1920 - 1929

The new swimsuits of the roaring 20s were revolutionary.

Origin - These swimsuits exposed a lot more skin than any of the previous swimsuits. They were one piece and covered the same amount of skin as a t-shirt and shorts. A popular outfit for the beach was a long shirt with flannel pants. This was often worn over the one piece swimsuits. The swimsuits were tight fitting and revealed women’s figures. The new women’s swimsuit of the 1920s looked similar to previous men’s swimsuits. These swimsuits were some of the first to have fun patterns on the material.

Purpose - The new swimsuits had many purposes. They were more practical and easier to swim in. There was less material so the swimsuits weren’t as heavy and they didn’t get in the way of the swimmer as much. They also helped the feminist movement. Like with many other types of women’s clothing, swimsuits were being changed in order to break gender roles. Even though it might not be the first thing you think of when you think of new swimsuits they were helping to make men and women be seen as equals in law and society. Women’s swimsuits were not only more revealing they were also more similar to men’s swimsuits. Having clothing that is the same can help make the wearers seem equal.

Value - In the 1920s women had just gotten the right to vote. Many women were changing society by breaking the gender roles. Throughout the 1920s women used their appearance to break the roles. They had shorter hair and their clothing was more revealing. These swimsuits are an example of breaking the gender roles. The swimsuits were much more revealing. They were a lot more tight fitting and showed more skin than ever before. Men and women’s swimsuits were getting more and more similar. This reflects on the fact that men and women were becoming more equal in law and in society during this decade.

Limitations - These swimsuits of the 1920s can say a lot about the changing times and apparel but there is a limit to what they can tell us. The swimsuits were changing a lot and many people didn’t like how revealing they were. Many women got in trouble for wearing these swimsuits and some even got arrested. These swimsuits caused a lot of problems but the swimsuits themselves can’t tell us what the problems were.  

1910 - 1919

The swimsuits of this decade were the most revealing swimsuits yet. They were much tighter fitted and even exposed some of their skin.

Origin - The swimsuits from 1910 - 1919 evolved from the previous decades swimsuits. They had even less fabric to make them even more practical. Water sports became more popular to women. They needed better outfits for these activities. Although the swimsuits had a lot less material they still covered a lot of the woman’s skin. Women were progressing and becoming less conservative with their clothing so the amount of skin shown was more acceptable than it would have been even ten years ago.

Purpose - These new swimsuits made it much easier for women to participate in water sports. These swimsuits were much less restricting than the previous ones. They did not have a lot of excess material. These new swimsuits allowed women to participate in water sports. It gave them an opportunity to do the same activities as the men of the decade.

Value - This new type of swimsuit represents women’s progress in society. Women were doing more and more of the same things as men. They were doing the same jobs as the men and the swimsuits allowed them to do the same fun activities as the men. Women were also wearing less conservative clothing during this time. During this decade the women’s suffrage movement was a very big part of society. These swimsuits are only one example of the changes and progress that women made during this decade.

Limitations - Knowing the purpose of the new swimsuit and how it had changed can tell us a lot about the women’s rights movement during this decade. The swimsuits themselves cannot tell us the reactions people had to these swimsuits. People could have had bad reactions to the swimsuits, they could have had good reactions to the swimsuits, or the reactions could have been in between. The swimsuits cannot tell us this. We can connect the swimsuits to the women’s rights movement but the swimsuits can’t tell us the effect that the swimsuits had on the movement. The swimsuits can tell us a lot but they can’t tell us everything.  

1900 - 1909

In the early 1900s women’s swimsuits were changing. One of the most popular swimsuits looked similar to sailor outfits. It was usually worn with bathing shoes and black stockings.

Origin - The old Edwardian and Victorian swimsuits were not very practical. These swimsuits did not allow much activity in the water. As beaches became more popular people began realizing the problems that these swimsuits were causing. This brought a new type of swimsuit onto the beaches. This swimsuit has much less fabric which allows it to functions in water a lot better than the previous swimsuits. It was still quite conservative for current times but it was much more revealing than most of the clothing that people were used to during that time.

Purpose - This swimsuit is much more practical for swimming or just spending time in the water. The smaller amount of fabric makes the swimsuit lighter and easier to move in. The new swimsuits allowed women to do more things in the water other than playing at the shore. They could swim and surf with the men. The purpose of the new swimsuit wasn’t only to make it easier to move in but also so that women could do more of the same things that the men could do. The swimsuits of the early 1900s manage to become more practical while remaining conservative. During this time it was still very important for women to be covered up. The swimsuits served the purpose of being practical clothing to wear in the water and covering women up while they wore them.

Value - The swimsuits of the early 1900s are a demonstration of the women’s rights movement. Women were beginning to fight for their rights during this time. They began doing more of the things that they wanted to do. These swimsuits also allowed women to do more things that men were doing. It allowed them to do more water activities rather than staying on the shore. This is a reflection of women beginning to do more of the same things that men were doing all across the United States.

Limitations - The swimsuits of the early 1900’s tells us about the women’s movement moving forward. The swimsuits can’t tell us about forces against the women’s movement. The swimsuits are an example of something moving forward for women but it is not an example of going backwards or fighting against the women’s rights movement.