Women's Bathing and Swimming Costume in the United States

Conclusions

The earliest bathing dress for women in the United States may have been an old smock or shift, followed by a bathing gown based on the shift or chemise. Although women’s bathing and swimming costume achieved an identity of its own during the 19th century, the evolution of this garb followed certain innovations in women’s underclothing, namely, drawers in the first half of the 19th century, the “combination” of the late 1870s, and the brassiere and panties of the 1930s. The greatest number of minor style changes, however, were direct reflections of fashions in street dress. The rising hemline and, at times, the discarding of a skirt during periods when women wore long dresses for other activities can be attributed to changes caused by the functional requirements of bathing and swimming; the shortening of sleeves and trousers in the last quarter of the 19th century were also functional improvements. The benefits of the shorter trousers, however, were minimized when modesty required women to cover their exposed legs with stockings.

Swimming suits have been considered a 20th century innovation; in fact one corporation is under the impression that a member of their staff was responsible for the first use of the term “swimming suit” early in the century. The findings presented in this paper show that some women were wearing “swimming suits” that were distinctly different from bathing dresses as early as the 1870s and that both co-existed for some 50 years. Bathing dresses disappeared in the 1920s with the widespread acceptance of its functional counterpart; “bathing suit” no longer referred to a special type of costume but became interchangeable with the term “swimming suit.”

The insistent trend toward more functional costume reached its ultimate conclusion with the refinements of the knitted swimming suit in the 1930s. Subsequent changes have not improved upon the functional design of this classic suit. In many instances these variations have been merely to satisfy the feminine desire for distinctive apparel and the industry’s need for perishable fashions. Female competitive swimmers have continued to wear the simple knitted suit—now of nylon rather than wool.

The changes since the 1930s have shown a trend toward diminution in the coverage of the swimming suit. One cannot be certain what this means for the future, but it is unlikely that either the swim suit industry or standards of modesty of the near future will permit a total elimination of swimming costume. We can be assured, however, that so long as women swim, they will not repeat history by swathing themselves with yards of fabric.

