Swimwear Revolution: History of the Swimsuit
Fri, Aug 7th 2009, 10:43
The story of swimwear is the story of diminishing fabric! In the early 1800s swimwear was a cumbersome thing … and it would take over 100 years before anything less would be acceptable.
It was only in the 1800s that bathing in the sea became popular ... bathing, not swimming! And in those years people would be fully clothed for the experience. Ladies would dress in bathing boxes which were wheeled into the sea. They wore full length flannel bathing dresses and needed assistance to drop into the water from the "bathing machine".
A two-piece costume - jacket and three quarter trousers became more common in the later 1800s. These became more and more risqué, becoming sleeveless and more ankle revealing.
The turn of the century saw women getting frustrated with cumbersome beach wear. In 1907 Australian, Anette Kellerman, caused a stir in Boston USA when she appeared on the beach in a one-piece form fitting costume. She was arrested. But by 1910 this sort of costume was allowed on the beaches.
In the 1920s ladies swimwear consisted on a knitted suit that went to mid-thigh. Cotton replaced the formless woollen costumes in the 1930s, often with a little frilled skirt for a more feminine touch. Hollywood stars adopted the latest fashions, bringing glamour to the swimwear industry. As a result leg lines went up and necklines came down!
In the 1940s underwear manufacturers turned their attention to swimwear to bolster falling sales in the corsetry department. Swimwear became more fitting with stretch tummy support and bra cups to improve shape. Wartime rationing meant that there was less fabric available for swimwear, so swimming costumes became briefer. It was around this time that Louis Reard shocked the world with his patenting of the bikini.
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