Monokini
Encyclopedia
A monokini, sometimes referred to as a unikini, is a woman's one-piece garment comprising only the lower half of a bikini
, leaving the breasts uncovered. The term monokini is also used for any topless swimsuit, particularly a bikini bottom worn without a bikini top.
(also spelled Rudy Gernreich), an Austrian-American fashion designer, designed the original monokini in the US. Gernreich also was the first to use the name, and the word monokini is first recorded in English that year. He envisioned the design in 1962, and an earlier prototype was printed by the Look
magazine in 1963 as part of an article on futuristic fashions. The actual design was first printed by Look the next year, with a prostitute from the Bahamas
as the original model. Gernreich's monokini looked like a one-piece swimsuit suspended from two halter straps in the cleavage of bared breasts. It had only two small straps over the shoulders, leaving the breasts bare. Despite the reaction of fashion critics and church officials, shoppers purchased the monokini in record numbers that summer, though very few monokinis were ever worn in public. By the end of the season, Gernreich had sold 3000 swimsuits at $24 a piece, which meant a tidy profit for such a minuscule amount of fabric. The novelty of the design caught significant attention, and San Francisco Chronicle
featured a woman in a monokini with her exposed breasts clearly visible on its first page.
The photograph of Peggy Moffitt
, the famous model for the infamous suit and Gernreich's muse, in a monokini shot by her husband William Claxton
became a celebrated document of the extremism of 1960s designs. The photograph appeared in Women's Wear Daily
, Life
and numerous other publications, catapulting Moffitt into instant celebrity, reportedly deluged in everything from marriage proposal to death threats. Moffitt and Claxton later wrote The Rudy Gernreich Book, an aesthetic biography of the fashion revolutionary, which was published by Taschen GmbH
in 1999 (ISBN 3822871974).
The monokini of Gernreich, a declared nudist, was introduced at a time when US nudists
were trying to establish their ways. The United States Postmaster General
banned nudist publications from the mail, and nudist camps and communes were vehemently resisted by authorities. Only in 1958, the Supreme Court of the United States
declared that the naked body in and of itself could not be deemed obscene
. Moffitt said it was a logical evolution of Gernreich's avant-garde
ideas in swimwear design as much as a scandalous symbol of the permissive society
. She also said, "He was trying to take away the prurience, the whole perverse side of sex."
In the 1960s
, the monokini led the way into the sexual revolution
by emphasizing a woman's personal freedom of dress, even when her attire was provocative and exposed more skin than had been the norm during the more conservative 1950s. Quickly renamed as a "topless swimsuit", it was not very successful in the USA, where people have never accepted it for the beach, although both genders were allowed equal exposure above the waist. The Soviet government
called it "barbarism" and a sign of social "decay". The New York City Police Department
was strictly instructed to arrest any woman wearing a monokini by the commissioner of parks
. John Shelley
, the Mayor of San Francisco
(1964–1968), quipped, "topless is at the bottom of porn." In Chicago, a 19-year-old woman was fined US$100 for wearing a monokini on a public beach. Copious coverage of the event helped to send the image of exposed breasts across the world. Women's clubs and the church were particularly active in their condemnation. In Italy and Spain, the church warned against the topless fashion. Even in Saint-Tropez
, French Riviera
, it was banned. Jean-Luc Godard
, a founding mover of French New Wave
cinema, incorporated monokini footage shot by Jacques Rozier
in Riviera into his film A Married Woman, but it was edited out by the censors.
