A QUICK HISTORY!
Condé Nast Traveler
... presents 100 years of women's beachwear fashion, swimwear, bathing suits, and swimsuits: 1910s - 2010s
We've come a long way since full-body frocks and bathing machines
Swimwear fashion has gone from the poofy, knee-length satin bathing frock in the 1910s to the advent of the bikini in the 1940s to the more inventive (and revealing) cuts introduced in the 1970s to the sexy rebirth of the more cutting-edge one-piece suit in the 2000s.
The Birth of the Swimsuit!
The name "swim suit" was coined in 1915 by Jantzen Knitting Mills, a sweater manufacturer who launched a swimwear brand named the Red Diving Girl.
The Red Diving Girl logo first appeared in 1920, and became a marketing phenomenon. By 1931, it was considered the seventh best known pictorial trademark in the United States.
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Women’s swimwear is a barometer of time, reflecting the sociological and technical changes throughout history.
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THE REBEL Annette Kellermann
Her form-fitting one-piece tank suit in 1907 inspired the women's bathing suits in the 1912 Olympics.
She paved the way - women were finally able to wear comfortable and functional swimwear.
ONE-PIECE WONDER
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Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald
Alabama's Own & the Original Flapper
Zelda’s infamous flesh colored bathing suit was an Annette Kellerman. Her books, How to Swim and Physical Beauty - How to Keep it, were early fitness and beauty manuals that helped shape a young Zelda Sayre.
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Listen to Alaina and Maire from The Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum discuss the famous Kellerman bathing suit, Kellerman’s health and beauty advice, as well as the various dives Zelda learned from Kellerman’s book.
In this podcast, the hosts discuss the history of Oak Park, a pivotal landmark in young Zelda’s life.
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Diana Vreeland
fashion editor
Harper's Bazaar, 1936–1962 / editor-in-chief, Vogue, 1963–1971
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history of the bikini
In 1946, Western Europeans joyously greeted the first war-free summer in years, and French designers came up with fashions to match the liberated mood of the people. Two French designers, Jacques Heim and Louis Réard, developed competing prototypes of the bikini. Heim called his the “atom” and advertised it as “the world’s smallest bathing suit.” Réard's swimsuit, which was basically a bra top and two inverted triangles of cloth connected by string, was in fact significantly smaller. Made out of a scant 30 inches of fabric, Réard promoted his creation as “smaller than the world’s smallest bathing suit.” Réard called his creation the bikini, named after the Bikini Atoll.
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Diane Bostick
fabric designer
Vice President, Fabric Design, Avondale Mills, New York City
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This fabric was designed by Diane Bostick and used by Greta Plattry for these three playsuits and matching coverups in 1957.
Diane was a member of the class of 1953, The University of Alabama, and a scholarship in her name is awarded each year to a deserving student enrolled in the Department of Clothing, Textiles & Interior Design.
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greta plattry
An American fashion designer who is not as well-known as her contemporary Claire McCardell but her designs, concepts, and craftsmanship are regarded as important in the world of fashion.
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Swim Caps
When rubber was invented in 1883, it transformed the swim cap. In addition to protecting the wearers hair, it soon became an essential fashion accessory. During the 1920s & 1930s caps were made from latex and this stretchy material could be shaped like the popular hats styles of the times. After WWII, and the rise in popularity of synchronized swimming, the swim cap once again became a 'must have' fashion accessory.
During the 1960s & 1970s swimmers at many of the public pools, with hair longer than 1 inch, were required to wear swim caps.
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In Fashion, Again!
on the runway
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Miu Miu’s S|S 2017
