France's burkini ban suspended

Over recent weeks the south of France has been in the world's spotlight due to the 'burkini ban' that has been imposed in certain French towns along the Riviera.

It's certainly not the first time that swimwear has caused an uproar in the region. It has been 70 years since France first saw the modern day bikini and it was so controversial in its early stages that only exotic dancers would dare model the skimpy two-piece. In 1957 a 19-year-old Brigitte Bardot was branded a sex symbol when she was spotted wearing a bikini on the beaches of Cannes during the Film Festival.

Swimwear has had a firm place in French law, dating all the way back to 1903 when the infamous 'budgie smuggler' law came into force. Longer swimming shorts were banned by the French government and even today, although the law is (apparently) no longer enforced, you may well find yourself been handed a pair of teeny-weenies on your way into a municipal swimming pool in France.

We've seen images on the internet recently that show a police officer in 1925 ensuring that a woman's swimsuit was in fact long enough to be deemed appropriate. A stark contrast to today when French Muslin women have been asked to wear less on the beach. The same thing happened in Australia in 1935 on the infamous Bondi Beach; a trip to the beach meant making sure your swimsuit fit in all the right places and was long enough to cover the tops of your legs. Strict rules set by The Local Government Act, Ordinance No 52 set exact dimensions for swimming costumes which remained in force until 1961. 

The most recent ban in France has been on the burkini; a style of swimwear designed for Muslim women. Today's decision by the High Court to overturn the ban in the town of Villeneuve-Loubet could set a precedent for up to 30 other towns that imposed bans. A human rights group, the Human Rights League (LDH), and an anti-Islamophobia association (CCIF), brought the ban in Villeneuve-Loubet to the court's attention.

Although the imposed bans did not explicitly use the word burkini, they mention "beachwear which ostentatiously displays religious affiliation”, citing reasons such as the need to protect public order, hygiene or French laws on secularism.

The court said local authorities did not have the power to restrict individual liberties in this way without "proven risk" to public order.

So, once again it's 'everything goes' on the French Riviera. Time to hit the shops and find the right swimwear choice for you, whether that be bikini, burkini or even the dreaded budgie smugglers...