I realized that I went on and on before about a “Summer Ready Body.” So the best way for me to be successful in any goal I set for myself is to know my enemy.

I read a great blog post on Blogher about Bikini’s and bathing suits — and it got me thinking the infamous question — “Who invented this crap? I hate them.”

So I share what I learned with you. . .

The Bikini: [from History of Clothing]

The inventors were two Frenchmen, Jacques Heim and Louis Reard. Heim was a couturier designer from Cannes, France, who had designed a very small bathing suit called the “Atome” (french for atom). He hired a skywriting plane to advertise his design by skywriting “Atome — the world’s smallest bathing suit” Three weeks later, Reard, a mechanical Engineer, had another skywriting plane write “Bikini — smaller than the smallest bathing suit in the world.”

The thong: [from Post Random and Useless Facts Forum]

According to http://www.bet.com, fashion historians trace the thongs’ first public U.S. appearance to the 1939 World’s Fair when New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia mandated that the city’s nude dancers cover themselves. Another reference states that thongs, originally called tangas, hit the beaches of Brazil in 1977.

High Heels: [from wiki]

It is a long and sorted history. You gotta read it yourself.

Pantyhose & Miniskirt
Yup, we got one guy to thank for both these little beauties! [from About]

Allen Gant Senior invented pantyhose. In 1959, Glen Raven Mills of North Carolina introduced pantyhose — underpants and stockings all in one garment. With the addition of an opaque nylon top, panthose eliminated the need for multiple “foundation” garments. In 1965, Glen Raven Mills developed a seamless pantyhose version that coincided with the introduction of the miniskirt.

Don’t take it all too seriously. If I spent as much time saving money as I do thinking about my looks — you’d be calling me “The Oprah.” So to Allen, Jacques, Louis, and even to Mayor LaGuardia — thanks for all you have done for humanity — oh yeah, and bite me.