80 years of bikini in pictures: Standout pieces from Paris exhibition

The Bikini Legend: 80 years of paid vacation and seaside fashion held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition center recaps the styles, patterns and designs that have shaped the history of this legendary swimsuit from 1936 to 2016.

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Now the most iconic of bathing suits will be celebrated in a Paris exhibition from September 20 to 22.

“Bikini Légende : 80 ans de congés payés et de mode balnéaire” (The Bikini Legend: 80 years of paid vacation and seaside fashion), held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition center, recaps the styles, patterns and designs that have shaped the history of this legendary swimsuit from 1936 to 2016.

Here’s a look at some of the exhibition’s standout pieces. (AFP Photos)

One-piece swimsuits, summer 1936.

Swimsuits on the beach in Berck, France, in 1937.

Louis Réard bikini from 1948.

Louis Réard bikini from 1948.

New-Look bathing suits - Nuits de Satin bikini exhibition.

Louis Réard bikinis presented at the Piscine Molitor pool, Paris, 1951.

Lolita bikini, 1960s.

Trikini, 1968, Nuits de Satin collection.