A few years ago I found some pictures of my grandmother at a lake in a bathing suit. Since it was the 1920’s, it was hardly the skimpy bikinis of today but a one or two piece that went down to her knees and covered all of her torso. As society has changed so has swimwear and we sure have come a long way since.
The earliest bathing suits were anything but sexy, at least by 21st century standards. In the 1900’s, women wore long flowing dresses that had weights sewn into the hems to prevent the fabric from rising up with water. Perhaps a little dangerous, these suits were meant to have a practical purpose, which was giving women a chance to cool off in the water, not turn heads. This was replaced in the 19th century by a two-piece that ditched the weights but still left a lot to the imagination.
When an Australian underwater ballerina named Annette Kellerman toured the United States in 1907, she caused quite a stir with a full body, save for the arms, one piece, that was tight enough to see the contours of her figure. Kellerman was arrested for indecent exposure but by then, with a raging burlesque scene in many places, people were already starting to accept seeing more skin in public.
The two-piece precursor to the bikini was introduced in the 20’s and became popular after WWII. They were relatively modest, but come the 60s,’ all bathing suits started to shrink and that trend has continued.
Today, you can wear just about anything and no one will bat an eye. The monokini, which made its debut in the 60’s never really caught then but now suits such as the Lady Lux 2015 Free Spirit are not too hard to spot poolside. Thongs, g-strings and sleek one pieces are worn by teenagers and women who could remember the days early days of the bikini alike. However, if you’re modest, you can still find a stylish suit that is less revealing, as seen here with this Gottex V Neck One Piece.
While swimwear has become as much a fashion statement as anything else, no one is going to judge you for showing off your body or covering up. That is to me a sign of progress, which really says a lot about how open minded and tolerant people have become in many places. So enjoy your summer knowing that you can wear whatever you want in the water and be grateful that you don’t have social mores or heavy objects sewn into your suit to weigh you down.
