In 1946, Jacques Heim introduced the Atome, which he called the world's smallest bathing suit. The Atome was modified by an engineer called Louis Reard two months later, and named it bikini, after Bikini Atoll, the site of nuclear weapon tests in the Marshall Islands. He named it so because of the anticipated excitement it would cause, which would be like a nuclear bomb exploding.

In 1946, Jacques Heim introduced the Atome, which he called the world's smallest bathing suit. The Atome was modified by an engineer called Louis Reard two months later, and named it bikini, after Bikini Atoll, the site of nuclear weapon tests in the Marshall Islands. He named it so because of the anticipated excitement it would cause, which would be like a nuclear bomb exploding.

In the United States, people were first encouraged to buy bikinis in 1957 when Brigitte Bardot wore one in And God Created Woman, and in 1960, with Brian Hyland's song Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini hitting the charts. The bikini craze actually started in 1963 with the release of the movie, Bikini Beach. Before that, the bikini was not welcomed in most parts of the world, including the United States, and was even banned from the Miss World Contest in 1951. It was not welcomed because of the greater amount of skin shown when wearing a bikini. Today, the bikini is seen as commonplace in most Western countries, and is worn by many of even the most conservative of women.