The (Not So) Itsy Bitsy Bikini Bombshell – A Swimsuit Series
The year was 1946.
At a pool in France 19 year old Micheline Bernardine made history when she modeled the first bikini at a public pool during a fashion event. The bikini was an instant success, and the men particularly enjoyed the new garment. The model received 50,000 fan letters.
It is no surprise that she was daring enough to model something she knew would create an uproar.
She was a stripper.
It was the only woman that Louis Réard, the designer of the bikini, could find that was brazen enough to model the bikini. The bikini was banned from the first worldwide beauty contest after it took place in 1951. Countries like Belgum, Italy, Spain, and Australia also prohibited ladies from wearing this scandalous garment, and the Vatican declared it sinful.
Look how far we have come.
Women not only wear the bikini to the public swimming places, they are also found wearing them to the grocery store. Simply add a little tiny pair of shorts on with the bikini top and you will find ladies playing volleyball, miniature golfing, or playing tennis, and many times church groups are the ones putting on such events!
It did not happen overnight though. Slowly we were worn down in our thinking that the bikini was not acceptable. It was a “victory” for females when it became commonplace. Once again, in a much smaller scale than abortion, women have the right to choose what they are doing with their bodies.
The bikini was introduced to America in 1947, but it took 20 years of morality decline until the “liberated” 1960’s came about. It was a time of sexual revolution and promiscuity. The pharmaceutical advance that brought the sexual revolution full circle was the Pill (read more info about the Pill here). Feminism had been making advances for the past 50 years at least, but the fact still remained that intimate relations commonly result in pregnancy. In the years leading up to the 1960’s, conception was really the one thing holding a society that had been bombarded with anti-biblical philosophies from actually rushing headlong into full fledged promiscuity. The Pill changed all of that. Now suddenly could men not only look, they could also safely act if their hearts were so inclined. And women gained an immense amount of power and influence over the hearts and minds of men as a result of it.
As for the bikini, it finally received a welcome that the designer hoped for, but probably never imagined possible. Society as a whole has gone downhill since the 1960’s, and now in the 21st century our defenses have been overwhelmed and we have been living in a sex saturated culture. Our moral dam broke open over 50 years ago and the water came rushing in.
Along with the bikini we see such unimaginable deeds taking place daily, such as cold hearted murder of innocent babies, and marriages falling apart as spouses go flying into other people’s arms (and beds), sometimes to abandon the marital partner they had for a same sex relationship.
God have pity on this country. Our women need to step up and admit where our female race has gone wrong. We need to fall down and weep for the bloody mess we have created. There are wonderful Christian women that wake up one day and realize they were counseled to do terrible grievous acts that they cannot undo, and they must search for the deepest grace imaginable to forgive themselves.
The bikini was not the one thing that brought all of this about. It was a small piece of a puzzle that perfectly fit together. The puzzle as a whole is rebellion against God. We cannot blame this all on moral decline, or even a good percentage of it. When men’s hearts turn away from following God’s commandments, then destruction comes. Being moral will not save this country, falling on our knees and begging God for mercy and forgiveness is what will in the end save us.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Proverbs 14:12
May we earnestly seek the Lord and discover what way is right as we strive to follow Him.
Hair Clips For All Ages And Hair Types!
Swimsuit Series
Part 1 – Bikinis and Bras
Thanks for sharing this! I do believe that the lowered standards of women have allowed the moral character of our country to slip in so many areas. May we rise up and stand for all that is Godly!
Excellent observations! I am enjoying this series very much! We live about a 1/2 hour from the Michigan shores of Lake Michigan and when I take the family to the beach I will purposely pick the beaches you have to hike into (rather then those you can drive right up to.) There are less beach goers at those and therefore a bit less skin for my twelve year-old son to have to avoid looking at. We have Christian friends who allow their teen girls to wear bikinis (they have a pool) and I don’t feel I can let my son go over. Very sad.
What bothers me most about the modest “movement” amongst certain Christians is the fact they don’t want to be around immodest people (hide, go to secluded places as to not be around immodest people) . Doesn’t your churches do ANY out reaches? Yesterday we had our annual community day, we went out into the community and served THEM. It was HOT out, they came dressed as they were. One lady came to us in shorts, and a tank top and no bra on. That’s what happens when you serve. We are ALL called to reach the LOST. We aren’t suppose.p to be saved and just sit in church pews week after week, and going home and closing the door to the world behind us. How selfish are we?
People are dying and crying out for something greater than ourselves. The GREATEST thing we can do is go and MINISTER to the people in the world and TRULY show them Jesus, instead of shunning them because they aren’t covered head to toe.
Danille, reference your comments above: my experience over many years is that those churches and individuals who make a clear biblical stand for personal modesty are the very ones evangelising at the rock face in the worst and most immoral of situations. Separation does not mean segregation. To be discreet does not at all mean you isolate yourself. Modesty is a part of the Christian life not it’s foundation. We realise that sinners are sinners. A change of dress will not save them but who can doubt that the devil has used such things to pervert this generation and take it further from the mind and thought of God. The fact remains that past secular society was more modest than most of the contemporary church.
