Bikini typically refers to a two-piece women's swimsuit. In 1946, the term "bikini" was coined by Louis Réard, who named the swimsuit after Bikini Atoll, where testing on the atomic bomb took place.
Reard chose the name “bikini” because he believed the suit's revealing style would create a stir among people similar to their shock and surprise in response to America’s atomic bombing of Japan the previous summer. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the groin and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two.
Merriam–Webster describe the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a man's brief swimsuit." It is often worn in hot weather, while swimming or sunbathing. The shapes of both parts of a bikini resemble women's underwear, and the lower part can range from revealing thong or g-string to briefs.
The bikini is perhaps the most popular female beachwear around the globe, according to French fashion historian Olivier Saillard due to "the power of women, and not the power of fashion". As he explains, "The emancipation of swimwear has always been linked to the emancipation of women." By the mid 2000s, bikinis had become a $811 million business annually, according to the NPD Group, a consumer and retail information company. The bikini has boosted spin-off services like bikini waxing and the suntanning industries.
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