 Despite the garment 's initial success in France , worldwide women still stuck to traditional one @-@ piece swimsuits , and , his sales stalling , Réard went back to designing and selling orthodox knickers . In 1950 , American swimsuit mogul Fred Cole , owner of mass market swimwear firm Cole of California , told Time that he had " little but scorn for France 's famed Bikinis . " Réard himself would later describe it as a " two @-@ piece bathing suit which reveals everything about a girl except for her mother 's maiden name . " Fashion magazine Modern Girl Magazine in 1957 stated that " it is hardly necessary to waste words over the so @-@ called bikini since it is inconceivable that any girl with tact and decency would ever wear such a thing " . 
