History of swimwear fashion and interesting facts

According to Buzzfeed, one of the first swimsuits was somewhat similar to evening wear. They were made from heavy materials like felt or wool. Swimsuits were worn with shoes, socks, hats, and underwear. However, these outfits were gradually replaced because they made it difficult for women to move in the water.

When swimsuits were made to look like evening gowns, some women decided to add weights to the hem of their skirts to prevent the skirt from floating above the water while swimming. One of those who followed this trend was First Lady Martha Washington.

American men were banned from wearing nothing but their swimming trunks to the beach until 1937. In Atlantic City, lawmakers deemed the topless image objectionable and should be eliminated. In 1932, some brands even produced topless swimwear for men to wear while swimming.

In the 1800s and 1900s, women had to change in wooden cabins. These cabins were then pulled into the water so that the people inside could get in the water. This ensured that women were not subjected to scrutiny. It was considered inappropriate for women to appear in bathing suits on land.

American women were once forbidden from exposing anything above the knee in a swimsuit. In 1907, Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman was arrested by US police for violating the law by wearing a sleeveless swimsuit (pictured). The one-piece suit, called "The Original Mermaid," was designed by Annette Kellerman herself. It inspired the women's swimsuits at the 1912 Olympics.

Before the 20th century, women in America were not allowed to swim properly. Their swimsuits often weighed over 20 pounds. Therefore, women often had to hold on to a rope tied to a fixed buoy to avoid accidents.

In 1930, waterproof rubber swimsuits were introduced. Later, manufacturers continued to use this material to make swimming caps.

The Moonlight Buoy, an American swimwear company, introduced the "pre-bikini" swimsuit in 1946. The swimsuit had buttons on the bottom. It allowed women to take off their tops, fasten them to their bottoms, and swim topless.

When asked to debut the first bikini, no celebrity or model accepted. Then, French stripper Micheline Bernardini decided to step up. During her debut in the 1950s, she wore a bikini and held a box, implying that the product was very compact.

Réard - who invented the bikini in the 1950s - was obsessed with the size of the two-piece swimsuit. He said it shouldn't be called a bikini unless it fits through a ring.