Evidence suggests the bikini appeared first in Anatolia over 5000 years ago. Hard evidence in the form of a mosaic indicates it was present in the Roman empire in the late third century AD, and before that, was used by both men and women in Roman athletic competitions. It seems to have retired from the world stage around the fourth century AD, reappearing in 1948, in a version designed by Michel Reard and modeled by Micheline Bernardini.
Changing attitudes toward the body, the female body in particular, probably accounted for its disappearance, while a scarcity of fabric during WW2 is one reason given for its eventual re-emergence. Whatever the reasons, when the bikini came back, it came back with a vengeance. In the 75 years since Reard re-conceived it, it’s become the mainstay of women’s beachwear. It’s also gotten steadily smaller and more form-hugging until today’s iterations include micro bikinis– little more than two very tiny patches of cloth.
Until recently, in America though not in Europe, the bikini has been the province of younger, mostly toned women with figures that conformed to the social ideal. The “typical” bikini model for instance was someone like Ashley Ray Cushman–young and fit. Looking at Ashley in stills, or watching her on Tik Tok videos, one sees a woman who has a great deal of confidence in her body. Yet according to Ashley herself, she’s been bullied for her lifestyle, despite having become a successful entrepreneur who designs and sells her own line of bikinis at just 22.
Perhaps it’s her experience in the often harsh world of the internet that made Ashley also become a spokeswoman for the body positivity movement. One might think that someone so intent on finding the perfect polished satin bikini that she manufactured it herself, would endorse the glamor that goes along with this article of beachwear. But first and foremost, Ashley believes women should own their own bodies and, no matter what body type they were given, should never let themselves be deterred by the body shaming that sometimes goes along with loving oneself.
This doesn’t mean that Ashley, or her company, CCXSWIMWEAR’s product, is opposed to style or glamor. What it does mean is CCXSWIMWEAR and Ashley encourage all women who want to go out and wear the brand’s seamless polished satin bikini that’s as comfortable as it is stylish. To this end, she makes bikinis in various sizes to go along with the eleven (and possibly growing) color lines that are currently available. Women can exercise their choice of bikini not just in size but by mixing and matching tops and bottoms.
The bikini will probably always be a flashpoint for societal attitudes toward the female body. And these, as Ashley and other women know all too well, won’t always be supportive. But the bikini is here to stay. And to quote French fashion historian Olivier Saillard it is because of “the power of women, and not the power of fashion” — the power of women like Ashley. To find out more about Ashley Cushman and see her line of swimwear, visit her on Instagram or TikTok.
