We are heading into summer now so swimsuit season is upon us. We have the luxury of being able to wear anything we want to (even if we sometimes shouldn’t) on the beach and at the pool. It wasn’t always this way and I know you have seen photos of old “swimming costumes.” The photo above is from 1921; a Chicago policewoman checking for violations of the bathing suit-length laws. IMAGE: BETTMANN/CORBIS
Mashable / Retronaut posted a great link to some historical photos recently in a discussion of how history has shamed women for what they were wearing on the beach. There are some great historical photos on the site if you keep scrolling past the darn ads.
People were just in shock I think with the quick and sudden turn of clothing styles. Women went from being corseted all day as they had been for hundreds of years to panties and bras in like a decade. This was a huge turn of events not just for what it meant to change in clothing style but also the change in women being more active and the inability to do that when you are in a corset and 15 pounds of dresses and underthings. It changed the way people viewed women that would so “carelessly” display their limbs. Oh the horrors! I’m imagining men on the beach who just couldn’t control themselves over the sight of a knee. How silly to our modern way of thinking.
I just can’t get over these old swimsuits and how much styles have changed. Not to mention that they don’t even seem practical at all but I’m not sure that was the concern. The development of swimsuit fabrics has also been a large contributor to change as well. Look at the photo above; can you imagine walking in the sand with those shoes on and the laces?
For something a little more recent how about this video with Amanda Cerny on the “Evolution of the Bikini.” Ain’t it cute?
What is your favorite kind of swimsuit? I particularly love the 40s and 50s styled ones and lots of color. See my fave swimsuits (and lingerie) Pinterest page here.
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