The way swim suites looked like in the beginning of the 18th century and the way they do now is solid proof of how much society has changed. In those days women used to wear bathing gowns when they wanted to enjoy a little swimming. Well, the part with enjoying is a little questionable if you ask me, for how can anyone enjoy the pleasures of a bath when they are wearing a heavy gown? Nowadays women can literally enjoy swimming for their swim suites are comfortable and sometimes even uncalled for.



So let us take it one step at a time. In the 18th century, both men and women have to war awful swim suites for when they wanted to enjoy a bath. Women had to wear long gowns, specially made for bathing from a material that would not become transparent when it was wet. Furthermore, the gown had weights sued on it so it would not rise up when women went into the water. Was this one of the most sophisticated and cleverer of all swim suites or not? I believe it was for and many agreed with me for women had to wear this bath gown for more than a century before another trend took its place. Men were not more fortunate either for their swim suites were very uncomfortable as well, although they did not have weights sued to them. In the 18th century men had to wear woolen swim suites with long sleeves and long legs. Imagine the joy of bathing then!

In the 19th century swim suites took a turn for the best and both men and women were now able to enjoy bathing without having to wear awful swim suites. For women the two piece costume became popular and although it covered all the important parts and more, it was a remarkable step towards the tiny swim suites women can wear nowadays. However do not imagine that the journey was short and easy, because it was not. At first even if they could wear two pieces swim suites, those suites did not have to reveal the arms, legs and had to have a collar.

Just after the World War II, the first bikini appeared. From then on, all bikinis and swim suites just started to shrink in all directions possible, until they got to the swim suites we wear today. If some people still believe that those heavy, unrevealing swim suites were better than those we have today because they do not expose women and keep a sense of decency, there is still one point of view that all share and that is: swim suites are far more beautiful today than they were hundreds of years ago.