View source for Swimsuit

{{Short description|Clothing worn for swimming}}
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
[[Image:BathingSuit1920s.jpg|thumb|300px|American 1920s woman's bathing suit]]

A '''swimsuit''' is an item of [[clothing]] designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or [[List of water sports|water sports]], such as [[swimming]], [[Diving (sport)|diving]] and [[surfing]], or sun-orientated activities, such as [[sun bathing]]. Different types and styles may be worn by men, women, and children. Swimsuits can be described by various names, some of which are used only in particular locations or for particular types of suit, including '''swimwear''', '''bathing suit''', '''bathing attire''', '''swimming costume''', '''bathing costume''', '''swimming suit''', '''swimmers''', '''swimming togs''', '''bathers''', '''cossie''' (short for "costume"), or '''swimming trunks''' (swimwear that resembles shorts), besides others.

A swimsuit can be worn as an [[undergarment]] in sports that sometimes require a [[wetsuit]] or [[drysuit]] such as cold water swimming, [[water skiing]], [[scuba diving]], [[surfing]], and [[wakeboarding]]. Swimsuits may also be worn to display the wearer's [[physical attractiveness|physical attributes]], as in the case of [[beauty pageant]]s or [[bodybuilding]] contests, and [[glamour photography]] and magazines like the annual ''[[Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue]]'' featuring models and sports personalities in swimsuits.

There is a very wide range of styles of modern swimsuits available, which vary as to body coverage and materials. The choice of style may depend on community standards of [[modesty]], as well as current [[fashions]], and personal preferences. The choice will also consider the occasion, for example whether it is to be worn for a passive occasion such as sunbathing or for an activity such as surfing or [[swimsuit competition]]. Swimwear universally covers at least the wearer's [[crotch]] area. According to international standards for social etiquette and swimming functionality, male swimwear usually leaves the upper body uncovered, while swimsuits for females usually cover the chest or at least the nipples.

==Materials==
[[File:Swimsuithistorysign.jpeg|260px|thumb|[[Commemorative plaque|Historical marker]] SC-285, located in [[Rehoboth Beach, Delaware]], about the danger of swimsuits made of wool. Marker put in place in 2022 by the Delaware Public Archives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=198811|title=Surf Safety Line Historical Marker|website=www.hmdb.org}}</ref> Photographed in 2023.]]
Prior to the 1930s, swimsuits were typically made of [[wool]]; however, such suits did not hug the body and became heavy with water.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

[[Rayon]] began to be used in the 1920s in the manufacture of tight-fitting swimsuits,<ref name=sydelle>{{cite web|last=Sydelle|first=John|title=The Swimsuit Industry |url=http://smallbusiness.chron.com/swimsuit-industry-18779.html|work=The Houston Chronicle|access-date=August 29, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019123822/http://smallbusiness.chron.com/swimsuit-industry-18779.html|archive-date=October 19, 2013}}</ref> but its durability, especially when wet, proved problematic,<!-- Rayon also had the lowest elastic recovery of any fiber.--><ref name="Kadolph">{{cite book|title=Textiles|edition=9|author1=Kadolph, Sara J.  |author2=Langford, Anna L. |name-list-style=amp |publisher=Prentice Hall|isbn=0-13-025443-6|year=2001}}</ref> with [[Jersey (fabric)|jersey]] and [[silk]] also sometimes being used.<ref name=glamoursurf>{{cite web|title=Vintage Swimwear Timeline|url=http://www.glamoursurf.com/swimwear_timeline.html|publisher=Glamoursurf.com|access-date=August 29, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019142213/http://www.glamoursurf.com/swimwear_timeline.html|archive-date=October 19, 2013}}</ref>

In the 1930s, new materials were being developed and used in swimwear, particularly [[latex]] and [[nylon]]. Swimsuits incorporating nylon dry more quickly then swimsuits made of common organic fibers, which can create a more comfortable experience for the wearer.<ref>{{cite book |title=Mountaineering |date=2017 |publisher=Mountaineers Books |isbn=978-1-68051-003-4 |page=18 |edition=9th}}</ref> Swimsuits gradually began hugging the body,<ref name=carnival>{{cite web |url=http://www.carnaval.com/bikini/#In%20Brazil |title=History of the Bikini |publisher=Carnival |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626130548/http://www.carnaval.com/bikini/#In%20Brazil |archive-date=2017-06-26 }}</ref> especially women's swimsuits.

