Whether you love it or loathe it, the bikini is a popular beach fashion staple. The basic body covering is apparent throughout history. A fourth century mosaic displayed at the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily features women wearing simple two-piece outfits similar to today's bikinis. However, modern bikinis did not hit the commercial fashion scene until 1946.

Interestingly, two French designers, Jacques Heim and Louis Reard both revealed the risqué swimsuit concept within months of one another. Jacques Heim unveiled his creation, dubbed the Atome, first, but the revealing garment failed to make a splash. Louis Reard's version stole the spotlight thanks to his creativity and marketing shrewdness. Just days before the debut of his creation, the United States military tested an atomic device near the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Louis Reard used the newsworthy event to his advantage and called his two-piece swimsuit the bikini.

The midriff-baring, high cut bikini was so controversial that even professional models refused to don it on the runway. Reard resourcefully recruited an exotic dancer to model the bikini instead. His fashion forward swimsuit was scandalous in the United States, condemned by decency groups and banned on some beaches.

The bikini finally gained broader appeal and approval in France during the late 1950s. Photographs featured Brigitte Bardot wearing a bikini in the French Riviera on many occasions. Bardot also famously wore a bikini in the 1956 French film And God Created Woman.

The pop culture fashion trend gained momentum in America thanks to *Brian Hyland*'s hit song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" and the popular beach themed movies of the 1960s. Hollywood continued to bolster the bikini's appeal with memorable scenes in movies like 1962's Dr. No. In the film, actress Ursula Andress rises from the ocean wearing a white bikini with a wide belt securing a large knife at her waist. Halle Berry recreated the classic scene in the 2002 James Bond movie Die Another Day.

Designers continue to update the bikini with sexier styles and more conservative versions that provide additional coverage. With so many choices, the bikini is a great way to express a unique sense of style.

Clothes make the man. When it comes to James Bond, it can also be said that clothes make the spy. Because of the longevity of the Bond film series, we can easily see the evolution of the fashionable modern man through Bond's suits and accessories.

The Sean Connery Bond of the 60s and 70s had costuming done by a British tailor. The early suits reflected the time and weren't particularly edgy. Single-breasted in blues and grays, Bond looked great, but you could still tell he was a government worker. In the later part of this period, we get more variety, and Bond's clothes more reflected the times with wider lapels, more brown and the occasional casual look.

When Roger Moore took over the Bond role in the 1970s, Bond's look changed again. Gone was any hint of trendiness (less brown, narrower lapels.) This Bond was all about being a classic. Here, we begin to see Bond in both single- and double-breasted jackets. Sport coats and yachting looks also entered his wardrobe. Bond no longer looked like a government operative but more like the rich playboy he often pretended to be in order to get the criminal and the girl.

*Timothy Dalton*'s brief stint as Bond was the first attempt to make Bond more rugged. Gone was the high fashion (except when he was wearing a tux.) This Bond was meant to be rough and tumble. The concept and the look never quite worked for the franchise though, and Dalton was quickly replaced with Pierce Brosnan, who revolutionized Bond in subtle ways.

Brosnan's Bond was a world traveler, and it showed as he was now dressed in Italian suits from Brioni. Casual linen looks were also popular for this Bond, and Brosnan succeeded in blending the slickness of the Moore portrayal with the manliness of the Connery-era Bond.

Daniel Craig currently portrays the sixth incarnation of Bond. He's perhaps the most physical actor that's been in the Bond role, doing many of his own stunts and reportedly being repeatedly injured on set. The wardrobe department has offset this bulkier Bond with a dark, conservative, very British look, which Craig somehow manages to make edgy, and casual clothes in light neutral and earth tones to accommodate many of the action sequences.