From Bloomers to Barely There
Tankinis, monokinis, pubikinis, or just plain bikinis—swim wear has evolved, for men and women, through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From the former name of the “bathing costume” in the 1900’s to the Brazilian tanga in the 1980’s, bathing suits have evolved with the political and social norms of society.
In 1905, Annette Kellerman, the first women to attempt to swim the English Channel, was arrested for her obscene swimwear on Revere Beach, Boston, Massachusetts. Kellerman challenged the “accepted” bathing costume of the 1900’s: black, knee-length, puffed-sleeve wool dresses, often featuring a sailor collar, and worn over bloomers or drawers trimmed with ribbons and bows. The bathing costume was typically accessorized with long black stockings, lace-up bathing slippers, and fancy caps (Haug). She characterized swimming in the “appropriate” garb as “swimming in chains.” Her feelings toward these “chains” were reflected in her choice to wear the men’s swimsuit: a one-piece, skin tight, black swimsuit, that came to just above her knee (Davies). In the Progressive Era, shortly after Annette Kellerman’s revolutionary changes, a great shock that came simultaneously with the swimwear revolution was Sigmund Freud’s Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, which basically stated that Americans need to have more sex (Freud). There were new movements all across the globe for women’s suffrage and the expression of sexuality. In this vibrant and dynamic time, it was only logical for swimwear to evolve with the culture of the world (Smith).
Flappers—the poster girls of the 1920’s—emerged, and so did their style. The women rebelled. Flapper youth felt the appropriate garment would be a “dress-like” swimsuit, rather than the bloomers that they had formerly worn. The new suits were made of ribbed-knit wool and very thick material (Rockwood). In the 1920’s there were “modesty laws” designed to prevent the widespread rebellion of the flappers; accordingly, the law stated that only 9 inches of bare leg were able to be shown (Rockwood). Flapper girls would get hauled off by beach patrol because they were scantily clad in this barbaric beachwear. Even with the conservative values of the “Roaring Twenties,” the women of this generation still rebelled against the status quo of society, predominantly forcing it to shift with the styles.
World War II struck America with food shortages and fabric scarcity, but Americans learned to adapt, even in their swimwear, with the bikini. The bikini was designed by Louis Reard in 1946; it was named after the Bikini Islands in the Pacific Ocean (Niemann). Reard’s goal was to create a swimsuit out of thirty square inches of fabric; his first design was a “G-string” with the triangle top to cover the chest. His trademark was that “it wasn’t a genuine bikini unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring” (Bikini Introduced). Due to the multitude of fabrics being used for the war, there was not much excess cloth, making the middle obsolete (Rockwood). The significance of this design was monumental; it is still the most popular form of swimwear for young women all across the globe. Young women have been craving the “bikini bod” since its arrival in Paris in 1946, even though it has changed tremendously from its original state.
The Sexual Revolution of the 1960’s, became the chief social factor in the evolution of swimwear. Hippies promoted free love and self-awareness, and the bathing suits of this era were synonymous the changes in the social atmosphere of America; moreover, with the rise of liberalism, came the shrinkage of the swimsuit, bikini lines slipped below the public bone, straps transformed into strings, and bra cups separated (Rockwood). The monokini was also introduced at this time. It was very racy, even for the sexual era of the 60’s; it was topless with just bottoms and straps around the shoulders. Change affects all, including the swimwear of the decades; the free spirit of the “Sexual Sixties” made way for the promiscuity of modern swimwear.
Reverse!—the swimwear of the 1980’s took a flashback to the 1920’s and 30’s. The modest and conservative America reemerged in the 1980’s and put the swimwear industry in a time machine; black one piece suits resurrected from the past. With the election of President Ronald Regan, a conservative Republican president, liberalism and sexuality took a back seat. Swimwear returned to matching styles of every suit: the different styles were the racer-back, the one-shoulder, the strapless, the skirted-bottom, or the bike-short legs (making legs look longer, leaner, and more muscular) (Murray) (Laufik).
Today, swimsuits are pulled in every different direction: retro, bandeau, G-string, strapless, mix-and-match. Victoria’s Secret is a very popular swimsuit company, along with others, such as Volcom Stone, Quicksilver, or Roxy. Today, swimsuits are a flashback of high-waist bottoms and corset style tops of the 1960’s. Another rave of contemporary swimwear is “International Flavor,” especially the styles of African nations; prints are inspired by traditional African fabrics. Yodit Eklund uses local African materials and labor to create her swimwear line Bantu (Rockwood). With the liberal and rebellious nature of today’s society, teenagers and women are virtually free to wear and present themselves in whichever way they please.
As the world changes, we must change—and so must our swimwear. Throughout the century the world has experienced many changes, from women’s suffrage to the Sexual Revolution, and we have learned to adapt to these changes in society. Whether swimwear causes a revolution, or it moves with the world; bathing-suits always flow with the waves they were meant to swim in.
