One Piece Swimsuits
This is an article about the history and evolution of one piece swimsuits. It may seem silly to us now, with our open attitude towards nudity and our revealing clothing, but back in the Victorian era, the swimsuit was designated as extremely daring. And let’s not even begin to talk about one piece swimsuits these days are unlimited.
The sport of swimming took off around the world during the 1800s. Men and women of that era in certain countries were expected to don bathing costumes which covered their bodies from the neck to the ankles. It should be mentioned that in Scandinavian and Germanic cultures, where nudity was and still is the norm when swimming, this habit of wearing special clothing to swim in was thought to be absurd. Who on earth would wish to have wet cold swim attire clinging to their shivering bodies?
As time went on and new fabrics were invented, the swimsuit changed with the decades giving us two and one piece swimwear. Originally, the swimsuit included the arms and legs, and was made of wool or cotton. It had little skirts for women as well. The color was usually a somber shade of black or grey. In the early days, the swimsuit looked much like today’s long underwear.
In the Roaring Twenties, the swimsuit underwent a makeover which reflected the changing attitudes of the era. The arms were allowed to show, and knee length legs were the rage. The sight of a woman’s bare ankles and shoulders was a shocking and thrilling sight. The suits also started to become more colorful, with white stripes or polka dots.
As time went on, and public swimming pools and swim clubs became fashionable, the bathing suit took on a life of its own. Women were becoming more athletic, and actually learned to swim properly. Eventually, women’s swimwear allowed a woman the freedom to swim the different strokes – 1 piece swimsuits were born. Now, the legs were eliminated, and suits covered the buttocks and hips. The straps were narrow and sometimes criss-crossed at the back. These suits had a “modesty panel” which stretched over the hips in front to avoid any signs of the female cleft. The breasts were molded into nice shapes by the construction of the suit itself. These suits were made of cotton and had zippers up the backs. One piece swimsuits colors were becoming brighter as well, with white, yellow and blue to choose from.
By the time the Swinging Sixties came around, the swimsuit became more and more daring. The fashion designer Rudy Gernreich made a huge impact on modern culture with his see through one piece suit. This iconic suit had a bikini type liner and the rest was sheer mesh. It would cause a stir even today. His next step was the topless swimsuit, a daring innovation indeed.
Today’s swimwear comes in a vast array of styles, sizes and colors. Older women sometimes wear ones with little skirts. Fit women can choose suits that are either sexy or athletic looking. Colors are bright and the swimsuits are comfortable. The choices for one piece swimwear these days are unlimited.