Although the words G-string and thong conjure to mind explicit Jersey Shore episodes, such forms of bathing suits, despite their lack coverage, are comparably prudish to the bathing attire of antiquity.
In ancient times, swimming was done in the nude, regardless of sex. It was not until mid- 19th century that nude swimming was nationally banned in the United Kingdom. Prior to the 19th century, it was not uncommon for men, in particularly the seafaring kind, to swim in the nude. If not in the nude, those of a more prudish nature simply stripped down to their underwear. Strict modesty regulations of 18th century society, however, required women to don a bathing suit similar to the regalia of a nun: “The woman’s body was entirely covered, and the main piece of the swimwear consisted of a knee-length black wool swim dress, worn over bloomers…To ensure full coverage of the woman’s body, long black socks, lace-up swim shoes and swim caps were added.”
Other versions of the bathing suit were made of canvas that expanded with the absorption of water in order to obscure the female shape, reminiscent of a fat suit. Weights were sewn into the hem of the dress to ensure that it would not float up and reveal anything vaguely feminine.
Within the UK, each town was given leave to create its own laws on the subject. For example, in 1737, the Bath Corporation official bathing dress code made the following prescription for male swimming attire: “It is Ordered Established and Decreed by this Corporation that no Male person above the age of ten years shall at any time hereafter go into any Bath or Baths within this City by day or by night without a Pair of Drawers and a Waistcoat on their bodies.” As of 1860, the UK publically banned nude swimming, ushering in the use of drawers, or caleçons, along with a waist coat.
Within the U.S., swimming and thus, the need for a swimsuit, grew more popular with the expansion of train travel, as more people could reach warmer waters. Private and public swimming pools also grew in popularity, as places of recreation and sport. As of 1880, bathing suits were used for more than “bathing” per say- beauty contests began imposing the bathing suit upon its contestants. Most of society found this tasteless at the time, but it was slowly accepted as it was introduced into the Miss America Contest in 1921. The judges, having never had to quantify and assess a woman’s body so liberally, “were all unclear as to how to judge the contest. One judge suggested that they judge each part or feature of the body out of ten, then the woman with the total highest score would win.”
One particular Aussie by the name of Annette Kellerman visited the United States as a famous synchronized swimmer, introducing her bathing suit that revealed her neck, legs and arms. Such an indecent display led to Kellerman’s arrest and flamed censorship efforts.
But the damage had been done. Slowly, the surface area of bathing suits began to shrink. Hem lines were truncated at mid thigh, rather than below the knee, and arms were revealed. The dawning of the 40’s brought with it the age of glamour photography, harkening to mind images of pinup girls in the ever shrinking bathing suit.
It was not until the end of World War II that the bikini was born. Interestingly enough, the bikini was named after Bikini Atoll -the site of multiple nuclear weapons tests- as the bikini had supposed “explosive effects” upon onlookers. In the 80’s, the thong, or Brazilian “tanga,” became popular, perhaps drawing inspiration from the similar loin cloths adorned by the native Amazonian warriors.
The evolution of the male swim suit paralleled the shrinking hemlines of the female suit. Olympic Swimmer and star of “Tarzan,” Johnny Weissmuller endorsed the shorter hem lines of the swim trunk, a precursor to today’s board short. In an effort to have a more streamlined form, swim suits for competitive swimming shrank to the almost loin cloth-like Speedo. The Speedo would soon meet its compatriot, the G-string, which is more accepted in tropical climates and the shores of New Jersey.
Regardless of your knowledge on the swim suit’s evolution, be aware of the message your bathing suit is sending this spring break. Be proud of your body; don’t cover it up with a t-shirt. You’re not fooling anyone. Avoid tankinis unless you’re a soccer mom. Cut-out bikinis give you awful tan lines. Don’t wear a bandeau if you’re bigger than a B cup –your top will fall off. If you’re a UT swimmer, continue to wear your Speedos. If you’re not, please refrain from G-strings.
Katelyn Edwards can be reached at katelyn.edwards@spartans.ut.edu.
“It was not until mid- 19th century that nude swimming was nationally banned in the United Kingdom.” – this never happened. Wikipedia is wrong. There has never been a national ban on nude swimming in the UK, nor any national ban on nudity in general. Legal action against public nudity has always been context-dependent. Swimming or sunbathing naked somewhere private, or in a place set aside for that purpose, even if public, has always been legal. Oxford, for example, had two traditional nude bathing spots on the river Cherwell, one each for women & men. The women’s site closed about 1970, the men’s in 1991.
I suspect the author of the oft-quoted mistake in Wikipedia was misled by the fact that in the 1860s many coastal towns in England forbade or restricted nude swimming on public beaches, e.g. Brighton banned it between 8am & 9pm.