Bikini Attitude

Ooh-la-la! Brigitte Bardot, or BB as she was known, or even just ‘Bardot’, practically invented the bikini. More than that fateful 2-piece garment, she invented a whole niche industry for fashion, press and film representing an untapped age segment, that, up until her appearance on the cover of Paris magazine Elle in 1950 at age 16, was entirely ignored and unknown.

The world of teenagers.

It sounds so much prettier in French–the unexplored canvas of les juenes filles, or the ‘young girls’. Up until this point in time, only women or children were so portrayed by the media–there was no fashion or magazines devoted to teenagers–there were only grown-up married women in tweedy Chanel suits and crisp Dior shirt-waisted dresses or chubby, red-cheeked school girls in serge uniforms of navy and grey. No pubescent girls like Bardot at the beach in a Hawaiian print bikini!

(Cannes Film Festival 1953)

Even Nabokov’s tale of a child-woman, Lolita, who seduces a much, much older man would not yet be written (or banned) for a further five years! BB created a fashion all her own; a look that overtook the formality and heavy construction of the Parisian couturiers ‘New Look’. Barefoot, bikini-clad, her wild, tangled mane of hair as frisky as a Camargue horse’s tail –she exuded insouciance, freedom, carefree-ness, juxtaposed alongside an aching, budding sexuality. Let’s put it this way–she was sex on legs.

And she dressed like that. Like a jeune fille, a teenager– although at that time, mind you, there was no template for dressing like one. A simple, fitted camisoled-cotton sun dress, a stripey sailor’s tee exposing both shoulders (now known as a Bardot neckline), boy shorts, Capri trousers–always girlie, flirty, never lewd, but casual, and always mostly barefoot–always unstudied and flung-together. In fact, her look was the opposite of say, someone like the divine Miss Dita von Teese whose every ensemble is a creative tour de force of planned elegant sexuality.

Bardot, with her nubile, seductive and completely natural sensuality–encased by her full, naturally pouty bee-stung lips, bed hair, perfectly erect posture from her training as a ballet dancer and her proportionately, womanly curves–caused indignation, unrest, arrests, event threats of immorality– when she was launched onto a bigger screen in her husband Roger Vadim’s 1956 film And God Created Woman.

Bardot, cast as the voracious, sexually wanton Juliete, became a cause celebre and went from jeune fille to God’s gift to Men. Her carioca dance scene where she drives the 3 main male characters into an erotic frenzy has become a defining moment in cinematography. She was adjudged by the editor of Paris-Match to be ‘immoral from head to toe’. Of course, all this furore and clamor to ban her did was to elevate and promote her status to an even higher pedestal–that of budding sex goddess!

Bardot went on to make more than 50 films before ‘retiring’ and withdrawing to her beloved beaches of St. Tropez at age 39, devoting herself to animal and political causes. She assiduously eschewed the glitz and artifice of high fashion, make-up, plastic surgery and the spotlight, instead choosing to follow her desires and pleasures on her own terms.

Of course the irony today is that all women want to dress like ‘jeunes filles’ forever, and all women want to look like Bardot.

Bardot bikinis

Kikidoll is the eternal beachgirl, and takes her inspiration from the awesome elegance and pristine simplicity of beaches and waves everywhere. She muses on islands, oceans, beaches, shells, flowers, tropical living, travel, design and style, swimming, surfing, her beloved Hawaii nei, the spirit of aloha, iconic symbols and of course the fleeting ‘endless summer’. Most importantly, she frets over what to wear at the beach!

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Kissing Surfer & Bikini Girl Salt & Pepper Shakers Set $10.99 From the Mwah! Tableware Collection. Surfer and Bikini Girl Salt and Pepper Shaker Set. This set features a cute couple held together with magnets. Made of ceramic with glossy finish. Measures 3.75″ high. Hand wash only….

Jolees Boutique Themed Ornate Stickers, Beach Bikini $0.50 Stickers by Jolee’s are acid-free and perfect for decorating your scrapbook pages and homemade cards. …

PURELY CHARMING Enameled Pet Charm/Pendant with Handset Swarovski Crystals – Bikini (Red) $6.99 Adore and adorn your pet with our stunning easy clip-on charms/pendants with glistening hand set Swarovski Crystals! The charm will also work great as a zipper or purse pull, bracelet charm, necklace pendant, jean charm…get creative! All Purely Charming slide-on letters, charms and clip-on pendants/charms are individually handcrafted and plated with rhodium to protect against tarnishing and give…

Beach Party/Bikini Beach (DVD) $10.46 BEACH PARTY: An anthropologist (Cummings) and his lovely assistant travel to the wilds of Southern California’s beaches to study

Bikini Summer 3: South Beach Heat (DVD) $4.99 The heat keeps rising as the party keeps raging at the Miami playpen of two bikinied babes.

Bikini Bootcamp $12.09 Description not available.

Volcom Roses Are Rad Bikini Bottom – Dark Brown $36 This Volcom Bikini Bottom features the Roses Are Rad print and regular coverage. If youre looking for low-rise bottoms to match your solid bikini top, check out this Bikini Bottom. The pattern on the Roses Are Rad Bottoms spices up your beach suit. 80% Nylon / 20% Spandex.

Volcom Smokin Bikini Bottom – Black $34 The Volcom Smokin Bikini Bottom is made of 80% Nylon / 20% Spandex.  This solid low rise bikini bottom comes with volcom script screen print on back right hip and Volcom word printed lining. Bottoms have moderate coverage.  

Billabong Fairy Bikini Set – Black $76 The womens Fairy bikini is a cute two piece design made of 80% nylon and 20% spandex. This bikini has a halter top and fixed bottoms. The halter top has adjustable contrast neck, back and center oval ties with signature emblem embroidered detail at front left. There are removable light pads in the top of this bikini. The fixed bottoms have a top panel that matches the top and a floral diamond pattern throughout with signature embroidered lettering at back top center.