway models declined to wear it.

Following the news coverage of the ordeal, History.com reports that Bernardini received approximately 50,000 fan letters, the majority of which were from men.

The bikini was named after the nuclear warhead test on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that week.

The popularity of Bernardini's 30 inches of cotton and jersey design increased rapidly, while Réard's design failed to resonate with American wearers until the 1960s. In the 1950s, European women embraced the bikini, despite Spain and Italy prohibiting the suit style on public beaches in the early 1950s.

During World War II, the scarcity of materials led to the skimpiness of bathing suits.

The war imposed strict rationing of supplies in the U.S. and Britain, with restrictions on items such as food, shoes, and fabrics, among others, to conserve.

Individuals had to pay for food and materials while also providing "points" at the time of purchase, which were issued in the form of blue and red stamps for selected items.

In 1943, a pound of bacon cost 30 cents and 7 points, according to the National WWII Museum.

During World War II, Britain imposed fabric rationing in 1941. According to the Imperial War Museum, a woman's dress cost 11 points, while a man's shirt required 8 points.

The length of men's shirts was restricted and double cuffs on collared shirts were banned altogether. Moreover, the prices of clothing increased and the availability of fabrics was limited. Furthermore, some textiles, including silk, were entirely unavailable to designers and manufacturers.

During that period, fashion for women was not a top priority, and the available clothing options were limited. Despite this, civilians continued to prioritize fashion and made the best of what they could afford.

Designers like Réard shifted their focus to appeal to audiences by using raw materials and resources like cotton to create stylized apparel that met ration requirements, resulting in the creation of the bikini.

The bikini remained popular after the end of WWII.

Bernardini's bikini design, though not the first two-piece swimsuit, was the first to be cut below the navel.

In 1930s, Jacques Heim, a fashion designer, unveiled his first designs for bathing suits. In 1946, he introduced the "smallest bathing suit in the world," which he named Atome.

The Museum of Jewish People reported that Heim aimed to generate the same level of excitement for the itsy bitsy beach apparel as the impact of an atomic bomb explosion.

For almost eight decades, women have been wearing bikinis by the pool, making the swimsuit a bold and eye-catching summer fashion choice.