The swimsuit has evolved a lot over the years. It started with the simple two-piece, made up of a top and bottom. Over the years, the swimsuit has transformed into a one-piece in various styles, colours, and cuts. And then, of course, there are the bikinis, which, of course, are the sexiest.
Bathing costumes were worn in the early part of the 1900s.
Bathing suits have been around for a long time. They date back to about 500 B.C. in ancient Greece. It wasn’t until 1912 that they began to be designed by fashion designers and available to the public. By the 1920s, bathing suits were the rage, and bathing costumes were as typical as sweatpants and long-sleeve tees today.
In 1910, swimsuits began hugging the body more closely and became shorter.
The earliest swimsuits, called “undershirts,” were made from cotton or wool and were worn in 1912. A few early swimmers wore bikinis, but they weren’t very popular until 1934 when French actress and model Brigitte Bardot began wearing them.
Swimsuits’ necklines dropped in the 1920s.
Even in the 1920s, swimsuits weren’t always what they are now. In fact, in 1924, bathing suits became shorter and went down as far as mid-thigh. Swimsuits changed a lot over the next few decades, but in the 1950s, they truly started to come into their modern form. That’s when bikinis came on the scene, and the modern bikini was born.
Men’s swimwear was basic and frequently striped during the 1920s and early 1930s.
The Swimsuit Issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Collection is, without question, the most famous magazine cover of all time.
In the 1930s, women’s swimsuits became more risque, with lower necklines and higher leg cuts.
Bikinis were invented in 1938 by Louis Reared, a French swimwear designer when he decided that women should wear something less restrictive than the traditional one-piece swimsuit. Today, we take them for granted, but they were an innovation at the time.
In the 1940s, one-piece swimsuits started to be designed with a dress-like appearance.
By 1945, the one-piece swimsuits had been around so long that most women just assumed they were a natural part of their summer wardrobe. But after World War II, there was a shift in women’s fashion, and swimsuits began to take on an entirely different, far more feminine appearance.
The bikini was popularized in the 1940s.
It was the year of the bikini. In the mid-1940s, a series of sketches by a French swimsuit designer named Louis Réard (and later worn by the pop singer Rita Hayworth) sparked interest in a two-piece bathing suit. It became such a hit that Réard and Hayworth began selling Réard-designed bikinis in Parisian boutiques. That summer, it was worn by models and celebrities in high-society beach resorts like Cannes, Monte Carlo, and St. Tropez.
Swim briefs gained popularity among men in the 1940s.
Swim briefs for men have been a fixture in fashion since the 1930s, and the trend only grew in popularity through the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. At those times, men wore swim briefs for swim lessons, gym workouts, and the beach, and the trend eventually extended to casual wear.
In the 1950s, bathing suit fabric changed yet again.
In the 1950s, bathing suits didn’t look much different from those in the 1920s. The main difference was the material. In the 1920s, bathing suits were made of wool, scratchy against the skin, and heavy to wear.
The ’60s were a time of more tight swimwear.
When most people think of pop culture from the ’60s, they immediately think of the Vietnam War, hippies, and Woodstock.
Swimsuits in the 1970s showed off a lot more skin than at any other time before.
A swimsuit is a piece of clothing worn for sporting activities, specifically swimming, diving, water polo, surfing, and other water-related sports. Swimsuits were originally modelled on the men’s trunks, which were worn in ancient Greece around 600 BCE. Over time the swimsuit has evolved and grown into a uniform-like ensemble often worn by competitive swimmers.
Swimsuits in the 1970s also had a lot of bright designs, much like they do today.
The ’70s were a wild time. From bell bottoms to platform shoes to discos, the decade had something for everyone. One of the fashion trends was wearing bikinis, which have evolved from skimpy two-piece swimsuits to full-body suits.
Benetton, Ports 1961, and Hugo Boss were known for their patterned suits in the 1980s.
What better time than the 80s to revisit some of our favourite suits looks from the decade? Sure, the suits may look a little outdated now, but we think you’d look sharp rocking these looks at the office.
Some fashion trends were inspired by “Baywatch” in the mid-nineties.
In some fashion, “Baywatch” inspired some trends. Between the show and the swimsuits worn by the cast, the decade saw a resurgence of one-piece swimsuits and sundresses inspired by “Baywatch” ’s Donna Martin. And, of course, the Reebok Insta Pump.
The invention of motorized inflatable devices in the early 2000s resulted in a boom in tankinis.
It was 2003, and you had your choice of two fashion trends: crop-top bathing suits or tankinis. If you felt like being a bit daring, you’d try a bit of both. Bikinis were only a few years behind, but toppling the one-piece was a much more ambitious goal.
Currently, there are many fashionable swimsuit styles. Over the past years and become quite broad, as designers have challenged themselves to come up with new, innovative styles. The swimsuit world as a whole is quite diverse.