In the 1960s, [[spandex]] (Lycra) began to be used in swimsuits, usually combined with nylon, to make them fit snugly to the body. However, spandex is not particularly strong or durable, especially in [[chlorinated]] water in swimming pools and hot tubs.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

[[Polyester]] is becoming more common as a durable, lightweight fabric for swimsuits, although it is not as stretchy as spandex.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Some companies have started to focus on recycled materials for their swimwear. They are working with companies that transform fishnets, nylon waste, and recovered plastic from shorelines, waterways and coastal communities into textile components.<ref name=TheWashingtonPost>{{cite news
 | url =https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/whats-in-your-landfill-lots-of-textiles/2020/01/27/7d43830c-364c-11ea-bb7b-265f4554af6d_story.html  
 | title =Do you know what's happening to your clothing donations? 
 | newspaper =The Washington Post
 | access-date =January 30, 2020
 }}</ref>

==Swimsuit styles==
[[File:Beach Jump.jpg|alt=Girl wearing a pink and orange swimsuit|thumb|Unlike blue, gray, and white, neon pink and neon orange are highly visible colors underwater.]]
In Western culture, men's swimsuit styles include [[boardshorts]], [[jammer (swimwear)|jammers]], [[Trunks (clothing)|swim trunks]], [[swim briefs|briefs]] (also known as "[[Speedo (suit style)|Speedos]]"), [[thong]]s, and [[g-string]]s, in order of decreasing lower body coverage, and women's swimsuits include [[one-piece swimsuit|one-piece]], [[bikini]]s, or [[thong]]s. While they go through many trends in color, pattern, length, and cut, there is not much modification to the original variety of suit.

A recent innovation is the [[burqini]], favored by some Muslim women, which covers the whole body and head (but not face) in a manner similar to a diver's [[wetsuit]]. These are an updated version of full-body swimwear, which has been [[sea bathing|available for centuries]], but conforms with [[Islam]]'s traditional emphasis on modest dress. In [[Egypt]], the term "[[Sharia]] swimsuit" is used to describe full-body swimwear.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/910379.stm |title=Warm welcome for 'Sharia swimsuit' |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2009-01-10 |last=Hawley |first=Caroline |date=2000-09-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217020533/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/910379.stm |archive-date=2009-02-17 }}</ref>

Swimsuit color affects [[Water safety|swimmers' safety]].  A blue, white, or gray swimsuit may be nearly invisible when the swimmer is underwater, which can make it more difficult for a [[lifeguard]] to spot a [[drowning]] swimmer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Ruggeri |first=Amanda |date=15 June 2023 |title=How the colour of your swimsuit can save your life |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230615-how-the-colour-of-your-swimsuit-can-save-your-life}}</ref>  The most visible swimsuits underwater have large, solid blocks of bright [[neon color]]s, such as neon pink or neon orange.<ref name=":0" />  Solid neon colors are more visible than red or multi-colored swimsuits.<ref name=":0" />

