Itsy bitsy turning 60

KANAK HIRANI NAUTIYAL / TNN / Jul 3, 2006, 23:37 IST

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At 60, it's anything but history. There could be nothing more current and trendy than the bikini, which celebrates its anniversary on July 5.

At 60, it's anything but history. There could be nothing more current and trendy than the bikini, which celebrates its anniversary on July 5.
TWO-piece or one? Never ask that question. If you've got the figure and don't mind flaunting it, there's nothing better than a twopiece to do the job. What's more, it's two times more fun and twice as sexy as its single piece counterpart.
To think that the first time the bikini made its debut, its creator couldn't find a model to wear it on the ramp! Engineer Louis Reard hired stripper Micheline Bernardini to walk down the runway wearing the two-piece on July 5, 1946, in Paris.
From Paris to Bangalore, style is all that's mattered when it comes to making a statement. And the city's fashion-conscious folk don't even need an excuse to celebrate the glorious bikini.

Sarongs and bikinis are the norm at any beach destination, says stylist Gautam Kalra. "It's been fun to see the bikini go from polka-dotted to glam and glittery.
Sporty bikinis are my current favourite," says Gautam. Comfy and cool, the bikini is best when you want a tan, "because it's the closest to not having your clothes on."
An out-of-shape but confident bikini-wearer is better than someone who's skinny but keeps tugging at her

two-piece, says architect Kajal T.
"You have to be comfortable, otherwise there's no point wearing a bikini. The idea of wearing a two-piece is to feel sexy." Kajal owns five pairs of bikini tops and bottoms which she mixes and matches depending on her mood. "I love getting a tan and my bikini helps me do that," she says.
Before she first modelled for a swimwear calendar, model and actress Deepika Padukone was a little apprehensive about sporting a bikini. "Since I used to be an athlete, my legs and shoulders are muscular...
....
But I was more confident in a biniki after I trained for the calendar," she says. Her faves are her black and bright blue bikini.
"I love the bikini because it accentuates your body and looks sensuous. But wear it only if you're 100 per cent confident. Walk tall with your legs strong."
Nutan wore one in Dilli Ka Thug, Sharmila Tagore dared to bare with a bikini in An Evening in Paris and even Mallika Sherawat strutted around in her twopiece in Khwaaish.
So will the bikini ever go out of style? "Not if it hasn't for 60 years," says Gautam. Adds Kajal, "It's like the saree; it's always going to be in fashion." And Deepika offers: "Jeans and bikinis will never go out of style."

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