While the French are well known for inventions like the hot air balloon and food creations like crêpes, there are plenty of things you probably didn’t know the French invented. But, that’s about to change. Below are 13 things you didn’t know were invented by the French.
SEE ALSO: 14 fashion 'faux pas' that Americans make that French women don't
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The bicycle was invented by a French carriage maker.
Although popular in the Netherlands, the bicycle as we know it today was invented in France. Pierre Lallement, a French carriage maker, was supposedly the first person to obtain a patent for a "two-wheeled vehicle with crank pedals," according to Livescience. Frenchmen René Olivier, Georges de la Bouglise, and Pierre Michaux have also been credited with the invention of the modern bike with their creation and marketing of pedals in the 1860s.
A fashion designer in France created the bikini.
Living in a post-WWII world, designer Louis Réard dreamt up women’s swimwear that was scandalous (at least at the time), according to the Washington Post. Although he wasn’t the first person to create a two-piece bathing suit, he was the first to create a suit that showed off the wearer’s belly button — thus transforming poolside fashion forever.
The bra was invented by a French woman.
Although people claim that the modern bra has many different creators, Herminie Cadolle is often cited as the sole inventor, according to The New York Times. At the turn of the 19th century, corsets were beginning to go out of fashion and Cadolle is said to have thought they were a sign of oppression.
Naturally, she created her own undergarments that were said to help support the female anatomy without being as restrictive. So, you could argue, the bra was a feminist creation born out of the desire to wear clothing that was made by women for women.
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