===Unisex styles===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Image
! Description
|-
| [[Competitive swimwear#Drag suit|Drag suits]]
| [[File:Drag suit.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | A drag suit is a pair of baggy square-cut or brief-style trunks that competitive swimmers may wear over their normal suit to provide extra resistance ("drag") from the water. This allows the swimmer to get more out of their training than they would without a drag suit.
|-
| [[Dry suit]]s
| [[File:Plongee CombinaisonsEtanchesDansLaGlace-199912.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top"| A dry suit or drysuit provides the wearer with environmental protection by way of thermal insulation and exclusion of water, and is worn by divers, boaters, water sports enthusiasts, and others who work or play in or near cold or contaminated water. A dry suit normally protects the whole body except the head, hands, and possibly the feet. In [[Hazmat diving|hazmat configurations]], however, all of these are covered as well.
|-
| Racing suits
|[[File:BCprovincialswimteam05.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | Swimsuits made of technologically advanced fabrics biomimetically designed with a surface that mimics the rough shark denticles to reduce drag along with key areas of the body {{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}.  The characteristics of the fabric improve shape retention and increase muscle compression to reduce vibration and retain muscle shape to reduce fatigue and power loss. Available in a variety of cuts such as [[bodyskin]], [[legskin]], high cut [[swim briefs]], and [[kneeskin]].
|-
| [[Rash guard]]<br /><small>(also known as rash vest or rashie)</small>
|[[File:Nogi Rashguard.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | A type of athletic shirt made of spandex and nylon or polyester, used to protect against rashes from abrasion (like wax-based chafing from sliding on and off of a surf board) or sun exposure. Rash guards may be worn as an alternative to wetsuits during warmer weather. They may also offer UV protection.
|-
| [[Sling swimsuit]]
| [[File:The Mankini.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | The sling swimsuit is a [[one-piece swimsuit]] which is supported by fabric at the neck. The sling swimsuit is also known by a variety of names including "suspender bikini", "[[sling bikini]]", "slingkini", "suspender thong", "slingshot swimsuit" or just "slingshot". It is so named because of its resemblance to the Y-shape frame of a [[slingshot]]. It is sometimes listed as a [[Bikini variants|bikini variant]]. [[Monokini]] types also exist.  When designed for or worn by a man, it is often called a "mankini". The image to the left is of a man wearing a green mankini, a swimsuit made famous by the 2006 film ''[[Borat]]''.
|-
| [[Wetsuit]]s 
| [[File:Mikebaird - Two Surfing Teens.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | Wetsuits are insulated, close-fitting suits designed for prolonged immersion, usually in the context of [[snorkeling]], [[scuba diving]], or [[surfing]], and other water [[boardsports]]. Made from [[neoprene]], they come in different thicknesses and styles. Wetsuits keep the wearer warm by trapping a thin layer of water close to the skin which heats up due to body temperature.

