Taking A Look At How Bathing Suits Have Evolved |
By :
Mike Selvon
Submitted:
2009-02-27 10:09:54 Number of Times Read: 182
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It wasn't until the 1800s that going to the seashore was actually done for entertainment and relaxation. The invention of the railroad really boosted the popularity of going to the beach as well; however, it did entail a small problem, as there were no such things as womens swimsuits.
Eventually, the bathing suits that became available looked more like smocks, as it was considered improper for ladies to have tanned skin. As well, the women would sew small weights into the hems of these swimming garments so that they would not float up and reveal their legs.
The next step in the evolution of swimwear swimsuits saw creations that were more like full length gowns, usually made from cambric or muslin. The garments had long sleeves with thin cuffs and were worn over pants or "trowsers," as they were called then. The ensemble also required a scarf, sandals and even gloves. It wasn't until sometime later that women were allowed to show a little leg.
By the mid 19th century, women's swimsuits or bathing dresses, still covered most of their figures. Amelia Bloomer came up with the innovative idea of wearing bloomers under the swim dresses but the Turkish pants and paletot dresses were made from heavy flannel fabric, which surely had to weigh these bathing suits down quite a bit.
Wherever the water was shallow near the beach people would change in little houses on wheels, which were drawn out into deeper water by horses and hauled back to the shore when the water play was finished. At some of the larger resorts on the shore, where the most glamorous ladies of the day were, hundreds of these little change carts would be in the water at one time.
Their broad wheels gave them the advantage of not getting stuck in the sand. In some areas the idea of wearing a little less, including shorter bloomers and skirts, was starting to be kicked around a little; but the implementation of those ideas would not come into play until the early 1900s, or more accurately 1910.
The little cabanas that the horses would haul in an out of the water gave the modest ladies of the day a chance to spend a day at the beach privately. Adding a hood to the contraption allowed the ladies, clad in their soaking wet bathing suits, to emerge from the water without being seen. Then they would pull off the layers of their swim suits and get back into the many layers of petticoats and dresses that they had arrived in earlier. |
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Mike Selvon has some informative articles for the creative mind. Find out more about bathing suits at his resourceful site. We appreciate your feedback at our two piece swimwear blog. |
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