History of the Bikini

Bikinis are a staple of California culture and "beach" culture in general. Reading the article, Bikinis and other s/pacific n/oceans by Teresia K. Teaiswa, I was surprised to learn the horrible history behind the Bikini. For many Americans, the bikini represents sunshine, ocean, and summer while for Pacific Islanders it represents a time where bombs were being detonated left and right.

The bikini first arose to attract the attention of men after World War II. Women began exposing more and more, "collar-bones and elbows, ankles and calves came into view on the street, and evening dresses, suspended by the thinnest straps...".  Women's bodies became representative of both their own sexuality, but also the forgotten people of the island of Bikini. It was as if the US was distracting the civilians from what was really going on in the island by exposing women's bodies.