Swimsuit's history
World Wide Customs: swimsuit's history SWIMSUIT'S HISTORY: 1800 : (1) The history of women’s swimwear begins with a simple outfit known as the birthday suit (1). All jokes aside, up until the 19th century people frequently bathed nude. And while women were known to cover themselves with clothing that resembles our modern day bikini, the outfits weren’t for swimming. In fact, swimsuits were invented in the mid 1800s. Their creation came out of necessity; recent improvements in railroad systems and other transportation methods had finally made swimming and going to the beach a recreational activity. If you saw a picture of swimsuit-clad women in the second half of the 19th century, you’d have a hard time recognizing their outfits as swimwear. The times called for swimsuits that more closely resembled a belted dress over long bloomers (aka baggy pants). While they weren’t aesthetically appealing, the swimwear fulfilled its primary purpose: to conc...