The story of swimwear is changing shapes, attitudes and techniques. Abigail Turner shows the evolution of swimming fashion.

Yorkshire, the birthplace of the typical British brand Marks & Spencer, is the ideal place to start swimming history. Leeds University’s M & S company file has everything from the 1930s knitted woolwear to the body of the 1990s to swimwear swimwear, advertising and clothing itself to explore the story of swimsuit.

Leeds City Museum has been working with the M & S Archives for swimwear talks and shows, explaining the history of fashion, seasonal changes and fashion and evolving society between the charming similarities between.

“The evolution of swimwear and the clothes we wear in the holidays reflect some of the major changes in society over the years, especially in our attitude towards gender, fitness and physical confidence,” said Ruth Martin, the exhibition curator.

It is for medical reasons, fashion takes seawater. In the nineteenth century, the bathing machine became popular with water, involving immersion rather than deep swimming, wearing heavy silk or wool swimwear as a cure for the disease.

However, the nineties of the twentieth century brought about changing attitudes. In the Edwardian era, mixed baths became more acceptable, although Australian professional swimmer Annette Kellerman was arrested in 1907 at Revere Beach in Boston, a swimsuit, showing arms, legs and fairies body of. She later launched her own single swimsuit.

From 1910 onwards, single swimsuit more and more obvious, because more women want to participate in swimming and sports hobbies. In 1912, the women participated in the Olympic Games. In 1913, Vogue produced patterns for his own costumes to meet the growing demand.

“The twentieth twenties and earlier swimsuits are quite rare,” said Caroline Brown, an old-fashioned expert in Yorkshire and old-fashioned expert Robert and Brown at House of Rose & Brown. “So, when you find them ”

Made by wool, designed to cover up more than they reveal, in fact the idea of ​​swimming in it is not attractive. ”

By 1920, a beach equipment was vital to each wardrobe. Swimsuit in a variety of styles and colors. Cloth is often used as part of the whole design, many suits are sleeveless, skirts become shorter, waist only by loose sash or contrast pipe definition.

Fashion in 1920 said: “The modern girl is victorious.You can wear whatever she wants to wear, but if she is smart, she will be careful not to let her free on her head. After all, swimsuit than any Other forms of clothes are telling a more honest story.

The 20th century, 30 years, swimsuit fashion has changed. Tan as Coca-Cola to promote the identity of the logo, as well as the desire for physical fitness. Clothing becomes smaller and smaller, more and more transparent, so the body needs to be trimmed. Ruth Martin said: “The older swimsuit is more restrictive and conservative, but because women are more in control of their clothes, so swimsuit becomes more active and colorful, Brave.”

The Lastex and Contralex fabrics with elastic weaving means that the graph may be more slender. “These fast-changing fashion and social norms encourage designers and garment manufacturers to become more brave and creative, leading us to see some of the fashion and beautiful costumes we see today on the street,” Ruth added.

Swimsuit in the world to serve the establishment and expression of the United States and moral standards. In the 1930s and 1940s, Hollywood began to use the charm of erotic baths. If Lara Turner, Jane Russell or Rita Hayworth are seen in a private swimming pool in Los Angeles, that is what every woman wants to do.

During the Second World War, Denmark was requisitioned, contributing to war effort, digging potatoes or harvesting crops. British fashion said: “With the tension of wartime life and wartime work fatigue … take full advantage of every opportunity to bathe the sun.” After 1945, with the beach reopened, seaside holidays became possible, sea, sun, brown Brown The right look becomes an ideal post-war summer recipe.

Swimwear not only tracks modesty and beautiful trends, but also advances in the appearance of technology, sports and fashion. The 1950s, new fabrics and new cotton processing methods. Can not be crushed cotton available, after treatment, making the clothes folded when the crease is very small, washing will drip dry.

Swimwear also reflects the 20th century, 60 years the most prominent social changes in the mood. At the end of the decade, all the support disappeared, because Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton were all painted on the billboard, depicting a boy’s body and ironing board.

Caroline Brown said: “The universal freedom of fashion and lifestyle in the 1960s meant that by the 1970s and 1980s, swimwear had moved significantly toward low-end flavors and steepest triangles To cover your modesty as well as prints and colors, which can not explain the fabric of their time – for example, the seventies of the Maximilian bikini and the 80s neon color synthetic sex swimsuit.

If you want to see, maybe you can buy retro and retro swimwear, please go to Whitby last year’s next year’s large seaside wine show. Caroline Brown says: “This is the only retro apartment with a view of the sea.