Evolution of the Swimsuit
If there is one
piece of clothing that has evolved more than any other through the
decades, it’s the swimsuit. The changes in the styles of swimwear
over time differed between cultures and came about with the changes
in social, religious and legal attitudes towards swimming and
swimwear.
In the classical
era, swimming and outdoor bathing was either done in the nude, or in
one’s underwear. However, in the Middle Ages, swimming and outdoor
bathing was discouraged. It would appear that until the 1670s nude
female bathing in the spas was the norm and that after that time
women bathed clothed. The bathing gown in the 18th and
19th century was a loose ankle-length full-sleeve
chemise-type gown made of wool or flannel that would not become
transparent when wet, with weights sewn into the hems so that they
would not rise up in the water. This was not only cumbersome, but
very dangerous.
In the Victorian
era, Western cultures deplored nudity of any degree, and people took
great pains to cover themselves. In the first half of the 19th
century, the woman's double suit was common, comprising a gown from
shoulder to knees plus a set of trousers with leggings going down to
the ankles. By the second half of the 19th century, in France, the
sleeves started to vanish, the bottom became shorter to reach only
the knees and the top became hip-length and both became more form
fitting.
In 1907, Australian
swimmer Annette Kellerman revolutionized the swimsuit. Her figure
hugging one-piece suit sans buttons or a collar, paved the way for
the one-piece. She was arrested in Boston for indecent exposure
because her swimsuit showed arms, legs and the neck, a costume she
adopted from England, and which was similar to men’s swimsuits of
the time. Her brave move started changing perceptions when it came to
what women should be allowed to wear. By 1910, the one-piece swimming
tights became accepted swimsuit attire for women in parts of Europe.
Kellerman marketed a line of bathing suits and her style of one-piece
suits came to be known as "the Annette Kellerman".
It was not long
before swimwear started to shrink further. At first arms were exposed
and then legs up to mid-thigh. Necklines receded from around the neck
down to around the top of the bosom. The development of new fabrics
allowed for new varieties of more comfortable and practical swimwear.
Female swimming was introduced at the 1912 Summer Olympics in which
the contenders wore swimsuits similar to Kellerman’s swimsuit. In
1913, the designer Carl Jantzen introduced a collection of figure
hugging suits sporting shorter shorts and even cut-outs. The term
“bathing suit” was changed to “swimming suit” to justify the
more revealing suits as athletic.
In the 1920s, women
dared to wear swimsuits that were tighter around the bust and waist.
The sleeves came off and the skirt lengths shrunk. Nevertheless, the
shorts or skirt still has to meet a certain length, or else they
would be fined or arrested for wearing one-piece bathing suits
without the required leg coverage. Rayon was used in the manufacture
of tight fitting swimsuits, but its durability, especially when wet,
proved problematic, with jersey and silk also sometimes being used.
By the 1930s, the
development of new clothing materials, particularly latex and nylon,
brought in more form fitting styles, with higher-cut legs and
lower-cut necklines. Suntans became fashionable and shoulder straps
could be lowered for tanning. Romper suits were all the rage and
showing off bare legs and shoulders became standard attire for the
beach. Spaghetti straps were increasingly popular making bathing
suits far more practical.
The 1940s saw a
dramatic change in swimsuits with the introduction of bikinis. Luxury
swimwear designers were starting to get bolder when it came to
deeming what was acceptable attire for women in public. Swimsuits,
however, were often still high waisted with a bralette top.
By the 1950s, iconic
women like Marilyn Monroe sporting this new style of swimwear made it
perfectly normal for a woman to wear a two-piece on the beach. In
1952, Brigitte Bardot starred in “Manina, the girl in the Bikini”,
making it the first appearance of the bikini in a movie. Although, at
the time it was still considered inappropriate to show the navel and
received several protests.
The 1960s is still
regarded as one of the most vital turning points in fashion. In this
hippie movement, women were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted
to without feeling ashamed or embarrassed. Designer Rudi Gernreich
conceived and produced the revolutionary and controversial monokini
in 1964. The introduction of nylon and Lycra made suits tighter than
ever. In India, Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore appeared in a
bikini in the movie “An evening in Paris” (1967), making her the
first Indian actress to appear in a bikini onscreen.
By the 1970s, more
Indian actresses, such as Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman and Dimple
Kapadia, made bikini-clad appearances in movies. Minds expanded and
bikinis shrank, and not surprisingly, women were showing more midriff
than ever before.
The high bikini
lines of the 1980s flashed more flesh than ever before. During this
period women’s independence was only growing and swimsuits and
bikinis became even more risqué and fashion forward. Swimsuits
plunged deeper in front and revealed more in the back. Colourful
prints and neon swimsuits were in trend.
Swimwear navigated
towards athletic designs in the 1990s. The tankini was introduced in
the market by designer Anne Cole. The two-piece tankini blended the
freedom of a bikini with the more modest coverage of a one-piece
bathing suit; a nod back to previous swimsuit styles. The concept of
mixing and matching tops, bottoms, and prints became popular.
Nowadays, swimwear and beachwear are completely varied in terms of
style. There are no rules or regulations when it comes to swimwear
anymore and a woman can choose to wear whatever she feels most
comfortable in. From daring to conservative, take your pick this
summer.
Until next time,
stay stylish!
(Ninoshka
Alvares-Delaney is a Fashion Designer. You can follow her on
Instagram and Facebook @ninoshkaindia)
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