swimsuit
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A swimsuit (Swiss bath dress , bathing dress ) is an item of clothing that is worn when bathing and swimming and that largely covers at least the front of the torso . Today, bathing suits are almost exclusively worn by women. Legs, arms and neck usually remain uncovered; with the burkini only the feet, hands and face remain uncovered.
In the narrower sense, a swimsuit is a one-piece piece of clothing. Two-piece forms of swimwear for women such as the bikini or the tankini are then seen as a contrast to the bathing suit. However, a distinction is often made between one-piece and two-piece swimsuits. Occasionally, even the bikini, which only covers a small part of the torso, is referred to as a "two-piece swimsuit".
The choice of the type of swimsuit depends on current fashions, social and religious norms, but also on personal preferences. Special fashion shows have been held for swimwear since the 1920s. Swimsuits for women today come in a very wide range of cuts, materials, colors and prints.
Men also wore bathing suits up to the middle of the 20th century, which were increasingly replaced by bathing trunks and later by bathing shorts after the Second World War . In swimming , special suits are now worn by both women and men. These are not called a swimsuit, but a swimsuit .
Historical development
Swimwear in the 19th century
The development of swimwear was decisively influenced by the upswing in the spa and bathing industry since the 18th century and especially in the first half of the 19th century. Initially, the bathing costumes in the new lake and river baths were based on nightwear or underwear . The first reports in fashion magazines about swimsuits date back to 1863. There, two-piece swimsuits made of black fuchsia were described, which were worn together with a cap made of waxed cotton . Later, the swimwear that ended at the ankles was made from dyed flannel . Women, who usually bathed in public, wore a bathing dress or a bathing skirt with a bathing cap . In order to cover the legs and prevent the garment from buoyancy , the ensembles were completed with bathing socks, wool tights or weights on the skirt hem of the bathing dress. Navy blue swimsuits made of percale or beige-colored loden with marine symbols came into fashion from 1888 and dominated swimwear for decades.
First swimsuits
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In connection with the increasing spread of reform clothing in society, swimwear for women also changed at the end of the 19th century. Clothing that enabled sporting activities was also increasingly worn in bourgeois social classes.
At the beginning of the 20th century, women wore one-piece swimsuits for sporting competitions, which clearly showed the silhouette of the body when wet and were therefore viewed as improper or immoral. Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman was one of the first women to wear the functional swimsuits in public competitions and was therefore arrested in Boston for causing public nuisance in 1907 and put on trial . The tight-fitting swimsuits were only hesitant to gain acceptance in the various countries.
In the leisure sector, knee-covering swimsuits made of wool serge with braids and belts dominated, often in the so-called sailor look , which were complemented with a skirt outside the water. Dark bathing stockings and - usually laced - bathing shoes were worn with bathing dresses or bathing trunks . At the same time, around 1910 a one-piece sack-like garment came into fashion that was tight around the armpits and decorated with a belt peplum. In 1914, Coco Chanel designed the first elastic fabrics for bathing suits.
While care was taken to ensure that women's legs were covered in public, men's swimsuits only reached the knee in the early 20th century. The one-pieces, which were often closed at the shoulder, were mostly characterized by cut sleeves and legs and a pulled-down waist . Short swimsuits for men - mostly made of wool - became popular in swimming even before the First World War . The top was cut like a tank top and the trousers were mostly made in two layers. The disadvantage of the wool material used was that the swimsuit lost its shape in the water, soaked up with water and thus reached a weight of up to 6 kilograms. Light cotton tricot fabrics, which also dried faster, increasingly replaced wool materials from 1910 onwards. Striped swimwear for men was widespread at this time. In the leisure sector, two-piece bathing combinations consisting of shorts and sports shirt also dominated.
Spread of the swimsuit in the 1920s
The social acceptance of sporty swimsuits for women only gradually gained acceptance in the 1920s. In 1919, Olympic swimmer Ethelda Bleibtrey was arrested for taking off her socks to swim on Manhattan Beach .
In the 1920s, dress codes became a little more liberal. Women now also wore figure-hugging swimsuits without stockings. The fashion industry, under the influence of various modern arts, increasingly turned to the design of swimsuits. In 1926, revealing swimsuits were shown for the first time during a fashion show in the Berlin Sports Palace at the Ball der Balls . Conservative circles reacted indignantly. Deep back cutouts and geometric patterns as well as lighter colors characterized the swimsuit of the twenties. Swimwear shows have been held regularly since 1929. In addition to swimsuits, beach suits and special combinations were designed that could be worn with the swimsuits, such as the rompers , wide, wide-striped bib shorts.