Danielle, You can read a follow up post I wrote here: http://www.themodestmomblog.com/2013/07/standards-with-charity-a-swimsuit-series/
Makes no difference. A girl in a one piece bathing suit will still be as provocative as a girl in a one piece. If people are swimming there’s really no avoiding the lust issue. You might as well let him go swim with the bikini girls.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I couldn’t agree more! It is sad to see the decline of a nation that once stood upon the principles of God’s Word. It is amazing how quickly things changed that had building over time. Sometimes it seems like it was over night, yet one can look back and see the progression. We are now seeing even futher results of these choices as a nation we no longer stand for Biblical marriage. As Christians we stand up and shout that we have “freedom in Christ.” 🙁 I believe God is/has removed His hand of blessing from this country because His “children” no longer stand for truth. Thank you for your straight forward, honest look at this topic. I am so grateful for your blog!
This is so true. I see so many people who talk about how it’s not about what you wear but what’s in your heart that matters, but I honestly believe there has to be rebellion in your heart somewhere to want to reveal so much of yourself to others. Along these same lines I remember my mom telling me about an older preacher we know who says the first women in his hometown to wear pants were hookers and everyone was shocked and appalled when they first started doing it in public. We’ve definitely come a long way in what we consider right in clothing choices. So very, very sad when we look at what those choices (as well as others) have cost us. Thank you so much for this series. It’s encouraging to hear from someone challenging us to come back to a more Godly way of thinking on this subject!
Bravo!!! You did an excellent job at communicating this very important yet so controversy topic.
May the Lord continue to use you as you work through this series.
Thank you!
We live 20 minutes from Daytona Beach. You can imagine what we see! Like your first post in this series, I’ve never understood how a bikini is any different from undergarments. And a one piece is NOT modest! God’s desires for us to cover ourselves do not have a “water exclusion clause”. We have taken to making our own bathing suites. I know not all your feedback will be encouraging, as this is a controversial topic, even in Christian circles. But keep taking your stand. God’s “well done” is worth it all.
Definitely agree about the 1-piece. I know a lot of Christians that find short shorts and tight tops to be immodest, but think the standard 1-piece bathing suit is just fine, despite revealing more. They seem to think water makes all the difference….
I do know there are plenty of websites selling modest swim suits. As in, swimsuits that cover as much as you like from looking like boy short with t-shirt to covering all the way to wrists and ankles – they even make a swimming ha-jib for those who cover their hair for religious reasons. All made out of swimsuit materials. It would be nice if there were more of these modest swimsuits made available in retail stores. The best one of my friends could do for her toddler girl was the board shorts and t-shirt style swim set. When we were shopping for that we saw toddler sized binikis. Seriously?!?! Children at that age have no clue about choosing clothing or swimwear for themselves. Toddler should not be wearing immodest anything IMO.
Rebecca: I totally agree with your disgust at bikinis for small children. And, I agree that toddlers should not wear anything immodest. My husband and I are very very picky about what our toddler wears. 99.99% of what she wears are hand-me-downs from family and friends. But, we do get rid of any of the clothes that come our way if we don’t think they are modest enough. If you let your child dress immodestly as a toddler, at what age do you suddenly tell them they can no longer dress how they have their entire life?
Yes I agree, a typical one piece is not modest either!
May the Lord bless you for boldly speaking the truth.
Caroline, thank you for being so bold as to speak the unpopular opinions. Our society is in a clear moral decline, and even though it’s hard to imagine, it’s still getting worse 🙁 We have got to step up and step out and declare that we will not conform to this! Because you’re right…these things are going on in the church as much as out of it. I think that’s partly the start of it…when the church starts accepting and condoning and teaching behaviors that go directly against the word of God, then society declines even more, and at a faster rate.
It is sad when you step into a church, and it doesn’t look any different then the world outside of the church building. 🙁
Thank you for this excellent post and for taking what is surely an unpopular stand among most women. We have traveled far into the results of our own rebelliousness, so far that it’s hard to even imagine the place from whence we came. It’s good for us to be reminded. Thank you again.
Amen, Caroline! Thank you for your boldness in speaking the truth, and may God shower you with blessings as you finish this series.
We tell our girls to be pure, but then dress them like – well – the first to wear a bikini – strippers. It’s a sad state. It’s even worse that it is so difficult to truly find clothes in any store front that are appropriate for any woman. Praying for you as you step out to share truth.
It is SO incredibly sad how girls are dressed these days. 🙁
Thanks for pointing out that morality and modesty aren’t the things we need to worry about. We need to be on our faces crying out to God for mercy. I strive to be modest (teaching my daughters and son as well) and moral out of respect for men and God, but our hearts are truly the problem. We need to focus on wholly devoting ourselves to our Savior and Lord. The rest will come as His Holy Spirit works in our hearts and lives.
