<P> According to Vogue the swimwear had become more of "state of dress, not undress" by the mid-1950s . Bikini had a colorful period on the cinema screens and made an impact in the late 50s, inspired by the film such as And God Created Woman by Roger Vadim, launched Bardot into the spotlight and became the benchmark for bikini on celluloid . Also, her outfit sets a whole new trend for sex symbols . </P> <P> Starting in the 1940s, the manufacturing advances enabled swimsuits to fit without the help of elastic, and aid as performance aid in competitive swimming . In the early 1950s, other synthetics beside the screen print technique was being developed, such as polyester and acrylic, with quick - drying properties . In U.S, the Hawaiian - Japanese - inspired prints were often used . In Europe, Emilio Pucci moved swimwear textile on a generation when he began to design prints for Rose Marrie Reid swimwear . By the late 1950s, new materials were developed and applied on the corsetry swimwear, such as Lastex, a fabric woven from artificial chromspun acetate that used for a more tightly fitted appearance . </P> <P> Speedo produced the wool and cotton swimwear for the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 . In 1956, Speedo became the first company to introduce nylon . </P> <P> Men's swimsuits developed roughly in parallel to women's during this period, with the shorts covering progressively less . Racing - style "speedo" suits became popular, as did thongs, G - strings, and bikini style briefs . Typically these are more popular in more tropical regions; however, they may also be worn at public swimming pools and inland lakes . But in the 1990s, longer and baggier shorts became popular, with the hems often reaching to the knees . Often called boardshorts and swim trunks, these were worn lower on the hips than regular shorts . </P>

Where did the word bathing suit come from