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 18 th and 19 th 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 gr