Since the beach is one of the favorite spots of many Brits, the beach scene and culture are very much alive. Many British people love going to the beach for variety of reasons; some go there for fun, while others go after a good tan. For whatever reason they have, many Brits do not fail visiting the beach at least once a year.
When going to a beach spot in the United Kingdom, it is impossible not to see women sporting stylish and fashionable bikinis. Wearing of sporty, skimpy, or sexy pair of bikini is part of UK beach culture; hence, it is not uncommon to see women doing it while sunbathing or swimming. This type of swimwear is one of the most prominent elements in any beach scene, and in fact, it has an interesting history behind it. If you think that bikinis only sprung to human’s culture in the past decades, you may want to think again. According to historians, bikinis were first used during the ancient times. Greek paintings and urns dating back to the 1400 B.C. depict women athletes sporting two-piece garment, which resembles a bikini. Historians also contend that bikini-style clothing was also used by ancient Romans. This clothing was called ‘subligar,’ a wrapped loincloth of leather or cloth.
The humble beginnings of the bikini continued and expanded through time. Innovations and improvements to this type of clothing were later on introduced, changing the popular culture of many nations. Fast forward to 1951, the first Festival Bikini Contest (later on called Miss World) was launched. The contest originally intended to promote mid-century swimwear at the Festival of Britain. The event became a big success and media called it as ‘Miss World’ competition. The winner of the pageant, Sweden’s Kiki Hakansson, was crowned in a bikini. However, everything did not run smoothly during the first years of the pageant. Conservative and religious nations threatened to withdraw their delegates, which is why the organizing body of the contest decided to change the bikini segment with evening gown portion.
As decades progress, the mentality of many people towards bikinis changed. More and more people became more accepting with the idea of wearing bikinis. Today, it is very normal to see women wearing bikini at the beach, sports events, and beauty pageants. This proved that bikini changed different aspects of the society, most especially the fashion industry.
The beach party scene in the United Kingdom is very much alive. In fact, certain parts of UK are known for beach parties where wearing of bikini is a custom and tradition. Hence, it is not uncommon for many beach- and party-goers to wear swimwear like bikini, board shorts, and the like. This also paved the way for the development of the swimwear industry in the country. Today, it is normal to see a swimshop almost anywhere in the country, and there are even swimwear online shops to accommodate online shoppers. When summer season comes, it is sure that many British girls will flock swimshops to buy the latest and trendiest swimsuits.
When you are planning to hit the beach anytime soon and you want to wear comfortable and fashionable bikinis, then you would want to visit a swimshop. Physical and swimwear online shops in the country carry wide collection of different types of swimwear, from two-piece and one-piece bikini, board shorts, to rash guards. If you want to buy affordable swim wears, it is wise to buy during off-season as swimshops tend to give big discounts. However, you should keep an eye on the items you buy to make sure that you only quality and authentic pieces.