A Historical Timeline of the Thong

I enjoy a good boyshort or hipster, but thongs and pasties have my heart. Both thongs and pasties sprung forward as a clever legal loophole. Perhaps more titillating, both have the ability to be more provocative than 'obscenity' the laws were meant to prohibit. We'll talk pasties another time, but for now, I present my tribute to the beloved and despised thong. 

The thong is though to have originated from an adaptation of the loin cloth, a traditionally male garment developed to protect men's more delicate parts. While versions of the loin cloth may be found Egyptian, Greek, Roman, African or Japanese history, the modern thong has a more concrete raise to fame.

In 1939, shortly before the World's Fair in New York City, New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia required nude dancers to cover their genitals. Most articles regarding 'thong history' (there are not many) cite LaGuardia as the creator and this as the origin of the women's thong.  The idea being the thong was borne from LaGuardia's regulations, as the bare minimum to meet these standards.

Tsk, tsk, do not mistake cause for effect. Perhaps LaGuardia instituted regulations leading to the creation of the thong, but the creators of the thong (and pasties for that matter) were the ingenious young women and promoters associated with burlesque.

Furthermore, I am suspicious that thongs and g-strings originated in 1939. In 1941, The G-String Murders, a novel by Gypsy Rose Lee, was published. Perhaps the publishing industry was wildly efficient, and Gypsy was a exceptionally quicker author.

Geinrich's thong. Male version included for your viewing pleasure.

Outside of burlesque, early pornography and stripping, the thong did not gain attention until 1974, when Rudi Gernreich developed the first thong bathing suit. Gernreich allegedly hoped it would work as a solution for American women seeking to create the cultured, European sensation of a nude beach.

Above shown, Reard's bikini. Louis Reard invented the first bikini in 1946. While not called a thong, there is probably sufficient butt cheek (whatever that is) to qualify. No model will wear it, so he had to hire a Parisian stripper, Michelle Bernadini.

Brazil also claims to have invented the thong bikini around the same time as Gernreich, but as it was called a tanga, some confusion exists.

Thong sales were available throughout the 80s but were most visible as bodysuits, leotards and teddies. The cardio and diet crazes of the 80s often pictured fit models in thong leotards over leggings. During the same time, Fredericks of Hollywood mass-marketed lace teddies with thongs.

1980s Fredericks of Hollywood teddy.

 From the revelations that Monica Lewinsky flashed her thong to President Clinton in 1998 to the 1999 Sisqo classic, The Thong Song, thong fame hit record heights at the turn of the 21st century. Shortly thereafter, thongs went...awry. The popularity of super low jeans made 'whale tail's' a mainstay at every suburban mall. Christina Aguilera's VMA appearance with high g-strings as focal point. Abercrombie & Fitch's thongs for tweens debacle in 2002.

One of many of Abercrombie's mistakes.

Oh, honey...

Though thong sales are still steady, current attitudes appear to be based on personal preference and desire to avoid panty lines rather than a mass trend.

VPL

P.S. You never know what the future holds. Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus have all performed recently in them.