The History of Swimsuits

The History of Swimsuits Dinija Pušķe Sērmūkši primary school Latvia

Beginning of the swimsuits • The first suits, specially designed for swimming, began to emerge at the end of the 18 century.

Support of Jean Jacques Rousseau ideas said to be natural and friendly for nature.

Women’s swimsuit (1858)

• At the beginning of the 20 century, it became more democratic, simpler and shorter. From swimsuits disappeared flounces, disappeared swimming tights and other "morality conservation" attributes. • Women began wearing bikini swimwear only in 1940 , when the pants were well above the knee. Each case has its own history, and a swimsuit has it too.

• Around the 1800 year in Europe, particularly cam the dresses for walking on the beach and bathing suits became more complexed.

Ladies chose swimdresses instead of a shirt, which was long and was a little different from everyday gown, only the dresses fabrics were usually mild and airy.

• After the World War I, cametrousers that were shorter in the legs, the ladies had bare feet and the swimsuit was several inches above the knee. And already in the year1920 gentlemen didn’t only swim in bikinis, but they swimmed with swimming trunks on.

• Since that time the change - in the 40’s swimsuit evolution was seen in various popular rocker models - array bra and longish shorts or a skirt.

• In the 50’s, European women began to wear a bikini, although several states in the United States it was banned until 1960. It was especially provocative when the bikini was without the bra straps.

• In the 60’s the swimsuit section became more fit: trousers were short boy shorts.

• In the 70’s, the trend was a small bikini or asymmetric cut one-piece bathing suit.

• In the 80’s, the swimsuits were a lot more thinner, because the value was a fit and a athletic body.

The swimsuit models in Latvia • Riga guests began to swim in to modernity and education at the same time as the Brighton visitors in England and the north beach fans. Bathing was slightly different as they are today. Firstly, at the time, no one, or almost no one, couldn't swim, so they just went into the water and that was it.

• Bathing traditions and rules were quite different from the rest of Europe.

Before the first world war many people from Russia visited Latvia, Jūrmala, Baltic beach rest places. The were very conservative and shy. People who lived in Riga also were shy and it was not popular to swim all together.

Jūrmala, Rīga region, Latvia, 1920-1925

• Only in the year 1920 the shy was overcome. And in the year 1930 they began to appear in the sunshine and tan. It was recommended for improving health and swimwear.

Riga’s Jurmala

• Jurmala’s historical part Kemeri (Bad Kemmern) was founded as a resort in 1838, when the Russian tsar Nikolay II gave this land for building the first bath-house with mineral water, from that time people started to come here for treatment.

Swimsuits history in Latvia (an exhibition in Jurmala museum)

Thank you for your attention!