The Evolution of the Swimsuit
- There is evidence that people in many ancient civilizations swam for sport, as well as fitness training, and there are paintings and drawings that suggest early swimsuits. However, the evolution of our modern swimsuits began with the costumes worn in Europe and the U.S. in the mid-19th century. The woman's body was entirely covered, and the main piece of the swimwear consisted of a knee-length black wool swim dress, worn over bloomers. This early swimsuit was often decorated with collars, ribbons and bows to resemble a sailor's outfit. To ensure full coverage of the woman's body, long black socks, lace-up swim shoes and swim caps were added. Men's swimsuits were also governed by strict modesty regulations and required near full-body coverage until well into the 20th century. In these early days, mostly the wealthy owned swimming costumes, while most folks rented theirs from beach-side vendors.
- In the early decades of the 20th century, swimming as an athletic pastime became increasingly popular. For this endeavor, heavy costumes with yards of fabric were impractical, so swimsuits for men and women became more streamlined, fitting closer to the body. Swimsuits for men and women bore similarities to each other, both a one-piece affair consisting of a tank top and an attached short-shorts-style bottom. But at this time, swimsuits were made of wool. Early film stars of the '20s and '30s began showing up in movies and publicity photos in these new, skimpier swimsuits. The Olympic swimmer and star of the "Tarzan" movies, Johnny Weismuller, promoted to the public a swimsuit for men known as "swim trunks." This was the precursor of the modern-day men's swimsuit. Soon, women's swimwear fashion was modernizing into close-fitting one-piece suits and, by the mid-1940s, the bikini.
- Today, anything goes with women's swimwear. Some opt for the classic one-piece or bikini styles, while others favor retro-styled suits with more modest coverage from the early- and mid-20th century. Though men's swimsuits passed through a phase of teeny-tininess -- like the Speedo -- fashionable men have returned to wearing a more modest suit-length that hides most of the leg down to the knee. Both male and female competitive and Olympic swimmers opt for sleek body suits that resemble scuba wet-suits, but are made of lightweight, quick-drying fabric. For other swimsuits, depending on whether the wearer is dressing for swimming, sun bathing or simply lounging, the fabric choice is limited only by its creator's imagination.
- Today's swimsuits are often designed by those who also design street clothes, following the thematic vision of the designer. Rather than simply serving the practical function of bathing attire, swimsuits of the future may become more important as fashion. Designers such as Julia Faye Davison of Charleston, South Carolina, offer swimsuit buyers options that relate to their clothing lines, allowing the wearer to make a strong fashion statement, such as the Native American-themed swimwear line offered by Davision in 2010. Swimsuits, no longer just for swimming, may develop into the fashion statement of the future.