[1] Foster Rhea Dulles, America Learns to Play, 1607-1940 (New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1940), p. 363.[2] The author is indebted to Mrs. Anne W. Murray, formerly Curator in Charge of American Costume, Smithsonian Institution, for the interest she has shown throughout the research and writing of this paper. The difficulties of this work would have been greatly compounded without the benefit of her experience and encouragement.[3] Ralph Thomas, Swimming (London: Sampson Low, Marsten & Company Limited, 1904), p. 15.[4] Joseph Strutt, The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England (London: Chatto and Windus, 1876), pp. 151-152.[5] Sir Thomas Elyot, The Boke Named the Governour (London, 1557), vol. 1, pp. 54-55.[6] Thomas, op. cit. (footnote 3), p. 172.[7] MelchisÉdesh ThÉvenot, The Art of Swimming (London: John Lever, 1789), pp. 4-5.[8] Thomas, op. cit. (footnote 3), p. 161.[9] Celia Fiennes, Through England on Horseback, as quoted in Iris Brooke and James Laver, English Costume from the Fourteenth through the Nineteenth Century (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 252.[10] George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, ed. (Washington: United States Congress, 1931), vol. 1, p. 8.[11] John J. Moorman, The Virginia Springs (Richmond: J. W. Randolph, 1854), pp. 259-260.[12] Ibid., p. 264.[13] Henry Wansay, An Excursion to the United States (Salisbury: J. Easton, 1798), p. 211, as quoted in Dulles, America Learns to Play, p. 152.[14] Fred Allan Wilson, Some Annals of Nahant (Boston: Old Corner Book Store, 1928), p. 77, as quoted in Dulles, America Learns to Play, p. 152.[15] New York Evening Post (June 4, 1813).[16] James Stuart, Three Years in North America (Edinburgh: Robert Cadwell, 1833), vol. 1, p. 441.[17] J. W. and N. Orr, Orr’s Book of Swimming (New York: Burns and Baner, 1846) as quoted in Thomas, op. cit. (footnote 3), p. 270.[18] “Life at Watering-Places—Our Newport Correspondent,” Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (August 29, 1857), vol. 4, no. 91, p. 197.[19] “Chit-Chat upon Philadelphia Fashions for August,” Godey’s Lady’s Book (August 1848), vol. 37, p. 119.[20] “My First Day at Cape May,” Peterson’s Magazine (August 1856), vol. 30, no. 2, p. 91.[21] Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (July 26, 1856), vol. 2, no. 33, p. 102.[22] “Summer Recreation,” Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (June 18, 1870), vol. 30, no. 768, p. 210.[23] Jared Sparks, The Works of Benjamin Franklin (Boston: Tappan and Whittemore, 1844), vol. I, pp. 63-64.[24] J. Frost, The Art of Swimming (New York: P. W. Gallaudet, 1818), p. 57.[25] Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (August 25, 1866), vol. 22, no. 569, p. 355.[26] Ibid. (July 29, 1871), vol. 32, no. 826, p. 322.[27] Diary of John Crosier, 1782, as quoted in C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington, Handbook of English Costume in the Eighteenth Century (London: Faber and Faber, 1957), p. 404.[28] Loc. cit. (footnote 19).[29] A Lady, The Workwoman’s Guide (London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., 1840), p. 61.[30] Loc. cit. (footnote 29).[31] Loc. cit. (footnote 29).[32] Ibid., p. 68.[33] As quoted in C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington, The History of Underclothes (London: Faber and Faber, 1951), p. 130.[34] “Cape May,” Godey’s Lady’s Book (December 1845), vol. 31, p. 268.[35] “Fashions for August, Bathing Dresses,” Peterson’s Magazine (August 1856), vol. 30, p. 145.[36] “New York Fashions,” Harper’s Bazar (August 8, 1868), vol. 1, no. 41, p. 643.[37] Ibid. (July 10, 1869), vol. 2, no. 28, p. 435.[38] B. Brooke, “Bathing-dress with Hat and Gloves,” Hobbies (August 1958), vol. 63, p. 90.[39] Photograph and pattern appears in Blanch Payne, History of Costume (New York: Harper & Row, 1965), pp. 518, 583-584.[40] “An Excursion to Long Branch,” Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper (August 22, 1857), vol. 4, no. 90, p. 182.[41] Loc. cit. (footnote 18).[42] “New York Fashions,” Harper’s Bazar (July 19, 1873), vol. 6, no. 29, p. 451.[43] The term “bathing suit” as opposed to “bathing dress” came into use in the last quarter of the 19th century when the bifurcated bathing garment with a shorter skirt was widely accepted. The two terms, however, continued to be used interchangeably, with “bathing dress” appearing less frequently.[44] “New York Fashions,” Harper’s Bazar (July 4, 1885), vol. 18, no. 27, p. 427.[45] Ibid. (July 5, 1890), vol. 23, no. 27, p. 523.[46] Ibid. (June 13, 1896), vol. 29, no. 24, p. 503.[47] Ibid. (July 1910), vol. 43, no. 7, p. 552.[48] “New York Fashions,” Harper’s Bazar (July 10, 1869), vol. 2, no. 28, p. 435.[49] Ibid. (July 13, 1872), vol. 5, no. 28, p. 459.[50] Ibid. (July 25, 1874), vol. 7, no. 30, p. 475.[51] As quoted in C. Willett Cunnington, English Women’s Clothing in the 19th Century (New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1958), p. 225.[52] J. Parmly Paret, The Woman’s Book of Sports (New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1901), p. 74.[53] Telephone interview with Adeline Trapp Mulhenberg, May 1966.[54] Annette Kellerman, How to Swim (New York: George H. Doran Company, 1918), p. 47.[55] Vogue (June 1, 1917), vol. 49, no. 11, p. 85.[56] Ibid. (June 15, 1917), vol. 49, no. 12, p. 67.[57] “For the Modern Mermaid,” Delineator (June 1916), vol. 38, no. 6, p. 52.[58] Loc. cit. (footnote 54).[59] Harper’s Bazar (June 1920), vol. 55, no. 6, p. 138.[60] Ibid. (June 1921), 54th year, no. 2504, p. 101.[61] “Bathing Regulations for City Beaches,” American City (May 1917), vol. 16, no. 5, p. 537.[62] Loc. cit. (footnote 61).[63] Jane Pride, “Pick-up,” Delineator (May 1927), vol. 110, no. 5, p. 15.[64] Harper’s Bazar (June 1923), 56th year, no. 2528, p. 5.[65] Delineator (June 1923), vol. 102, no. 6, p. 95.[66] The Leisure Hours of 5,000 People; a Report of a Study of Leisure Time Activities and Desires (New York, National Recreation Assoc., 1934).[67] Harper’s Bazaar (June 1934), 68th year, no. 2660, p. 9.[68] Compiled from “Production of Selected Items of Knit Outerwear and Swimwear; 1960-1961,” Apparel Survey 1961 (1962), series M23A(61)-2, p. 14.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1969

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