|}

===Women's swimsuits===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Image
! Description
|-
| [[Bikini]]<br /><small>(also known as a two-piece)</small>
| [[File:Steve Carmichael - 2017 08 04 Beach Volleyball-3219 (36247597501) (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | One piece covers the [[breast]]s, and the other the [[crotch]], leaving an uncovered area between the two. Bikinis are available in many [[Bikini variants|stylistic variations]].
|-
| [[Burqini]]
| [[File:Burkini modesty swimsuit PROP 178 MG 2016 01.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | Two piece that covers the whole body except feet and hands, and which may have a hood to cover the head (but not face), made of ordinary swimsuit fabric, in a shape similar to a diver's [[wetsuit]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ellin |first=Abby |date=2009-09-09 |title=Exercise Tailored to a Hijab |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/health/nutrition/10fitness.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lowe |first=Josh |date=2016-08-23 |title=Burkini Inventor Says Swimwear Bans Have Boosted Sales |url=https://www.newsweek.com/burkini-ban-sales-boost-french-beaches-islam-492651 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref>  Although sometimes labeled as a religious garment, it is also worn for health reasons by lifeguards and other women who are high risk for [[skin cancer]], or who do not feel comfortable wearing skimpier alternatives.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Sheftalovich |first=Zoya |date=2016-08-23 |title=Australia's lesson in burkini politics |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/australias-lesson-in-burkini-politics-muslim-immigrants-cronulla-beach-riots-france-solution/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref>  Attempts to ban burqinis in France for being too religious led to significantly increased sales worldwide.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
|-
| [[Monokini]]
| [[File:Jiriruzek net 2010 Vinohrady.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | The monokini, also known as a "topless [[bikini]]" or "unikini"),<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|title=Monokini|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monokini|access-date=20 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818034055/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monokini|archive-date=18 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=http://www.bikini-science.com/costumes/soutien-gorge_SS/topless_S/topless.html |title=Bikini Science |access-date=2018-01-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127202536/http://www.bikini-science.com/costumes/soutien-gorge_SS/topless_S/topless.html |archive-date=2018-01-27 }}</ref> was designed by [[Rudi Gernreich]] in 1964, consisting of only a brief, close-fitting bottom and two thin straps;<ref name="auto3">{{cite web|title=Monokini|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Topless+swimsuit|work=Free Dictionary|access-date=20 August 2015}}</ref> it was the first women's [[Toplessness#Topless swimwear|topless swimsuit]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|last1=Rosebush|first1=Judson|title=Peggy Moffitt Topless Maillot in Studio|url=http://bikini-science.com/chronology/1960-1965_SS/PM6410_S/PM6410.html|website=Bikini Science|access-date=27 January 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127202433/http://bikini-science.com/chronology/1960-1965_SS/PM6410_S/PM6410.html|archive-date=27 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="alac">{{cite book|last=Alac|first=Patrik|title=Bikini Story|year=2012|publisher=Parkstone International|isbn=978-1780429519|page=68|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SIj_GBl5sAoC&pg=PA68|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129055818/https://books.google.com/books?id=SIj_GBl5sAoC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68|archive-date=2018-01-29}}</ref> Gernreich's revolutionary and controversial design included a bottom that "extended from the midriff to the upper thigh"<ref name="everything">{{cite web |url=http://www.everythingbikini.com/monokini.html |title=Bikini Styles: Monokini |publisher=Everything Bikini |access-date=13 January 2013 |year=2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729151157/http://www.everythingbikini.com/monokini.html |archive-date=29 July 2012 }}</ref> and was "held up by shoestring laces that make a halter around the neck."<ref name="nangle">{{cite news|last1=Nangle|first1=Eleanore|title=Topless Swimsuit Causes Commotion|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1964/06/10/page/65/article/topless-swimsuit-causes-commotion|access-date=20 August 2015|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=June 10, 1964|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914161150/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1964/06/10/page/65/article/topless-swimsuit-causes-commotion/|archive-date=14 September 2015}}</ref> Some credit Gernreich's design with initiating,<ref name=alac/> or describe it as a symbol of, the [[sexual revolution]].<ref name="elle">{{cite web|title=Fit Celebrates the Substance of Style|url=http://www.elle.com/culture/news/a2060/fit-celebrates-the-substance-of-style-2452/|work=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]|access-date=23 August 2015|date=July 5, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924010954/http://www.elle.com/culture/news/a2060/fit-celebrates-the-substance-of-style-2452/|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref> The image to the left is of a woman wearing a monokini in 2010.
|-
| [[One-piece swimsuit|One-piece]]<br /><small>(also known as tank suit, [[maillot]], or singlet)</small>
| [[File:Anni Rehborn.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | Probably the most common form of swimsuit, this is the inspiration for the [[Tank top (shirt)|tank top]] as a mainstream article of clothing.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} The name "tank suit" is also supposed to be derived from the term "swimming tank", an obsolete term for what is now called a [[swimming pool]]. Also called a singlet from which evolved the [[wrestling singlet]]. A male under-garment in the same form was also called a singlet.
|-
| [[Tankini]]<br /><small>(also known as two piece)</small>
| [[File:2010 Run to the Sun Fashion Show in Anchorage Alaska 11.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | One piece covers the [[breast]]s and [[stomach]] (like a tank top), the other the [[crotch]] and [[buttocks]]. Anne Cole (1926–2017),<ref name="tankiniauto">{{Cite web |title=About Anne Cole |url=https://annecole.com/pages/about |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Anne Cole |language=en}}</ref> the founder of the brand [[Anne Cole]] named after her, was the woman who invented the tankini in 1998.<ref name="HUGHES">{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Aria |date=2017-01-10 |title=Anne Cole, Swimsuit Designer Who Invented the Tankini, Dies at 90 |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/anne-cole-swimsuit-designer-dies-at-90-tankini-10744569/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| [[Tank top and pants]]
| [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10212, Gertrud Ederle.jpg|100px]]
| valign="top" | Tank top covering pants prevents water parachuting pants off.
|}

