After trying the Mary Jane shoe on for size, we’ve learned that eponyms – things named after the person who inspired them – flood the fashion set. And as it turns out? The same goes for places. Here, we visit three well-known styles inspired by actual locales.

A. Bikini
In 1946, French engineer-turned-designer Louis Réard unveiled the most daring swimwear style of its time: a two-piece that bared the entire midriff. He named it the “bikini,” knowing the scant style would be just as shocking to the public as, say, nuclear war. That’s right – the bikini was named after the atomic-bomb testing site, Bikini Atoll, in the Marshall Islands. Réard got the shell-shocked reaction he had hoped for, as the bikini wasn’t fully accepted as appropriate in popular culture until the 1960s.

B. Capri Pant
The ladylike pant was first conceived in 1948 by European designer Sonja de Lennart. She named the style after the isle of Capri, her favorite holiday destination in the Mediterranean. This cropped alternative to the trouser was beloved by the likes of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, who brought the style to the big screen. And just like that, women everywhere were donning the look of their favorite A-listers.

C. Tuxedo
The swanky suit was first introduced to the States by British royalty at the turn of the 20th century. The original version was modified and adopted – sans coattails – by members of The Tuxedo Club, a country club for New York’s high society. But the style didn’t really become synonymous with the namesake club until after male members wore the tailless black jacket to their first-annual Autumn Ball in 1886. Soon after, the “tuxedo” became a mainstay in men’s formal dress for black-tie events.

By Jillian Hudon, Staff Writer

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