Burkini is a swimsuit for Muslim women. Just like hijab, niqab and abaya, is a controversial Muslim dress in Europe. But if, for example, the burqa and niqab are traditional hats with a long history, then burkini is an invention of the 21st century.

The background to the burkini swimsuit

The very name of the burkini swimsuit comes from two words - burka and bikini. Burka is a veil that completely covers a woman's face. The word burka is of Persian origin and in translation means a woolen blanket. Also called a burka and a man's coat made of felt sleeveless among the peoples of the Caucasus.



The bikini is the most open women's swimsuit that came into fashion in the 1960s, thanks, among other things, to the French actress and singer Brigitte Bardot, as well as films with her participation. The bikini designer was Louis Reard, who invented the swimsuit back in 1946. The name "bikini" comes from the island of Bikini, on which in 1946 the Americans carried out nuclear tests. The appearance of such an open bathing suit in those years was akin to the explosion of an atomic bomb.

The bikini swimsuit is separate, that is, it consists of a bra and panties. A peculiar prototype of a bikini can be seen in frescoes from Pompeii during the Roman Empire. These frescoes depict girls dressed in two cloth headbands. One covers the chest, the other covers the thighs. Most likely, in this outfit, the Romans visited the baths.

However, then open swimsuits disappear from history for a long time. Both in the history of Europe and in the history of the countries of the Muslim East, for many centuries, both men and women did not have any special clothing for swimming.



Until the 19th century, almost the entire population of the Earth swam either naked or in long white undershirts. And if in the 19th century in Europe the first bathing suits began to appear, then in the East and still women and men most often bathe, or rather even simply plunge into the water, wearing white shirts.

Swimwear in Europe

The first women's swimwear, which appeared in Europe in the 19th century, was also still very closed. The 19th century leotard consisted of panties just below the knees, a long-sleeved top and a skirt over the panties. The body of a woman in such a swimsuit was almost completely covered, which corresponded to the morality of the 19th century and the still quite strong influence on the secular society of Christianity.



However, over time, women's swimwear in Europe is becoming more and more open. Swimwear similar to modern swimwear appears in the 1920s. True, these are still closed-top bathing suits.

In the 1920s, the real fashion for swimwear began in Europe. This was due to the fact that tanning came into fashion, including thanks to Coco Chanel, beach holidays and sports. Tan Fashion and sports, and, accordingly, on swimwear, was preserved in the following decades.

But only in the 1960s in Europe it became possible for women to wear the most open swimsuit - a bikini.



And just as the bikini swimsuit revolutionized clothing in Europe in the 1960s, the burkini swimsuit revolutionized Muslim women's clothing in the 2000s. Indeed, with the advent of burkini, Muslim women were able not only to plunge into the water, but also to swim, what to do in a long bottom shirt or a dress was impossible. And also go in for sports, for example, basketball. Since burkini is not only a swimsuit, but also a suit for sports. Before the burkini appeared, Muslim women also did not have sportswear.




Burkini was invented in the 2000s by designer Aheda Zanetti. In 2004, she founded her designer clothing brand in Australia, where she lives. The homeland of Aheda Zanetti is Lebanon, where she was born in 1967. But at the age of two, she moved to Australia with her family.

Initially, Aheda Zanetti was engaged in the production of sportswear for women professing Islam. And later she invented the burkini swimsuit. The designer's idea was prompted by her niece, who decided to play basketball, and it was extremely inconvenient to go in for sports in traditional Muslim clothes.




Burkini is a swimsuit made of 100% polyester. Synthetic fabric, the advantages of which are good abrasion resistance, slight wrinkling and fairly high strength.

Burkini consists of two parts - tight-fitting pants and an upper tunic. In its cut, the burkini is somewhat reminiscent of pajamas. At the same time, a tight-fitting hood is put on the head. Only the feet, palms and face remain open. Thus, burkini meets all standards of clothing for women professing Islam.

The colors of the burkini swimsuit can be very diverse. From the traditional black and blue colors for Muslim clothing, to burkini of various colors and with a wide variety of patterns. For example, patterns in an oriental style or in a flower.