Swimsuit

Swimsuit, garment designed for wearing while swimming.

In Europe, North America, and Australia, sea bathing became popular in the mid-19th century when railroads first made it possible for people to get to the beach for their vacations. The first swimsuits concealed most of the body: women wore bloomers, black stockings, and a dress with short sleeves and skirt; men wore a dark-colored, one-piece, sleeveless garment reaching to the ankles or knees. By the early 20th century, however, men had begun to wear shorts without a top.

As early as 1900 Annette Kellerman, an Australian swimmer, wore a loose, one-piece wool bathing suit that by about 1910 became generally acceptable for the public. A clinging one-piece swimsuit for women was introduced in France after World War I, and other swimsuit accessories were abandoned.

In about 1935 women began to wear a two-piece suit consisting of a top and shorts. In 1946 the bikini, consisting of an abbreviated top and brief pants, was introduced in Paris, and it gained in popularity in subsequent decades. Modern women’s swimsuits vary in style from one- or two-piece garments to suits with skirts, but to facilitate swimming they are made of fabrics that do not sag or balloon in the water. Competitive swimming, particularly in the Olympics, has driven technological innovations in swimsuits.