As the heat begins to intensify, it not only marks the beginning of summer but the urge to swim again. Though, one thing which is overlooked by many is how swimwear came to be, as you may be astonished to hear about what the standard of swimwear was. Today, we see ideal swimsuits everywhere with a fitted yet sleek look and although it seems logical to design a swimsuit with high functionality, the 1800’s saw a different interpretation of it.

Don’t Just take my word for it, I went around campus showing a variety of students the different eras of the swimwear, and the responses will shock you. 

Initially, the design of the swimwear is often correlated with social views on such topics as gender roles and ideologies. And although the swimwear of men did change during the past century, the swimwear of women saw dramatic changes over the course of a few hundred years. Beginning with the 1800, which saw women trend into a bath gown type swimsuit with little skin showing, and it was seen more as a fashion item rather than a functional one. Skipping a century, we see a shift from a fully covered gown to a more breathable dress with less constraining areas, and is the point at which the swimming style changed once more. Only 25 years later did we get a glimpse of a close resemblance to modern swimsuits with the one-piece design and the fitted style which became a trend during this time period. Though we briefly went through the change of swimwear, we clearly can imagine the change in style through time and the way society viewed what was functional and stylus.  

The reaction of students as I went around campus showing a variety of Edison students the comparison of the swimsuits throughout time is astonishing. Though most of the comments were typical remarks from high school students, they did point out the flaws with the first swimsuits. Though I did get a variety of students one of them was former Edison Water Polo teammate, Nicolas J, who was used to swimsuits though he was astonished. He later explained the reason being is that even with speedos, it is still difficult to maneuver through the water, and after examining the swimsuits of the early 1800’s, it was without a doubt they weren’t swimming anywhere. Then came Jarrell M who simply laughed in the image which I would summarize as the whole reaction of every student. 

From bath gowns to high-tech swimsuits, it is without a doubt that this evolution of design outgrew its negatives. And when it comes to fashion it shows how many will sacrifice function overlooks, which is one thing that comes down to the individual. Though one thing is for certain, swimwear will only become better as time progresses and who knows maybe that generation will be laughing at the swimsuits we see as perfect.