Bye-bye bikini: One-piece swimsuits are back
With the bikini having perhaps reached its minuscule limits, the one-piece swimsuit has made a spectacular comeback to swimwear shows, with sophisticated cuts and colorful designs. Sound familiar?
Mellow colors
Delicate and quick-drying: the requirements made by fashion designers for suitable materials for swimsuits are becoming ever more demanding. In the current 2015 season, colorful outfits for swimming and sunbathing are high in demand once again. The classic one-piece swimsuit has already overtaken the bikini as the most popular type of swimwear.
Form over function
The 18th century saw the development of the first bathing outfits for ladies and whole-body suits for the gentlemen. People swam in bathing suits made of thick wool and cotton fabrics that soaked up lots of water, and took an eternity to dry. Everything was strictly segregated according to gender - including swimming zones.
Better suited
When tourism started to take off in the early 20th century, swimming trips to the sea came into fashion. At the beginning of a season the sea was "opened." Swimsuits had by now become a little tighter, and elastic tricot came into play. Bathing caps, still resembling hats, were intended to protect people from the sun. Full-body swimsuits, as here in 1910, were designed for men and women.
Nipped and tucked
The roaring twenties finally catapulted swimwear fashion into modernity: small belts, golden buttons and glittering sequins added a decidedly female touch to swimwear. During this period, swimsuits were tailored only in small fits - they were not available in large sizes.
Bathing Venus
Olympic swimmer Esther Williams caught the attention of Hollywood agents while performing in a water show. This enabled the athlete to earn an income, as she had not been able to participate in the Olympics in 1940 due to World War II. In "Neptune's Daughter," she starred as an attractive bathing beauty, and would eventually become one of the richest women in Hollywood.
...and then came Marylin Monroe
The famous curves of American movie star Marilyn Monroe were much accentuated by a bathing suit - that is, when she actually wore one, rather than merely a few drops of Chanel No. 5. Her first successes in front of a camera were in the 1940s when she worked as a model for the famous Pirelli calendar (photo), well before her career as an actress took off.
Modest miss Germany
The beauty contests of the 1950s were still quite innocent: what counted most for the jury were inner values. Divorced women were not allowed to take part, for example. The appearances of the candidates, here in 1956, were discreetly emphasized by high-heeled shoes and form-fitting swimsuits. Hairstyles were dominated by ladylike waves - not suitable for swimming.
Incongruous patterns
After Pop Art exploded on the scene, abstract and geometric patterns started to infiltrate fashion studios, and became a defining style of the 1960s. One of the most outstanding fashion designers was Frenchman Andre Courrèges, who applied constructivist patterns to swimwear - including these examples, from a Berlin collection.
Head first
In the 1960s an absolute must for women such as Gina Lollobrigida, pictured here with co-star Sean Connery, was creative bathing caps in a flowery style. Next to ladylike swimsuits with cups, water repellent rubber caps were a necessary accessory in every beach bag. Men were permitted to wear the sporty version.
A cut below the rest
The American TV series "Baywatch" has written swimwear history. The swimsuits of the Baywatch girls were extremely high cut, and defined beachwear fashion the world over in the early 90s. The bright red fabric was reduced even further for actress Pamela Anderson and her notable curves. The cult series was broadcast in 144 countries.
Treading a fine line
The big question posed by all swimwear designers: how much material is too much? The difference between a bikini and a swimsuit, which traditionally is a little bit more concealing, is difficult to define. A swimsuit in retro style is presented here at Fashion Week in Miami for the 2011 bathing season. Australia is the leader when it comes to innovative swimwear.
Big bikini trends
Large sizes have always posed a particular challenge for swimwear designers. Nowadays, however, the material has become extremely elastic. Good quality bathing suits should be just as durable in wet condition as in the sun, or on the beach. Therefore, they often consist of two layers to help them retain their form. Fashionable swimwear in large sizes continues to be a rarity.