History of Swimwear in Fashion
After the First World War, the differences among continents in swimsuit styles began to emerge. In the US and Europe, it was much more common to wear the new ‘knitted swimwear’ that replaced the old traditional bathing suit than it was in the rest of the world. There were differences among the swimwear styles as well. While the swimwear in the US tended to be more sporty and practical, European women preferred wearing more fashion-forward swimsuits. Swimsuit style and fabric were the sign of wealth among women. Those who could afford would wear a silk jersey, while those who cannot choose a knitted swimsuit.
By the time, swimsuits became a part of fashion, rather than practical clothing for swimmers. Coco Chanel was one of the first ones to design a swimsuit, followed by Jean Patou.
As exercising and tanning became more common among women, the demand for swimsuits increased in 1930s. With the curvier women figure becoming popular, swimsuit designs followed the trend.
Until 1946, all swimsuits were one piece, there came Jacques Heim (the creator of Atome) and Louis Réard who introduced the two piece swimwear, Bikini to the world.
Like most industries, the swimsuit industry also got very influenced by the rise of Hollywood. Swimsuits became featured in the movies and got widespread, especially after Bridgette Bardot wearing a bikini in a movie.
In the 1980s, the high-waisted bikinis peaked in popularity, as high-cut bikinis and swimsuits enhanced the figure of women’s bodies.
The 1990s marked one of the most significant times in the whole swimwear history is the Baywatch show. In the widely popular tv series, the characters wore bright red, high-cut swimsuits which made a mark in history.
Apart from the fashion use, sporty swimsuits kept developing in shape and material, mostly by the industry leader Speedo.
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As swimsuit’s popularity continued to rise over the years, the swimsuit models also contributed to the media’s body image criterions and ‘beach body’ idea. String bikinis became the most popular type, as seen on many admired models like Gisele Bündchen. As the swimsuits became more and more revealing, it became an issue for curvier body types.
Recently, as many suffered from eating disorders and other psychological issues rising from the media’s pressure on maintaining a certain body type, inclusivity gained much more importance. More and more size inclusive brands emerge as the demand for swimwear never drops, and the retro trends like high waisted bikinis come back.