It's the height of the summer season and some lucky ones among us may be sunbathing on a beach at the moment. There is something, though, that all the others can do – ponder a bit about beachwear and think about how it changed throughout the years. You can do so by reading some books about this topic or through dedicated displays such as the ones in the Fashion Gallery at London's Victoria & Albert Museum.
Here you will be able to see two bathing suits from the mid-to-late '30s, a decade that advocated outdoor activities and physical fitness, as proved also by the elegant picture of Lee Miller wearing yraide sailcloth overalls taken by George Hoyningen-Huene (1930) and included in the same display.
The mustard two-piece wool jersey bathing suit (dating 1937-1939) consists in a pair of shorts and brassiere top with a crossed strap fastening and was originally purchased from Finnegans Ltd, London.
The machine-knitted one-piece woollen swimsuit on the right (dating 1937) by Neyret, Paris, was instead bought from the French department store Galeries Lafayette in Regent Street, London.
This piece was characterised by an aerodynamically slimming navy side stripe on both sides and featured a ribbed waist panel for extra shaping and support.
In the early days bathing costumes were made of wool, a material thought to be suitable for close-fitting garments like swimwear because of its elastic qualities (even though wool becomes pretty heavy when waterlogged).
Another beach ensemble in which wool was employed was this wool and linen trouser suit (lined with silk) by Arnson (1936-37) characerised by a red and blue narrow stripe motif. The fitted jacket fastened with composition link blue buttons, while the long wide-legged trousers had a zip at the side. The suit is matched in the display with linen and wood sandals (1937-38) made by Bunting & Sons for Arnson.
All these items belonged to Vera, Lady Swettenham, who married Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham (1850-1946) in 1939 after his divorce from his first wife.
There are other examples of beachwear at the People's Palace in Glasgow: here you will be able to see several bathing suits for men, women and children from different decades.
The selection in this case includes in just one display a three-piece swimming costume from the early 1900s, a red knitted bikini from the '30s, and children's bikini and hats from the '70s. Some of these styles would be popular in holiday resorts such as Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Dunoon and Largs. Enjoy your holidays or enjoy some vintage beachwear spotting at a museum near you!
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