Inspired by painting, designers like Sonia Delaunay-Terk devoted themselves to designing colorful, geometric fabrics and cuts for swimsuits. The artists of the Bauhaus , such as Walter and Ise Gropius , however, preferred simple cuts and predominantly classic, dark colors.
The men's swimsuits were often characterized by narrow shoulder straps, short set legs, and black or white belts that were worn at the high waist. Towards the end of the 1920s, these men's swimsuits were cut lower at the armpits and back and gradually replaced by swim trunks. The legless triangular swimming trunks became more popular, especially in progressive circles .
Swimwear from the 1930s to the end of the Second World War
In conservative circles during the Weimar Republic , the increasing freedom of movement in swimwear was viewed critically. On August 18, 1932, the Prussian government issued the so-called Zwickelerlass . In paragraph 1 it was ordered:
“(2) Women are only allowed to bathe in public if they wear a bathing suit that completely covers the chest and body on the front of the upper body, fits tightly under the arms and has cut legs and a gusset . The back of the swimsuit must not extend beyond the lower end of the shoulder blades.
(3) Men are only allowed to bathe in public if they wear at least one swimming trunks with cut legs and a gusset. In so-called family baths, men have to wear a bathing suit. "
The decree was implemented in public bathing establishments and the wearing of certain items of clothing was prohibited. From 1933 onwards, swimwear worn in public had to have a base for both men and women. During the time of National Socialism , waisted swimsuits with cropped legs or bathing suits with short skirts were preferred. In addition to two-tone, mostly figure-hugging tone-on-tone models, intensely patterned swimsuits were also worn. More and more materials were used that dried more easily. At the end of the 1930s, models with integrated bras came into fashion. Characteristic features of the fashionable swimsuits of this time were spaghetti straps and halter neck models.
With the outbreak of the Second World War and the subsequent shortage of raw materials, the production of leisure fashion largely came to a standstill. From 1941 onwards, swimwear photographs were no longer published in German women's and fashion magazines.
In the United States , the war rationing of fabrics for women's clothing led to a downsizing of swimsuits. Prominent actresses such as Rita Hayworth or Esther Williams were photographed in two-piece or cut-out swimsuits. The American army newspaper Yank, the Army Weekly regularly featured photographs of famous pin-up girls in swimwear.
Development after the Second World War
In the post-war period, swimwear in Europe was heavily influenced by American influences. The figure-hugging, strongly tailored swimsuits with cut legs were mostly abstractly patterned and were worn on the beach with matching beach coats made of terry cloth or elastic cotton. The swimsuits were often combined with short skirts.
In 1946, Louis Réard introduced the bikini to the public, which in the 1950s increasingly replaced the swimsuit as swimwear. In the period that followed, the cuts and especially the materials used changed. The figure-hugging swimsuits were preferably made from polyester fibers such as Trevira . In the GDR , swimsuits were mainly made of cotton blend , Malimo or Grisuten .
After younger women in particular preferred bikinis in the 1970s and 1980s and swimsuits were only worn by older women in swimming sports, bathing suits - not least triggered by popular American television series such as Baywatch - The Lifeguards of Malibu - lived in the 1990s. Years ago. In the 1990s, the models were often characterized by high leg cutouts.
present
materials
In the 21st century, there are swimsuits in the leisure sector in a variety of materials and surface finishes . In addition to the increased use of lycra , nylon and spandex , fabrics are also used that protect against UV radiation or allow the skin to tan under the swimsuit. So-called UV protection fabrics are offered especially for swimwear for children and young people, which are characterized by a very strong weave or a treatment of the fabrics with UV-repellent materials such as titanium oxide .
Fabrics that allow seamless tanning have also been used since the end of the 20th century. Through the use of highly elastic chemical fibers such as Dorlastan , which stretch in the longitudinal and transverse direction, the UV radiation is partially let through.
to form
Modern swimsuits are characterized by a wealth of shapes: In addition to classic cuts, one-shoulder models, bandeau and neckholder swimsuits are in trend. Retro patterns in the classic navy or Chanel style and monochrome swimsuits are also available, as are fabrics in floral, photo or ethnic prints. New cut-out swimsuits, some with transparent inserts in the front, back or side, as well as modern monokinis create transitions to the classic two-piece bikini (see also bikini variants ).
Some swimwear manufacturers specialize in making swimwear that meets the demands and requirements of various religious faith groups. Often short- or long-sleeved overalls reaching to the knee are combined with pinafore dresses, some of which are also worn in the water. The burkini, a full-body bathing suit that allows them to go swimming in the presence of men, despite strict religious norms, is popular among Muslim women . The Anabaptist-Protestant religious community of the Amish still wear traditional swimwear today, consisting of a bathing dress that covers the knees with a white or black apron and a white or black cap. Even in Orthodox Judaism, women wear swimwear that covers a large part of their bodies.
