Evolution Of Ladies Swimwear

Swimming dates to the Prehistoric history of human civilisation, where drawings have been found in the caves of Egypt . Unlike modern days, where swimming is primarily regarded as an exercise in health and relaxation, ancient man used to swim primarily for military purpose, and for survival the harsh life conditions that prevailed then. Swimming as a sport was introduced in the Olympic Games as 1896 in Athens.

Keeping with the changing times, swimwear has also witnessed an evolution. In the days when swimming was primarily a military art, knights had to learn to swim with their armour on. Of course, you won't catch anyone wearing an armour while swimming today! But compared to modern swimwear, swimwear in the 1920s might seem like an armour to some. In fact, in the 18th Century, ladies swimwear was a bathing gown!! In fact, till as recently as the early 20th century, ladies swimwear had to cover arms, legs and the neck.

Subsequently, ladies swimsuits started getting shorter, though the shrinkage was gradual. From fully covered gowns, to two piece gowns, womens swimwear graduated to fully covered tank suits by the early 20th century. In about a decade or so, the legs and arms of the tank suits started getting shorter, thus exposing more than their predecessors. By the mid 20th century, modern day swimwear as we know it, started making an appearance with corset swimwear and two piece swimsuits, with short skirts for covering the thighs, and lycra and nylon became the preferred material for their stretch properties.

By Anayas Erika