On June 22, 1964, the Condor Club
in North Beach, San Francisco, California
decided to have go-go dancers
in monokini, thus creating the first topless bar. Carol Doda
, who was working for the club and was also one of first women in United States to have silicone implants for breast augmentation, became the first topless dancer in the United States. Doda rapidly became a voice of sexual freedom, while topless restaurants, shoeshine parlors, ice-cream stands and girl bands proliferated. Journalist Earl Wilson
wrote in his syndicated column, "Are we ready for girls in topless gowns? Heck, we may not even notice them." English designers created topless evening gowns inspired by the idea. The Examiner
published a real estate advertisement that promised "bare top swimsuits are possible here". Rudi Gerenrich said in television interview, "It may well be a bit much now. But, just wait. In a couple of years topless bikinis will be a reality and regarded as perfectly natural." When San Francisco Police Department
arrested Doda on indecency charges on April 22, 1965, hundreds of agitators gathered outside the police department calling for release of Doda and Mario Savio
, free speech activist held in the same station.
style backs, while others provide full coverage of the rear. The bottom of the monokini may be high cut, reaching to the waist, with high cut legs, or may be a much lower cut, exposing the belly button. The modern monokini takes its design from the bikini, and is also described as "more of a cut-out one-piece swimsuit
", with designers using fabric, mesh, chain, or other materials to link the top and bottom sections together, though the appearance may not be functional, but rather only aesthetic.
In the 2000s, the term came into use for topless bathing by women: where the bikini has two parts, the monokini is the lower part. Where monokinis are in use, the word bikini may jokingly refer to a two-piece outfit consisting of a monokini and a sun hat. Men's bikinis are also called monokinis.
.
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
, leaving the breasts uncovered. The term monokini is also used for any topless swimsuit, particularly a bikini bottom worn without a bikini top.
History
In 1964, Rudi GernreichRudi Gernreich
Rudi Gernreich was a Austrian-born American fashion designer and gay activist.-Biography:Born in Vienna, Gernreich fled Austria at age 16 due to Nazism, and later migrated to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, California...
(also spelled Rudy Gernreich), an Austrian-American fashion designer, designed the original monokini in the US. Gernreich also was the first to use the name, and the word monokini is first recorded in English that year. He envisioned the design in 1962, and an earlier prototype was printed by the Look
Look (American magazine)
Look was a bi-weekly, general-interest magazine published in Des Moines, Iowa from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles...
magazine in 1963 as part of an article on futuristic fashions. The actual design was first printed by Look the next year, with a prostitute from the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
as the original model. Gernreich's monokini looked like a one-piece swimsuit suspended from two halter straps in the cleavage of bared breasts. It had only two small straps over the shoulders, leaving the breasts bare. Despite the reaction of fashion critics and church officials, shoppers purchased the monokini in record numbers that summer, though very few monokinis were ever worn in public. By the end of the season, Gernreich had sold 3000 swimsuits at $24 a piece, which meant a tidy profit for such a minuscule amount of fabric. The novelty of the design caught significant attention, and San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
featured a woman in a monokini with her exposed breasts clearly visible on its first page.
The photograph of Peggy Moffitt
Peggy Moffitt
Peggy Moffitt , is best known as the premier model and muse for the late fashion designer Rudi Gernreich. Though her unique look has now become iconic of the 60s fashion scene, Peggy started out pursuing a career in film, debuting in the 1955's You're Never Too Young.-Biography:Her first credited...
, the famous model for the infamous suit and Gernreich's muse, in a monokini shot by her husband William Claxton
William Claxton (photographer)
William Claxton was an American photographer and author.-Biography:Born in Pasadena, California, Claxton's works included a book of photographs of Steve McQueen, and Jazz Life, a book of photographs depicting jazz artists in the 1960s. He was most noted for his photography of jazz musicians...
became a celebrated document of the extremism of 1960s designs. The photograph appeared in Women's Wear Daily
Women's Wear Daily
Women's Wear Daily is a fashion-industry trade journal sometimes called "the bible of fashion." WWD delivers information and intelligence on changing trends and breaking news in the fashion, beauty and retail industries with a readership composed largely of retailers, designers, manufacturers,...
, Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
and numerous other publications, catapulting Moffitt into instant celebrity, reportedly deluged in everything from marriage proposal to death threats. Moffitt and Claxton later wrote The Rudy Gernreich Book, an aesthetic biography of the fashion revolutionary, which was published by Taschen GmbH
Taschen
Taschen is an art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. It began as Taschen Comics publishing Benedikt's extensive comic collection...
in 1999 (ISBN 3822871974).
The monokini of Gernreich, a declared nudist, was introduced at a time when US nudists
Naturism
Naturism or nudism is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending social nudity in private and in public. It may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudism....
were trying to establish their ways. The United States Postmaster General
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
banned nudist publications from the mail, and nudist camps and communes were vehemently resisted by authorities. Only in 1958, the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
declared that the naked body in and of itself could not be deemed obscene
Obscenity
An obscenity is any statement or act which strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time, is a profanity, or is otherwise taboo, indecent, abhorrent, or disgusting, or is especially inauspicious...
. Moffitt said it was a logical evolution of Gernreich's avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
ideas in swimwear design as much as a scandalous symbol of the permissive society
Permissive society
The permissive society is a society where social norms are becoming increasingly liberal. This usually accompanies a change in what is considered deviant. While typically preserving the rule "do not harm others", a permissive society would have few other moral codes...
. She also said, "He was trying to take away the prurience, the whole perverse side of sex."
In the 1960s
1960s in fashion
The 1960s featured a number of diverse trends. It was a decade that broke many fashion traditions, mirroring social movements during the period. In the middle of the decade, culottes, box-shaped PVC dresses and go-go boots were popular...
, the monokini led the way into the sexual revolution
Sexual revolution
The sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the 1960s into the 1980s...
by emphasizing a woman's personal freedom of dress, even when her attire was provocative and exposed more skin than had been the norm during the more conservative 1950s. Quickly renamed as a "topless swimsuit", it was not very successful in the USA, where people have never accepted it for the beach, although both genders were allowed equal exposure above the waist. The Soviet government
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
called it "barbarism" and a sign of social "decay". The New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
was strictly instructed to arrest any woman wearing a monokini by the commissioner of parks
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...
. John Shelley
John Shelley
John Francis "Jack" Shelley was a U.S. politician. He served as the 35th mayor of San Francisco, from 1964 to 1968, the first Democrat elected to the office in 50 years, and the first in an unbroken line of Democratic mayors that lasts to the present .Shelley earned a law degree from the...
, the Mayor of San Francisco
Mayor of San Francisco
The Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of San Francisco's city and county government. The mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the legislative branch....
(1964–1968), quipped, "topless is at the bottom of porn." In Chicago, a 19-year-old woman was fined US$100 for wearing a monokini on a public beach. Copious coverage of the event helped to send the image of exposed breasts across the world. Women's clubs and the church were particularly active in their condemnation. In Italy and Spain, the church warned against the topless fashion. Even in Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez....
, French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
, it was banned. Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
, a founding mover of French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
cinema, incorporated monokini footage shot by Jacques Rozier
Jacques Rozier
Jacques Rozier is a French film director and screenwriter. He is one of the lesser known members of the French New Wave movement and has collaborated with Jean-Luc Godard. Three of his films have been screened at the Cannes Film Festival...
in Riviera into his film A Married Woman, but it was edited out by the censors.
On June 22, 1964, the Condor Club
Condor Club
The Condor Night Club is a striptease bar or topless bar in the North Beach section of San Francisco, in California, USA. The club opened in 1964....
in North Beach, San Francisco, California
North Beach, San Francisco, California
North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Russian Hill. The neighborhood is San Francisco's Little Italy, and has historically been home to a large Italian American population. It still holds many Italian restaurants today, though...
decided to have go-go dancers
Go-Go dancing
Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at a discotheque. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s when women at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City began to get up on tables and dance the twist...
in monokini, thus creating the first topless bar. Carol Doda
Carol Doda
Carol Ann Doda was a topless stripper in San Francisco, California in the 1960s through 1980s, one of the first of the era....
