Facts on Bathing Suits

Bathing suits are necessary items for just about everyone, and they have a lengthy history. The first suits were nearly dresses, and they have evolved up, becoming shorter and shorter until the present day, when women wear thongs and barely-there tops to the world's beaches.

History

In the early 1800s, people started to flock to beaches. Oceanside resorts became increasingly popular as they grew more accessible with the creation of railroads. At first, the bathing suit covered the entire female body and was made of heavy materials that surely would sink in water. It was considered uncouth to show skin in public. Women mostly dressed in these dark black wool dresses, and black tights were worn. By the early 1900s, the clumsy Victorian-era bathing dresses were becoming burdensome, so a more reasonable, and more revealing, costume was developed. Women were not swimming much in this era, essentially only wading through water and coming out. In 1907, Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman visited the United States as an "underwater ballerina." Underwater ballet was similar to synchronized swimming and involved diving into glass tanks. Kellerman was arrested for indecent exposure because her swimsuit showed her arms, legs and neck. She eventually changed the suit, but as the century progressed, society caught up with her and suits shrank. By the 1920s, the costume was changed to a long, sleeveless top that covered shorts, and itcontinued to shrink until the bikini arrived on the scene.

Evolution of the Bikini

The first bikinis were introduced just after World War II, making their debut at a poolside fashion show in Paris. The name comes from the Bikini Atoll, the site of several nuclear weapons tests, for their supposed explosive effect on viewers. Early examples were not very different from women's two pieces that have been common since the 1920s. The major difference was there was a gap below the breast line that showed a section of bare midriff, and the bikini exposed the navel. Illegal in the U.S., it made a splash in France. But starting in the 1960s, the bikini gained popularity on U.S. beaches. Brian Hyland had a hit in 1960 with the song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." The suit continued to shrink in all directions until it barely covered nipples and bottom. In the 1970s, the thong came out of Brazil; it was said to have been inspired by traditional garments of native tribes in the Amazon. Women were scandalized once again for wearing the garment, but it's since become a scant part of American culture.

Designer Swimwear

Because of the form-hugging nature of the bathing suit, models are often photographed in swimwear. By the early '40s, film stars, including Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth, wore two-piece that didn't show the belly button. As the suit evolved, stars have continued to pose in bathing suits over the years. Sports Illustrated magazine publishes an annual swimsuit issue, which has possibly more to do with male readers and less to do with the design of the suits. Either way, famed designers from Dolce & Gabbana to Donna Karan to Oscar de la Renta have all shown swimwear.

The Slimming Suit

Modern technology in Lycra and other form-hugging materials have made it possible for women to slim their shapes down with the bathing suit. Design director Ed Tucker has said his MiracleSuit has a high-elasticity fabric with a high Lycra content that constantly wants to pull the swimsuit and the body back into a taught shape. Lands End treats its fabric with silicon, with a nod to the stomach, rear and side love-handles. Companies like Malia Mills specialize in women's bodies and curves, and produce suits that are geared to work with women. A movement in recent years toward the more conservative one-piece suit is also part of the slim revolution -- women's curves are highlighted and their flab hidden.

Sharia Suit

A growing industry of religiously observant women has given birth to more conservative suits yet again.
In conservative Muslim societies, women at the beach, until very recently, had to sit to the side or go into the water in their clothes. The "Sharia swimsuit" is high-necked and has sleeves and a small skirt, meant to be worn over long trousers. It appeared in the late 1990s but was expensive and hard to find in the Middle East. It is now more widely available. But the suit is still not allowed in the most conservative of circles.

Resources

• Clarion Ledger; Slimming Suits; Associated Press; Samantha Critchell;