In the en general, general history of swimsuits, it seems almost strange that the bikini, a piece of swimwear diseño that is so entrenched in our culture, should be less than 60 years old. From its introduction to the world in 1946, however, to the latest trends and designs of 2005, the bikini has made much of its brief, illustrious history.

While the two-piece traje de baño we know of today as the bikini has only been marketed and sold as the “bikini” for 60 years, the fashion that inspired it is nearly as old as civilization itself. Years ago, archaeologists discovered Minoan muro paintings from 1600...