The one-piece School Mizugi , or Sukumizu for short, is a swimsuit worn by schoolgirls in Japan for swimming lessons .
In competitive sports buoyancy promoting were swimsuits temporarily distributed with sometimes long sleeves and pants for men and women before they were banned for official competitions. These swimsuits, also known as body skins , are usually made of woven elastane nylon and polyurethane , the seams are ultrasonically welded and the ultra-flat zippers are lined with neoprene . Some manufacturers offer such swimsuits expressly unisex for men and women, other manufacturers differentiate male and female models.
use
Bathing suits are primarily worn when bathing and swimming, for example in open-air pools in lakes or in the sea, when sunbathing and during swimming competitions and competition training. Swimsuits are usually worn under wetsuits .
Bathing suits are also worn in certain competitions to showcase the body appropriately, such as beauty or bodybuilding competitions.
Web links
- Photo gallery: Swimwear in transition planet-wissen.de
- Literature on bathing suits in the catalog of the German National Library
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Duden online: Swimsuit , quote: “One-piece garment mostly worn by women when swimming”.
- ↑ So also Duden online: Bikini , quote: “tight, women's swimsuit consisting of top and bottom”. With the designation as a "ladies' swimsuit ", Duden questions the statement "one-piece" for a swimsuit itself.
- ↑ Gernot von Hahn, Hans-Kaspar von Schönfels: Wonderful water. About the healing power of wells and baths . AT Verlag, Aarau and Stuttgart, 1980, ISBN 3-85502-095-7 , pp. 184ff.
- ↑ Lucie Hampel: One Hundred Years of Bathing Suit . In: Lenzinger reports . Episode 16.Lenzinger , 1964, ISSN 0024-0907 , p. 75 f . ( PDF [accessed October 28, 2014]).
- ↑ 1870–1900 Madame becomes sporty . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 214 f.
- ↑ Charles Sprawson: I'll take you on my back, wed you to the ocean. The cultural history of swimming . marebuchverlag, Hamburg 2002, ISBN 3-936384-73-8 , p. 46 f., p. 278.
- ↑ 1870–1900 Madame becomes sporty . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 215.
- ↑ 1901–1914 Women in Action . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 230f.
- ↑ Lucie Hampel: One Hundred Years of Bathing Suit . In: Lenzinger reports . Episode 16.Lenzinger , 1964, ISSN 0024-0907 , p. 83 ( PDF [accessed October 28, 2014]).
- ↑ 1837–1900 Men of Action . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 217.
- ↑ 1901–1914 Sports and Leisure . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 226.
- ↑ Charles Sprawson: I'll take you on my back, wed you to the ocean. The cultural history of swimming . marebuchverlag, Hamburg 2002, ISBN 3-936384-73-8 , p. 278.
- ↑ History of Women's Swimwear. Between shame and lust for life - the one-piece in the 20th century. (No longer available online.) In: gf-luxury.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015 ; accessed on October 22, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ 1919–1928 Modernism . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 266 f.
- ↑ 1870–1900 Madame becomes sporty . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 214 f.
- ↑ Ute Ackermann: Bauhaus intimate . In: Jeannine Fiedler and Peter Feierabend (eds.): Bauhaus . Könemann, Cologne 1999, ISBN 3-89508-600-2 , p. 115.
- ↑ 1920–1929 On the beach . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 260.
- ↑ Prussian Law Collection No. 56 , issued on September 30, 1932, p. 324
- ↑ Stadtwerke Tübingen: A journey through time through the history of baths in Tübingen - stories from the Uhlandbad , part 19: The decent and the unseemly: swimwear in the Uhlandbad .
- ↑ Johannes Christoph Moderegger: Modefotografie in Deutschland 1929-1955 , 2000, ISBN 978-3-8311-0731-5 , p. 36.
- ↑ 1950–1961 holiday fashion . In: fashion. 3000 years of costumes, trends, styles, designers . Dorling-Kindersley, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8310-2389-9 , p. 336 f.
- ↑ UV special clothing - special clothing put to the test. In: focus.de. May 27, 2010, accessed October 24, 2014 .
- ↑ A bathing suit that lets the sun through. In: berliner-zeitung.de. May 20, 1995, accessed October 24, 2014 .
- ^ Seriously, What Orthodox Women Wear to the Beach Is No Different From a Burkini. Retrieved April 24, 2019 .
- ↑ Refreshing bath only in full body suit. Retrieved April 24, 2019 .