In 1905, Annette Kellerman, the first women to attempt to swim the English Channel, was arrested for her obscene swimwear on Revere Beach, Boston, Massachusetts. Kellerman challenged the “accepted” bathing costume of the 1900’s: black, knee-length, puffed-sleeve wool dresses, often featuring a sailor collar, and worn over bloomers or drawers trimmed with ribbons and bows. The bathing costume was typically accessorized with long black stockings, lace-up bathing slippers, and fancy caps (Haug). She characterized swimming in the “appropriate” garb as “swimming in chains.” Her feelings toward these “chains” were reflected in her choice to wear the men’s swimsuit: a one-piece, skin tight, black swimsuit, that came to just above her knee (Davies). In the Progressive Era, shortly after Annette Kellerman’s revolutionary changes, a great shock that came simultaneously with the swimwear revolution was Sigmund Freud’s Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, which basically stated that Americans need to have more sex (Freud). There were new movements all across the globe for women’s suffrage and the expression of sexuality. In this vibrant and dynamic time, it was only logical for swimwear to evolve with the culture of the world (Smith).
Flappers—the poster girls of the 1920’s—emerged, and so did their style. The women rebelled. Flapper youth felt the appropriate garment would be a “dress-like” swimsuit, rather than the bloomers that they had formerly worn. The new suits were made of ribbed-knit wool and very thick material (Rockwood). In the 1920’s there were “modesty laws” designed to prevent the widespread rebellion of the flappers; accordingly, the law stated that only 9 inches of bare leg were able to be shown (Rockwood). Flapper girls would get hauled off by beach patrol because they were scantily clad in this barbaric beachwear. Even with the conservative values of the “Roaring Twenties,” the women of this generation still rebelled against the status quo of society, predominantly forcing it to shift with the styles.
World War II struck America with food shortages and fabric scarcity, but Americans learned to adapt, even in their swimwear, with the bikini. The bikini was designed by Louis Reard in 1946; it was named after the Bikini Islands in the Pacific Ocean (Niemann). Reard’s goal was to create a swimsuit out of thirty square inches of fabric; his first design was a “G-string” with the triangle top to cover the chest. His trademark was that “it wasn’t a genuine bikini unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring” (Bikini Introduced). Due to the multitude of fabrics being used for the war, there was not much excess cloth, making the middle obsolete (Rockwood). The significance of this design was monumental; it is still the most popular form of swimwear for young women all across the globe. Young women have been craving the “bikini bod” since its arrival in Paris in 1946, even though it has changed tremendously from its original state.
The Sexual Revolution of the 1960’s, became the chief social factor in the evolution of swimwear. Hippies promoted free love and self-awareness, and the bathing suits of this era were synonymous the changes in the social atmosphere of America; moreover, with the rise of liberalism, came the shrinkage of the swimsuit, bikini lines slipped below the public bone, straps transformed into strings, and bra cups separated (Rockwood). The monokini was also introduced at this time. It was very racy, even for the sexual era of the 60’s; it was topless with just bottoms and straps around the shoulders. Change affects all, including the swimwear of the decades; the free spirit of the “Sexual Sixties” made way for the promiscuity of modern swimwear.
Reverse!—the swimwear of the 1980’s took a flashback to the 1920’s and 30’s. The modest and conservative America reemerged in the 1980’s and put the swimwear industry in a time machine; black one piece suits resurrected from the past. With the election of President Ronald Regan, a conservative Republican president, liberalism and sexuality took a back seat. Swimwear returned to matching styles of every suit: the different styles were the racer-back, the one-shoulder, the strapless, the skirted-bottom, or the bike-short legs (making legs look longer, leaner, and more muscular) (Murray) (Laufik).
Today, swimsuits are pulled in every different direction: retro, bandeau, G-string, strapless, mix-and-match. Victoria’s Secret is a very popular swimsuit company, along with others, such as Volcom Stone, Quicksilver, or Roxy. Today, swimsuits are a flashback of high-waist bottoms and corset style tops of the 1960’s. Another rave of contemporary swimwear is “International Flavor,” especially the styles of African nations; prints are inspired by traditional African fabrics. Yodit Eklund uses local African materials and labor to create her swimwear line Bantu (Rockwood). With the liberal and rebellious nature of today’s society, teenagers and women are virtually free to wear and present themselves in whichever way they please.
As the world changes, we must change—and so must our swimwear. Throughout the century the world has experienced many changes, from women’s suffrage to the Sexual Revolution, and we have learned to adapt to these changes in society. Whether swimwear causes a revolution, or it moves with the world; bathing-suits always flow with the waves they were meant to swim in.