History of the Swimsuits of Women
Did you know how womens swimsuits came to be in the world? Actually womens swimwear has only been around for more than a century and there are many fascinating stories in its evolution. In this article you will learn about the brief history of this piece of clothing of women.
Well for thousands of years women didnt wear swimsuits because swimming for recreation was not accepted then. The first womens swimwear only came about in the 1800s but this is still a far cry from the swimsuits that you would find today. This is because in this swimwear the woman was covered from head to toe. Thus women did not find enjoyment in wearing such kind of swimsuit.
This all changed when in 1907 Annette Kellermann appeared on a beach wearing a one piece bathing suit that shows her arms, neck and legs. Her move was seen as indecent exposure and she was thus arrested because of it. But that did not stop her swimsuit from making waves in the Western world. She marketed it and by 1910 many women across Europe were already wearing it. When women first competed in the 1912 Olympics in the swimming category they donned Annes swimsuit during the games.
In the 1920s there was a time when the designer Coco Chanel was seen to have gotten a tan because of her Mediterranean cruise and people subsequently wanted that too for themselves. This led to people making alterations to the one piece swimsuit that Anne started out with. Backs of swimsuits had plunging lines in them. There are now two-piece swimsuits which exposed a womans midriff.
The popular bikini came to the scene after the World War II because of Louis Reard, a French designer. Such was the name given to this kind of swimsuit because it was expected that people will be volatile upon seeing it. In 1964 Sports Illustrated began featuring a model wearing this type of swimsuit on their front cover. After that the bikini as swimwear became more popular. More women around the world begin wearing the bikini as their form of swimwear.
During the 1970s the material that was commonly used for swimwear is that of lycra or spandex. This is because they are lightweight, quick drying and conform to the body. The designers then made experimentations with the design for the swimsuits. From the 70s to the 80s the predominant designs on the swimsuits were bright colors and even neon patterns. In the 1990s the trend then in swimwear is putting adornments in bikins.
Today there are so many choices that one has for a swimsuit. It has become an essential part of any womans wardrobe. The choice is up to you on which swimwear you find comfortable.