White bikini of Ursula Andress

Artist	Ursula Andress, Tessa Prendergast[1]
Year	1962 (1962)
Type	White cotton hipster bikini

The White bikini of Ursula Andress (also known as the Dr. No bikini) was a white bikini worn by Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in the 1962 James Bond film, Dr. No. It is cited as the most famous bikini of all time and an iconic moment in cinematic and fashion history.^[2][3][4][5]

Andress's white bikini is regarded as monumental in the history of the bikini, and sales of the two-piece bikini rocketed after the appearance of Andress in Dr. No.^[6] It is a white belted, hipster style bikini, and the lower part of the bikini features a wide white British Army belt with brass buckles and fittings, and a scabbard on the left side to hold a large knife.

History

The first bikini had been worn at a Paris fashion show in 1946, but in the 1950s the bikini was still seen as something of a taboo.^[7] Andress' bikini proved to be a very important moment in women's history, arriving at the "birth of the sexual revolution"; the 1960s.^[8] The bikini and scene in Dr. No of Andress emerging from the water was emulated by Halle Berry, who wore an orange bikini with tool belt, in the 2002 James Bond film, Die Another Day.^[9]

The bikini was auctioned at Christie's auction house in London and sold for £35,000 ($61,500) in 2001, less than the £50,000 for which it had been expected to sell.^[7][10][2]

Design

Andress designed the bikini along with Dr. No's costume designer Tessa Prendergast, whom she first met living in Rome. Andress reported that upon arriving in Jamaica for filming no costumes were ready, and that she wanted something that fit her 5'6", 36-24-36 frame.^[1][11] It is a white belted, hipster style bikini, and made from cotton.^[6][2] The lower part of the bikini features a wide white British Army webbing belt with brass buckles and fittings, and a scabbard on the left side to hold a large knife. The top part of the bikini has narrow straps and is creased at the bottom of the breasts, and tied delicately in the middle.

Reception

The Dr. No bikini is cited as the best known bikini of all time and an iconic moment in cinematic and fashion history.^[3][4] The moment in which Andress emerges from the sea in the white bikini has been cited amongst the greatest moments in film and one of its most erotic; in a 2003 UK Survey by Channel 4, it was voted number one in "the 100 Greatest Sexy Moments" of cinema.^[12][13] The scene has been widely emulated and parodied on screen since.^[6] The white bikini is regarded as perhaps the most important in the history of the bikini and sales of the two-piece bikini rocketed after the appearance of Andress in Dr. No.^[6] In a survey of 1000 women to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bikini, Ursula Andress in her white bikini was voted "The Ultimate Bikini Goddess".^[14] Andress said that she owed her career to that white bikini, remarking, "This bikini made me into a success. As a result of starring in Dr. No as the first Bond girl, I was given the freedom to take my pick of future roles and to become financially independent."^[15][2]

See also

• History of the bikini
• Bikini in popular culture

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ursula Andress. Dr. No audio commentary. Dr. No, Ultimate Edition: MGM Home Entertainment. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Former Bond girl to sell Dr No bikini". The Telegraph. 13 January 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1314376/Former-Bond-girl-to-sell-Dr-No-bikini.html. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Porterfield, Sally F.; Polette, Keith; Baumlin, Tita French (8 October 2009). Perpetual adolescence: Jungian analyses of American media, literature, and pop culture. SUNY Press. p. 118. ISBN 9781438427997. http://books.google.com/books?id=OJu6EaU5YJAC&pg=PA118. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Bensimon, Kelly Killoren (5 June 2006). The bikini book. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 9780500513163. http://books.google.com/books?id=__DqAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
5. ^ Lindner, Christoph (4 August 2009). The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719080951. http://books.google.com/books?id=vbIrAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} Pedersen, Stephanie (30 November 2004). Bra: a thousand years of style, support and seduction. David & Charles. p. 72. ISBN 9780715320679. http://books.google.com/books?id=fQQsKE-4GXgC&pg=PA72. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Steele, Valerie (2005). Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion. Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 9780684313955. http://books.google.com/books?id=zqkYAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
8. ^ Jütting, Kerstin (November 2007). "Grow Up, 007!" - James Bond Over the Decades: Formula Vs. Innovation. GRIN Verlag. p. 59. ISBN 9783638853729. http://books.google.com/books?id=MzuVat9N7bQC&pg=PA59. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
9. ^ Rutherford, Paul (11 August 2007). A world made sexy: Freud to Madonna. University of Toronto Press. p. 167. ISBN 9780802092564. http://books.google.com/books?id=nVrveFtVrJ8C&pg=PA167. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
10. ^ Whittaker, Andrew (June 2009). Britain: be fluent in British life and culture. Thorogood Publishing. p. 241. ISBN 9781854186270. http://books.google.com/books?id=7Hf7NBTjNvEC&pg=PT241. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
11. ^ Lisanti, Tom; Paul, Louis (April 2002). Film fatales: women in espionage films and television, 1962-1973. McFarland. p. 36. ISBN 9780786411948. http://books.google.com/books?id=4VJCaXXANA0C&pg=PA36. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
12. ^ Cork, John; D'Abo, Maryam (27 May 2003). Bond girls are forever: the women of James Bond. Harry N. Abrams. http://books.google.com/books?id=kw8IAQAAMAAJ. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
13. ^ "Andress scene voted 'most sexy'". BBC. 30 November 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3250386.stm. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
14. ^ "Ursula Andress voted ultimate 'bikini goddess". The Daily Telegraph. 20 August 2009. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/6058000/Ursula-Andress-voted-ultimate-bikini-goddess.html. Retrieved 16 May 2011. 
15. ^ Weekes, Karen (5 April 2007). Women know everything!: 3,241 quips, quotes, & brilliant remarks. Quirk Books. p. 419. ISBN 9781594741692. http://books.google.com/books?id=nTKgWEBhBeoC&pg=PA419. Retrieved 16 May 2011.