Bikini for the Money
The major evolution of the bikini from the 1930's to modern times made it one of the most famous types of clothing, or un-clothing, in the world. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the bikini continues to be well used in the media, the fashion industry, and in various competitions to generate a lot of money.
In the world of film and TV, American TV shows like Baywatch rose to so much popularity as they featured women running down the beach in the skimpiest bikinis. Earlier, in 1962, Bond Girl Honeychile Rider created shockwaves when she emerged from the sea in a white bikini with a knife tucked in a wide belt. Forty years later, Halle Berry repeated the iconic look in the Bond movie Die Another Day. In 2001, the Bond bikini sold at auction for $61, 500.
Magazines like Sports Illustrated and popular men's magazines quickly rode the wave. Women wearing bikinis had so much power over the male species and even the rest of the population that magazines featuring photos of such garnered millions in revenue. Thus, if you're a magazine empire owner, a top model, or an anonymous sexy model fortunate enough to pose for these conglomerates, you can bet on the big bucks.
One industry that largely depends on the bikini for its success is the beauty pageant industry. From beach bikini contests to world-renowned pageants like the Miss Universe pageant, the bikini portion is essential. It emphasizes the femininity of the women and showcases their physical look, one of the main, if not the main, factors of competition. Companies that sell bikinis usually sponsor such contests to promote their own products and at the same time discover new talents and endorsers.
These days, bikini contests also take place in the Internet. All women need to do is submit pictures of themselves wearing their most flattering bikini and viewers judge and vote for their favorites. Furthermore, more and more women flock to the beaches and wear bikinis in the hopes of getting discovered in the modeling industry or TV and film.
The modern world's wide acceptance of women wearing bikinis is a stark contrast to the opposition the small piece of clothing has received when it first came out. Back in the 1930's to the 1960's, America, of all places, actually frowned on the bikini, and various groups fought against it being worn in Hollywood films and in the country in general. Catholic countries in Europe like Spain, Italy and Portugal banned the bikini in their land.
Still, when something in this world is destined to make waves and be a part of everyday lives, no amount of opposition can hamper its onset. True enough, nowadays, all women, from Hollywood superstars to the girl next door, can be caught wearing a bikini at one point. Even plus sized women who in the past would have been mocked if they wear a bikini can now wear one in the beach and not many people would mind.
