Evidence of bikini -style women's clothing has been found as early as BC, [ citation needed ] [ original research? Illustrations of women wearing bikini-like garments during competitive athletic events in the Roman era have been found in several locations, the most famous of which is at Villa Romana del Casale. Reard named his design for the Bikini Atoll , where the first post-war tests of the atomic bomb were taking place. Contestants in the first Miss World beauty pageant wore them in , but the bikini was then banned from the competition. Actress Brigitte Bardot drew attention when she was photographed wearing a bikini on the beach during the Cannes Film Festival in Other actresses, including Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner , also received press attention when they wore bikinis.