The good old days of swim suits?
When you consider the vast range of ladies swimwear on offer today, there is little to remind us of what swimsuits looked like when they were first introduced. Today, swimwear is often designed based on the latest fashions, with a great emphasis placed on aesthetics and making the most of one's physique rather than trying to hide it.
When swimsuits were first introduced, however, the overriding aim was to preserve one's modesty and to conceal as much of the body as possible. Until then, many people were in the habit of swimming or bathing in the nude, but from the seventeenth century onwards, nudity began to be frowned upon and was eventually proscribed.
The first bathing suits designed to preserve ladies' modesty were made of stiff, uncomfortable fabrics designed to completely conceal the contours of the body. Voluminous cuts meant that they filled with water, lending the appearance of a balloon to their wearer and thus removing any risk of being too attractive. In the eighteenth century, skirts (yes, skirts) were ankle-length and filled with weights to ensure propriety.
Although it seems incredible today that we would go to such lengths to keep ourselves under wraps, the first bikinis were only produced and worn after the Second World War. Known as the Bikini Atoll (so called because of its expected effect on the male population), bikinis were considered to be scandalous by some, and sparked the beginning a real change in attitudes to women's swimwear.
Any attempts to cover ourselves from head to toe have long since been abandoned, and the fashions for flesh have continued since those first bikinis. Bikinis have got smaller and more revealing, while even swimsuits have not been spared, with cut out swimming costumes closing the gap between the one piece and the two-piece.
When swimsuits were first introduced, however, the overriding aim was to preserve one's modesty and to conceal as much of the body as possible. Until then, many people were in the habit of swimming or bathing in the nude, but from the seventeenth century onwards, nudity began to be frowned upon and was eventually proscribed.
The first bathing suits designed to preserve ladies' modesty were made of stiff, uncomfortable fabrics designed to completely conceal the contours of the body. Voluminous cuts meant that they filled with water, lending the appearance of a balloon to their wearer and thus removing any risk of being too attractive. In the eighteenth century, skirts (yes, skirts) were ankle-length and filled with weights to ensure propriety.
Although it seems incredible today that we would go to such lengths to keep ourselves under wraps, the first bikinis were only produced and worn after the Second World War. Known as the Bikini Atoll (so called because of its expected effect on the male population), bikinis were considered to be scandalous by some, and sparked the beginning a real change in attitudes to women's swimwear.
Any attempts to cover ourselves from head to toe have long since been abandoned, and the fashions for flesh have continued since those first bikinis. Bikinis have got smaller and more revealing, while even swimsuits have not been spared, with cut out swimming costumes closing the gap between the one piece and the two-piece.
About the Author:
Kyle Frind is a widely respected writer who has been writing for 5 over years often writes on click here Bikinis Online online and a wide range of other subjects.
Previous Article