"The atomic bomb of fashion"

The first 'two-piece' swimsuit became popular for practical reasons during the war, as rationing meant there was less fabric available. However, it wasn't until 1946 that designer Louis Reard created the word's first bikini. 

The key difference between a 'two-piece' and a 'bikini' being, that the bikini reveals the belly button, something that was extremely taboo at the time. So taboo in fact the original model refused to wear the bikini as it was 'too shocking', so it was first seen on a French nude dancer, Micheline Bernardini. Bernardini was seen holding up a matchbox in the first photos of the suit to indicate that the bikini was so small it could fit inside a matchbox. As a result of the shoot, she received 50,000 fan letters and moved to America to work as an actress.

Named after Bikini Atoll, a coral reef in the Marshall Islands where nuclear weapons were tested, Diana Vreeland (Vogue Editor and style legend) referred to the new suit as "the atomic bomb of fashion."

The bikini was subsequently declared sinful by the Vatican. It was also banned in France and various US states. In 1957, Modern Girl magazine wrote that, "It is hardly necessary to waste words over the so-called bikini since it is inconceivable that any girl with tact and decency would ever wear such a thing."

But thank goodness the bikini persevered where other garments have fallen, as personally I don't think the 40's style high-waisted two-pieces are very flattering at all.

Interesting modern day bikinis are both decreasing and increasing in size, with Brazilian bottoms becoming more common place (also featured in our next collection), in contrast to the sport-luxe trend which sees sturdier style tops.

One trend that we are glad didn't make it through is the topless swimsuit! In 1964 these were supposed to be the next big thing. Rudi Gernreich, the designer who originally conceived of the chest-exposing one-piece, said that he anticipated that within five years, breasts would be exposed at American beaches. For a few years Gernreich was right! Copies of the topless swimsuit were sold at Henri Bendel, and Brigitte Bardot was pictured sunbathing in one, but luckily the trend eventually died out.

We salute the bikini, our favourite item of clothing!

It's been so exciting to see the gorgeous Tash Oakley and Devin Brugman from A bikini a day rocking our bikinis around the world – from the Caribbean to LA. Here's our favourite pics:

Shop the look here

Shop the look here

Shop the look here

“Go bold or go home. That was the resounding message on New York and London runways where designers continued their love affair with orange.” The Fashion Spot.

Richard Chai | Costello Tagliapietra | Marissa Webb | DKNY

Sitting right at the red end of the orange scale this colour's so bright and vibrant it's perfect for summer.

Take the look to the beach with our Hot orange swimwear collection. SHOP NOW >

A quick guide to getting mix and match swimwear right, from the designer of new Aussie label RH Swimwear.

Whilst matching twin sets is still a strong outfit trend (#twinning), when it comes to swimwear it's all about creating mixed sets. Buying separates enables us to get creative with our styling, mixing up prints and solid colours to create lots of different styles from only a few pieces, amazing! Not to mention the fact that we can now buy the right size for both our top and bottom, about time!

But for those of you still doubting whether your complimenting or clashing, heres a quick guide to mastering the mix and match look.

Before we jump in it's worth noting 3 rules that apply to all looks:

1. Always wear the brightest piece on your more favourable section, as it will draw people's attention to this area. For example, if you're a little worried about being bottom heavy, try solid coloured bottoms in a mute colour, with a printed top.
2. Keep the style of the swimwear the same on both pieces; for example, don't wear a skimpy, frilly top with boy short bottoms.
3. Don't mix completely different fabrics, such as a neoprene with a crochet.

Prints and solids

A great way to nail this look is to pick a solid colour that's within the print your mixing it with. For an exact match it's best to buy your top and bottom from the same label, so next time you buy a printed set, grab an extra pair of bottoms in a matching colour.

An alternative is to mix a simple print like a stripe with a contrasting colour, when doing this you just need to make sure that the colours fit together, for example don't mix a bright summery stripe with plain black.

Prints and prints

This is probably the hardest look to get right but one that's definitely worth the effort! A good tip is to mix a simple print, such as a chevron, stripe or geometric pattern (a large scale pattern), with a more complex print like an animal print or floral (a small scale pattern).

Basically the aim is for the prints to compliment each other rather than fighting for attention. Maintaining a common colour is always a good tie in, as it will make the mix look more cohesive.

Solids and solids

This is the combination most embraced by the masses probably because it seems like the easiest option, however it's a look that I see a lot of people getting wrong. A frequent mistake is to mix black with a bright colour like cobalt blue or red. Instead, team black with a taupe or a darker blue, or go monochrome and match it with white.

When mixing colour and colour pick colours that are next to each other or opposite each other on the colour wheel, as these are 'complementary colours'.

All styles by RH Swimwear

A list of our favourite spots to enjoy some delicious food whilst soaking in Sydney's best feature – stunning water views. We hope you enjoy them! 

Best for: A special occasion lunch - so take your loved one there on their next birthday for truly amazing food (it has two hats), matched with an epic view.

Best for: A special day – rent a little boat and have a relaxing morning cruising round Hawkesbury River, then pull up to Cottage Point Inn's private jetty to enjoy an elegant lunch in this unique location. 

Best for: A long dinner with friends – get there early and watch the sun come down, whilst enjoying a glass of BYO (amazing) champagne and some oysters. Then savour a 3 course dinner in this beautiful, serene setting. If you're coming from the east side then booking a taxi boat is probably one of the nicest and most inexpensive (if there's a few of you) way to travel home. What a perfect evening!

Best for: A spot of lunch - grab a table out the back and enjoy the calm of Pittwater, whilst tucking into some yummy seafood and a bottle of white! Get there early though as it gets busy.

Best for: Some afternoon cocktails and snacks in the bar, whilst watching the toings and froings of Sydney's most iconic beach.

Best for: A late lunch or early dinner, watching the boats come into Manly wharf. Start with some chicken wings and ceviche, and move onto mouth watering slow cooked, smoked meats. One hot tip though, don't go with a veggie!