===Men's swimsuits===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Image
|Description
|-
| [[Boardshorts]] (also "boardies" in Australia)
| [[File:Boardshorts.jpg|Boardshorts|120px]]
| valign="top" | Boardshorts are a longer version of trunks that come to or past the knee. They usually have a non-elastic waistband, and will give a tight fit around the torso. Boardshorts were originally developed for various board sports such as [[surfing]], [[paddleboarding]], and [[wakeboarding]].
|-
| [[Jammer (swimwear)|Jammer]]
| [[Image:Man wearing jammer on diving block.jpg|120px]]
| valign="top" | A type of men's swimwear worn primarily by competitive athletes, somewhat resembling [[cycling shorts]] or [[compression shorts]].
|-
| Square cut swim trunks
| [[File:Broad Man in Nike Swim Trunks (49145725328) (cropped).jpg|120px]]
| valign="top" | A swimwear style similar to swim briefs, but with a more conservative cut. They can be compared to [[boxer briefs]] but with nylon/spandex composite or polyester fabric.
|-
| [[Swim briefs]]<br /><small>(also known as racing briefs, [[swim briefs|Speedos]], competition briefs, bathers, brief or low rise sungas, racer bathers, trunks, or "swimmers" in Australia)</small>
| [[File:Boy wearing swim briefs and googles.jpg|120px]]
| valign="top" | Swim briefs, often made of wool and held in place with a military-style canvas belt at the waist, go back at least to the 1930s.  They can be seen in hundreds of print ads, worn by muscleman [[Charles Atlas]], and were very popular.  Although in a style that today appears similar to underwear [[briefs]], it is likely that the swimwear preceded the underwear,   A nylon version (without the belt), pictured at left, was launched at the [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Melbourne Olympics]] by [[Speedo]]. Swim briefs are now often made of a [[nylon]] and [[spandex]] composite, while some longer lasting suits are made from [[polyester]]. The style varies from a full seat to [[thong]] or [[g-string]]. Most swim briefs have a beige or white lining on the inside front made of a similar fabric.
|-
| [[Tank top and pants]]
| [[File:Duke Kahanamoku 1920 (cropped).jpg|80px]]
| valign="top" | Tank top covering pants prevents water parachuting pants off.
|-
| [[Swim trunks|Trunks]]<br /><small>(also known as swim trunks generally, also known as boardshorts in Australia or shorts in UK)</small>
| [[File:Sanwin Swim Shorts (portrait).jpg|120px]]
| valign="top" | In the US, this describes a loose, mid-thigh style of swimwear, made of 100% [[polyester]] or 100% [[nylon]] fabric. They are usually shorter than [[boardshorts]] but longer than [[boxer shorts]]. They feature a polyester liner inside the shorts. Although trunks have been used as swimwear since the 1940s, their heyday was in the 1990s when they were highly popularized thanks in part to TV shows like ''[[Baywatch]]''. Today, they have been eclipsed by boardshorts for beachwear among teenagers and young adults in North America and some other places.{{dubious|date=February 2023}}{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} They remain the norm with older age groups and young children.

In other cultures (particularly the UK), the term "trunks" is used to describe swim briefs, although it has been increasingly common for any men's swimwear to be generically described as "trunks".
|-
|}

==Body coverage==
[[File:History of Women's Bathing Suits, Liangyou, 1927-03-30.jpg|thumb|A 1927 photograph illustrating the evolution of women's swimsuits since 1875.]]
Swimsuits can be [[skin-tight clothing|skin-tight]] or loose-fitting. They are often lined with another layer of fabric if the outer fabric becomes [[transparency (optics)|transparent]] when wet.

Swimsuits range from designs that almost completely cover the body to designs that expose almost all of the body. The choice of swimsuit primarily depends on the activity of the wearer, from tight briefs for men for competitive diving and water polo to boardshorts for surfing; although ironically female competitive divers usually wear full one-piece suits while female competitive surfers often wear bikinis. Secondary considerations are personal and community standards of [[modesty]] depending on the location and social setting, how much [[Sun protective clothing|sun protection]] is desired, and prevailing [[Fashion#Clothing fashions|fashion]]s. Almost all swimsuits cover [[Intimate part|intimate body parts]] including [[genitals]] and [[pubic hair]], while most except [[thong]]s or [[g-string]]s (also called Brazilians) cover much or all of the [[buttocks]].<ref name=menkes>Suzy Menkes, "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7D81430F93BA25754C0A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 Runways: Remembrance of Thongs Past] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202185622/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7D81430F93BA25754C0A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 |date=2009-02-02 }}", ''The New York Times'', July 18, 1993</ref>

Most swimsuits in [[western culture]] leave at least the head, shoulders, arms, and lower part of the leg (below the knee) exposed. Women's swimsuits generally cover at least the [[areola]] and bottom half of the [[breast]]s.
 
Both men and women may sometimes wear swimsuits covering more of the body when swimming in cold water (see also [[wetsuit]] and [[dry suit]]). In colder temperatures, swimsuits are needed to conserve body heat and protect the body core from hypothermia.