Amen!
Yes!!!!!!
Thank you for taking the time to “hit the nail on the head!” My daughters and I only wear modest swimsuits that feature sleeves, skirts, and shorts and we get complimented all the time about how comfortable and fashionable we look. My husband and sons also wear a shirt and shorts…men need to be modest too! :o)
Normally I really love reading your blog, but I am a little frustrated at this article. Disclaimer: I am NOT a fan of bikinis and believe women DO have some responsibility in what we allow to be seen.
Articles like this make my stomach knot up. In nearly every line you are highlighting that WOMEN are at fault. WOMEN need to repent. WOMEN should have known better. While I don’t disagree that WOMEN have responsibility, I also believe that MEN play a HUGE role in this. It is MEN who “rule the world” and MEN who partake in the over`sexualization of women. If we stopped saying things like “dressing immodestly is like rolling in slop, it attracks pigs” (as true as that may be) we are letting men off the hook. “But shes dressed like x y or z…” doesn’t excuse MEN from making many women BELIEVE they NEED to dress a certain way to be loved or valued. What is more important to me is teaching my sons that no matter how a women dresses or acts, she is a woman and deserves their kindness and respect. There are many stories of “brazen strippers” and prostitutes that were finally treated with love, respect and kindness for the first time in their adult lives that left that career field, changed their dress and realized they had VALUE. So… Im sorry, I don’t feel men are really victims of the bikini.. as you said. They are the ones who were so excited about it. They helped lead the desire for women to want to wear it in the first place.
Brittney,
I don’t see anywhere in either one of my posts on this topic where I say that men are victims of the bikini. I totally understand where you are coming from, but women are the ones who put the bikini on. Yes there is pressure from men to look good, but we don’t have to give in to that pressure by putting a bikini on. I think a lot of women enjoy looking good and knowing they are attracting men’s attention.
As for the part about not addressing the man’s role in all this, the series is not over. 🙂 Check back on Friday. 🙂
I’ve been taking a break from reading blogs for several months, but am so glad I checked this post of yours out. I found it fascinating. And, I don’t understand how wearing a bikini in public is any different than wearing a bra and underwear in public??? Both seem outrageous to me.
Thank you for stopping your break to read this post. 🙂
I appreciate your willingness to stand strong in an area where many Christians have compromised. My 15 year old daughter is considering using the topic of bikini’s and modesty for her speech club next year when she competes in informative speeches. I do have one point to add. Scripture does encourage women to dress in a way that is distinct from a man. I have seen many women dress for swimming in a man’s t-shirt and men’s swim shorts. I would encourage women to find a feminine option for swimming. They are out there. God made us distinct in our genders for a reason, to point to His glory. Glorify Him in your femininity. It is a gift that the world so desperately needs to see.
So true! Thank you for pointing that out. It’s always sad to see women/girls looking more manly for the sake of covering up! You don’t have to compromise femininity for modesty.
I was overjoyed to see that the link to more info on the Pill went to Randy Alcorn’s booklet “Does the Pill Cause Abortions?” Every Christian woman should read this book, because sadly, most of them do not realize that very early chemical abortions can result. They’ve been told by pastors, friends, etc. that taking the Pill is “ok” but it’s NOT if there’s the possibility (even if small) of abortion.
Pinning this post!!!
Caroline, I always enjoy reading your articles. Your words are well-thought-out and spoken in love. This topic is fresh in our household, with our 12 year old daughter facing the choices of modesty for herself these days. Thank you!
Thank you for saying the words that need to be said. You speak the truth.
Sue
So true sister. I have 8 little ones and I do NOT want to raise them to be okay with this. My husband has different views though…he is brazen enough to suggest that not only I wear a two-piece, but that we let our daughters wear them, too. *Sigh* How do I respond to this?? He’s the breadwinner and more liberal with clothing. He likes the idea of me to dressing more “sexy” and I don’t want to disrespect him.
I disagree with the position most commonly held by the people commenting here and the blogger, but I would like to respectfully suggest something. My husband is from an area on the Mediterranean. Prepubescent children, both boys and girls, often wear one piece bathing suits, but by this I mean what we would call in the U.S. simply “bottoms.” Underwear. The bottom of a bikini. I asked one of my friends from that area why she thought that little girls’ bathing suits came in only the panty part, and she immediately expressed revulsion: “If you cover up a toddler’s top, you’re therefore sexualizing that toddler. What is under cover is suddenly forbidden, but it’s a toddler!” In other words, by allowing toddlers (girls or boys) to go naked from the waist up, one is effectively removing the sexuality associated with one particular sex from that child.
What she said made sense to me. Again, I don’t see things your way. In fact, I am not Christian. I am, however, very curious about your reaction to my friend’s reaction (which is, ostensibly, shared by most in that region).
Thank you.