And, as summer is fast approaching, most of us are making sure to get ourselves in shape to slip into the midriff-bearing, two-piece swimwear we love to hate. But, have you ever wondered when this summer staple first appeared in the fashion industry? It turns out the bikini wasn’t always as popular as it is today.

Historians believe that two-piece clothing first debuted in ancient Italy as “athletic” clothing for women, but the bikini was first made popular by French designer, Louis Réard.

According to a Time Magazine article, Réard designed a garment he called “smaller than the world’s smallest baithing suit” on July 5, 1946. Just four days earlier, the U.S. military had conducted nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll and Réard hoped that his invention would be as explosive as that, and therefore the name “the bikini” was born.

The bikini received its first official induction into swimwear fashion on July 11, 1946 when 19-year-old French model, Micheline Bernardini braved the poolside runway in Paris.

After the first public bikini display, many countries banned this form of swimwear and the Vatican even declared it as sinful.

Americans also still believed that the bikini was far too scandalous for a virtuous, American woman, but nonetheless the midriff-bearing swimwear made it’s debut into American fashion just one year later and the rest is history.

The original bikinis the 1940s and 1950s brought us are considered fairly conservative for today’s standards. Bikini bottoms still covered the navel and tops completely covered the bust.

The 1960s and 1970s brought with it a sexual revolution to the United States and fashion designers jumped on this trend by making bikinis even more revealing. The 70s debuted the string bikini, which exposed the navel for the first time and also fit on the hips, making the bottoms low-rise. The newly designed bikini tops left little to the imagination by providing only bra-like coverage.

The 1980s brought the Brazillian style bikini, the thong bikini into American fashion. And, as you can assume it no longer left anything to the imagination.

The bikini continued to grow in popularity and become mainstream. This was made apparent when the 1997 Miss America Pageant allowed contestants to wear a two-piece swim suit instead of the mandatory one-piece. This marked a huge turning point in the pageant and I am sure, in the ratings. Now days, you will rarely see a one-piece swim suit on a contestant during the Miss America swim suit portion.

As fashion continues to innovate and reinvent itself, you will see a little bit of history repeating itself from time to time in the swimwear department. The vintage, swimwear silhouettes that forever changed the fashion industry will never really go out of style and the sexy, string bikini will always look good on a beach.

The full-skirts and highlighted waists became a symbol of the 1950′s and femininity.

The look first debuted in 1947 at the hands of French designer, Christian Dior and was referred to as none other than the “New Look.”

This “new look” showcased full skirts, tiny waists and rounded shoulders. Dior’s collections ultimately led to the revival of the corset and led to women embracing femininity again.

Dior believed that women were fed up with the military like  uniforms that were adopted in the the war years and according Beth Duncuff Charleston from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, “After years of military and civillian uniforms, sartorial restrictions and shortages, Dior offered not merely a new look, but a new outlook.”

While Dior’s designs were more intricate and detailed, the concept behind it all was feminine fabrics, details, highlighted waists and fuller skirts creating a look we all refer to now as 50s fashion.

Although the 50s silhouettes disappeared for awhile, they are bouncing back this season and are being accepted with open arms.

The January issue of American Elle showcased Lucille Ball and her television style, which the magazine encouraged women to translate into work wear.

The fashion house of Dior paid homage to Christian Dior’s “New Look” by recreating those famous silhouettes in their Spring 2012 Haute Couture show in Paris. The fashion house added a modern touch to their original look with see-through fabrics and snake skin accessories. All of Dior’ frocks this season were full-skirted and nipped in the waist, just as they had been in the past.

Many other major designers such as Jil Sander, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana and are all revisiting the feminine, dainty era of the 50s,  with nipped waists, flirty fabrics and fuller skirts.

Keep in mind that just because something is high fashion and shown on a runway doesn’t mean that you can’t encorporate the look into your own wardrobe. Just remember that whenever wearing a full skirt be sure to keep the top fitted and you will be channeling your favorite 50s icon and looking ultra feminine.

This silhouette can be something worn to the office, a dinner party, and of course just around the house. Just because bringing the 50s style back is considered retro, doesn’t mean it is outdated or can’t be worn today.

Some might say that fashion is stagnant, but as designers keep creatively interpreting the past, fashion will continue to evolve. And iconic eras in fashion will continually come back to life.

The hemlines will differ and so will the cuts, but the classic black color and generally more conservative silhouette (a-line, sheath, knee-length) will stand the test of time and continually be a go-to piece because of its versatility. But, where did this classic dress get its start?

The Birth of the Little Black Dress

Fashion historians credit the designs of Coco Chanel in the 1920′s for popularizing the LBD.

The color black was once only considered a mourning color, but when Chanel debuted the simple, short, slashed-neckline dress in 1926, black soon became a sought after color.

1920′s fashion was considered a modern era in many aspects and women all over the country were ditching their corsets and embracing menswear inspired designs, which Chanel credits as inspiration for her designs.

Chanel soon became a style icon and was praised for her elegant and effortlessly luxurious designs.

Chanel has also been credited for helping in the modernization, freedom and emancipation of female fashion in the 1920′s.

American Vogue called Chanel’s LBD the “Ford” of dresses, in reference to Henry Ford’s Model-T car which was also a huge success. Soon, fashion was thought to be functional as well as chic, a concept not previously recognized. Women all over suddenly needed a little black dress of their own and the rest is history.

LBD’s popularity rises

The 1930′s saw the Great Depression and with that came longer hemlines and more feminine cuts, but black was still the dominant color. It was affordable and all women of social classes could wear a black dress and look chic. It became a sort of uniform for women and was seen all over the 30′s.

The war years came upon the United States and effected many industries, especially the textile industry. Rations were in effect, but black fabric was easily accessible and soon more black dresses were in high demand. Silhouettes were minimalistic, boxy and paid homage to military uniforms.

Post-war fashion was a lot more daring than it had been in the past and Christian Dior was suddenly the new designer on the block.

Dior debuted his version of the little black dress in 1948 which had a sense of elegance with wasp waists and full skirts. The next year he debuted slimmer skirts and leaner silhouettes, hinting to what the future of the little black dress would look like.

Hollywood also jumped on this trend creating more buzz and an increased popularity.

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in the classic fim, Breakfast at Tiffany’s showed just how  classic and elegant a little black dress can be. Her slim sheath dress, dressed up with a strand of pearls, a tiara and oversized sun glasses is still an iconic symbol today.

The little black dress today

The little black dress has evolved and grown over the years, but it has and will never disappear from fashion.

Today you can see celebrities wearing black dresses on the red carpet, as well as businesswomen wearing them to the office.

Fashion is fast paced and ever-changing but you can always count on a black dress to be a staple item because of it’s versatility. No matter the hemline or cut, a little black dress will never go out of style and can be something to revisit for many years to come.