, who was working for the club and was also one of first women in United States to have silicone implants for breast augmentation, became the first topless dancer in the United States. Doda rapidly became a voice of sexual freedom, while topless restaurants, shoeshine parlors, ice-cream stands and girl bands proliferated. Journalist Earl Wilson
Earl Wilson (columnist)
Earl Wilson , born Harvey Earl Wilson, was an American journalist, gossip columnist and author, perhaps best known for his nationally syndicated column, It Happened Last Night....
wrote in his syndicated column, "Are we ready for girls in topless gowns? Heck, we may not even notice them." English designers created topless evening gowns inspired by the idea. The Examiner
Examiner
The Examiner was a weekly paper founded by Leigh and John Hunt in 1808. For the first fifty years it was a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles, but from 1865 it repeatedly changed hands and political allegiance, resulting in a rapid decline in readership and loss of...
published a real estate advertisement that promised "bare top swimsuits are possible here". Rudi Gerenrich said in television interview, "It may well be a bit much now. But, just wait. In a couple of years topless bikinis will be a reality and regarded as perfectly natural." When San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
The San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
arrested Doda on indecency charges on April 22, 1965, hundreds of agitators gathered outside the police department calling for release of Doda and Mario Savio
Mario Savio
""...But we're a bunch of raw materials that don't mean to be - have any process upon us. Don't mean to be made into any product! Don't mean - Don't mean to end up being bought by some clients of the University, be they the government, be they industry, be they organized labor, be they anyone!...
, free speech activist held in the same station.
Styles
Like all swimsuits, the monokini bottom portion of the swimsuit can vary in cut. Some have g-stringG-string
A G-string is a type of thong underwear or swimsuit, a narrow piece of cloth, leather, or plastic, that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as swimwear or underwear by women and men...
style backs, while others provide full coverage of the rear. The bottom of the monokini may be high cut, reaching to the waist, with high cut legs, or may be a much lower cut, exposing the belly button. The modern monokini takes its design from the bikini, and is also described as "more of a cut-out one-piece swimsuit
One-piece swimsuit
A one-piece swimsuit is a usually skin-tight one-piece swimsuit worn by women and girls when swimming in the sea or in a swimming pool, or for any activity in the sun, such as sun bathing. The one-piece swimsuit usually covers a female's torso...
", with designers using fabric, mesh, chain, or other materials to link the top and bottom sections together, though the appearance may not be functional, but rather only aesthetic.
In the 2000s, the term came into use for topless bathing by women: where the bikini has two parts, the monokini is the lower part. Where monokinis are in use, the word bikini may jokingly refer to a two-piece outfit consisting of a monokini and a sun hat. Men's bikinis are also called monokinis.
Pubikini
In 1985, Rudi Gernreich unveiled the lesser known pubikini, a bathing suit in the form of a tiny V-shaped fabric strip meant to expose pubic hair, as his last creation a few days before his death in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
See also
- Bikini variant
- ToplessnessToplessnessToplessness is the state in which a female's breasts are uncovered, with the areolae and nipples visible, usually in a public space. It can also refer to a female not wearing any clothing above the waist, which is the female equivalent to a male barechestedness.The history and even the present-day...
- MaillotMaillotThe maillot is the fashion designer's name for a woman's one-piece swimsuit, also called a tank suit. A maillot swimsuit generally consists of a tank-style torso top with high-cut legs...
- TopfreedomTopfreedomTopfreedom is a cultural and political movement seeking to advance gender equality by the recognition of the right of women and girls to be topless in public on the same basis that men and boys are permitted to be barechested. In addition, topfreedom advocates seek recognition of the right of...
- Nude swimming
- Nude beachNude beachA nude beach is a beach where users are legally at liberty to be nude. Sometimes the terms clothing-optional beach or free beach are used. Nude bathing is one of the most common forms of nudity in public. As beaches are usually on public lands, any member of the public is entitled to use the...