Itsy bitsy, teeny weeny

In favour and out again on a constant basis, the bikini is once again fashionable this summer, after being shunned for the past few years. It is more than half a century since the minimalist garment was formally named, although the bikini's origins are probably older. The Bikini Book published three years ago to mark its 50th anniversary, notes that two-piece bathing suits for women had first appeared during the 1930s. However, as part of a wartime austerity programme, in 1943 the US government announced the fabric used in swimwear must be reduced by 10 per cent, thereby encouraging the drive to cut out the midriff section.

After the United States carried out a nuclear test in the south Pacific's Bikini Atoll in June 1946, a French designer called Louis Reard chose to call his latest - and briefest - women's bathing suit a "bikini". Even if Reard is now forgotten except among fashion historians, his name stuck and the modern bikini had arrived.

What helped to spread its popularity was the propensity of film actresses to be photographed wearing little else, especially during the 1950s. Brigitte Bardot, for example, was shown in a bikini for And God Created Woman, and starlets of the period, such as Diana Dors and Mamie Van Doren, were snapped in bikinis. Among the most famous bikini sightings in the following decade were Ursula Andress emerging from the waves in Doctor No (1962) and Raquel Welch battling dinosaurs wearing only a fur bikini in One Million Years BC (1966).

Although not always itsy bitsy or teeny weeny, bikinis have become one of the staples of beachwear this century. Even the most famous designers have produced their own variations on this theme; notoriously, Karl Lagerfeld showed a micro-version in his spring/summer 1995 collection for Chanel with the double-C insignia on each breast. Even though it has been suggested bikinis are worn by women hoping to disguise their shyness or lack of confidence, this style is not for the modest. The bikini provides precious little cover and takes almost no advantage of the advances made in fabric technology during recent years. That means no assistance for the stomach and rib cage, which are on view.

There is, therefore, little point in choosing a low-key style of bikini; it demands that the wearer be bold. The best colours are the brightest, the most dashing designs the most fun (although, if a line is to be drawn, animal prints lie on the wrong side of it). Right now, the bikini to be bought is in a strong, pure, primary shade, perhaps with a floral print, certainly with a contrasting trim. Some of the most attractive examples have scalloped edging or a just a ruffle around the bustline. While tops can have either a halterneck or shoulder straps, the most popular style for the lower section is no longer a thong but a trunk. Thanks to the addition of Lycra or another stretch fabric, this gives support to both thighs and stomach - especially important when no other aid is on offer. And if you are still concerned about revealing so much of your body, then take refuge behind a wrap-around skirt or sarong.