Though a success in postwar France, Americans deemed the bikini too risqué until Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner were photographed wearing them.
Though a success in postwar France, Americans deemed the bikini too risqué until Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner were photographed wearing them.
Though a success in postwar France, Americans deemed the bikini too risqué until Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner were photographed wearing them.
Though a success in postwar France, Americans deemed the bikini too risqué until Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner were photographed wearing them.
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy high-school student in a very revealing polka dot bikini bathing suit (which she apparently did not try on beforehand) who stays immersed in the ocean water to hide from view, while other high-schoolers gossip about her. It was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss and first released on August 8, 1960 by Brian Hyland. Hyland's version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 and also made the top 10 in other countries.
Lyrics
ITSY BITSY TEENIE WEENIE YELLOW POLKA DOT BIKINI
Bup-bup-bup-bup, ba-dup-bup-bup-bup-bup
She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was as nervous as she could be
She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was afraid that somebody would see
Two, three, four - tell the people what she wore
It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today
An itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini
So in the locker she wanted to stay
Two, three, four - stick around, we'll tell you more
Bup-bup-bup-bup, ba-dup-bup-bup-bup-bup
She was afraid to come out in the open (ba-da-dup)
And so a blanket around her, she wore (ba-da-dup)
She was afraid to come out in the open (ba-da-dup)
And so she sat bundled up on the shore
Two, three, four - tell the people what she wore
It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today
An itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini
So in the blanket she wanted to stay
Two, three, four - stick around, we'll tell you more
Bup-bup-bup-bup, ba-dup-bup-bup-bup-bup
Now she's afraid to come out of the water (ba-da-dup)
And I wonder what she's gonna do (ba-da-dup)
Yes, she's afraid to come out of the water (ba-da-dup)
And now the poor little girl's turning blue
Two, three, four - tell the people what she wore
It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today
An itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini
So in the water she wanted to stay
From the locker to the blanket
From the blanket to the shore
From the shore to the water
Guess there isn't anymore
A two-piece suit with a halter or bandeau top and gracefully draped or skirted bottom half was common attire for screen siren Esther Williams. Soon movie fans could replicate her look complete with plunging neckline, bare midriff, and gold lamé jersey courtesy of costume designer Margit Fellegi for Cole of California. Catalina, another leading bathing suit manufacturer, used many Hollywood stars, such as Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe, in their advertisements.
A two-piece suit with a halter or bandeau top and gracefully draped or skirted bottom half was common attire for screen siren Esther Williams. Soon movie fans could replicate her look complete with plunging neckline, bare midriff, and gold lamé jersey courtesy of costume designer Margit Fellegi for Cole of California. Catalina, another leading bathing suit manufacturer, used many Hollywood stars, such as Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe, in their advertisements.
Solestrom's new bikini that goes on sale in month with a UV meter built into its belt and an alarm that beeps to tell wearers when to head to the shade.
As the bikini turns 60, it's entering the electronic age with a new model featuring a built-in alarm to warn wearers to get out of the sun - and ease concerns that the scanty swimsuits damage the health.
The American Cancer Society advises that the best way to lower the risk of skin cancer, the most common form of the disease in humans, is to avoid too much exposure to the sun and other sources of ultraviolet light.
So Canadian company Solestrom has come up with a new bikini that goes on sale next month with a UV meter built into its belt and an alarm that beeps to tell wearers when to head to the shade.
"There's so much concern about sun exposure and skin cancer that we saw the demand and designed something to be safe for the wearer," Solestrom spokeswoman Emily Garassa said.
Garassa said the meter on the $US190 bikini displays a level of UV intensity on a scale from 0 to 20. A person's sensitivity to UV depends mainly on skin type, but generally three to five would be considered moderate strength, 8-10 very high and anything above 11 extreme.
Garassa said the company was already seeing high demand from Australia and South Africa, which have the world's highest skin cancer rates. The United States has about 1 million new skin cancer cases each year.
Despite increasing awareness of the sun's dangers, sales remain strong for the bikini, which celebrated its 60th anniversary this month.
A new survey by U.S.-based market research company NPD Group found the number of the suits sold in the United States rose 18.8 percent to 33.6 million in the year ended in April 2006, with sales worth a total of $US811 million.
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