{{Anchor|Competitive}}

==Competitive swimwear==
{{Main|Competitive swimwear}}
[[File:Tyler Clary (7707350946) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Olympic swimming gold medalist [[Tyler Clary]] of U.S. walks wearing men's [[swim briefs]], while Michelle Bremer of New Zealand looks on in a [[Competitive swimwear#Racerback|racerback]] [[one-piece swimsuit]], 2012]]
{{:Competitive swimwear}}

==Swimwear and hygiene==
Germs, bacteria, and mold can grow very quickly on wet bathing suits. Medical professionals warn that wearing damp swimwear for long periods of time can cause a number of infections and rashes in children and adults,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.essortment.com/child-safety-public-swimming-pool-49723.html|title=Child Safety: Public Swimming Pool|date=16 May 1986|work=Essortment|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730021624/http://www.essortment.com/child-safety-public-swimming-pool-49723.html|archive-date=30 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/disease/hot_tub_rash.html|title=Hot Tub Rash – Hygiene-related Diseases – Hygiene – Healthy Water – CDC|work=cdc.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830112532/https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/disease/hot_tub_rash.html|archive-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> and warn against sharing bathing suits with others.<ref name="huffpost-avoidshareswimsuits">{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bathing-suit-health_n_5568155|title=The Gross Truth About Trying On A New Swimsuit|date=July 10, 2014|website=HuffPost}}</ref> They suggest that changing out of a wet bathing suit right away can help prevent vaginal infections, itching and/or jock itch.<ref name=Drexel>Nyirjesy and Bayer [http://www.drexelmed.edu/Home/HealthEncyclopediaArticles/DiseasesandConditions/Vaginalyeastinfection.html Vaginal yeast infection] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413060128/http://www.drexelmed.edu/Home/HealthEncyclopediaArticles/DiseasesandConditions/Vaginalyeastinfection.html |date=2012-04-13 }}, Drexel University College of Medicine</ref><ref name=Medline>[https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003159.htm Vaginal itching] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704213442/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003159.htm |date=2016-07-04 }}. ''[[Medline]]'' article</ref><ref>[http://www.crutchfielddermatology.com/treatments/jockitch/ Jock Itch] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215122152/http://www.crutchfielddermatology.com/treatments/jockitch/ |date=2009-12-15 }} Crutchfield Dermatology</ref>

In public swimming pools in France for reasons of hygiene, it is only permitted to wear closer fitting styles of swimwear. Men, for instance,  must wear "Speedo"-style bathing suits and not baggy shorts or trunks.<ref>Marsh, Janine. [http://www.thegoodlifefrance.com/speedos-versus-trunks-in-swimming-pools-in-france/ "Speedos v Trunks in swimming pools in France"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223151946/http://www.thegoodlifefrance.com/speedos-versus-trunks-in-swimming-pools-in-france/ |date=2015-12-23 }} ''The Good Life France''</ref>

== History ==
{{main|History of swimwear}}
{{clear right}}

===Pre-20th century===
[[Image:Bathing suit 1858.png|thumb|150px|1858 woman's bathing suit]]

In [[classical antiquity]] swimming and bathing were done [[naked]]. There are Roman murals which show women playing sports and exercising wearing two-piece suits covering the areas around their breasts and hips in a fashion remarkably similar to the present-day bikini. However, there is no evidence that they were used for swimming. All classical pictures of swimming show nude swimmers.

In various cultural traditions one swims, if not in the nude, in a version in suitable material of a garment or undergarment commonly worn on land, e.g. a [[loincloth]] such as the Japanese man's {{Transliteration|ja|[[fundoshi]]}}.

In the United Kingdom, until the mid-19th century there was no law against [[nude swimming]], and each town was free to make its own laws. For example, the [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] Corporation official bathing dress code of 1737 prescribed, for men:

<blockquote>It is Ordered Established and Decreed by this Corporation that no Male person above the age of ten years shall at any time hereafter go into any Bath or Baths within this City by day or by night without a Pair of [[Undergarment|Drawers]] and a [[Waistcoat]] on their bodies.<ref name=Bath>Quoted in Byrde, Penelope. "That Frightful Unbecoming Dress: Clothes for Spa Bathing at Bath", Costume, No 21, 1987, p.50</ref></blockquote>

In rivers, lakes, streams and the sea, men swam in the nude, where the practice was common. Those who did not swim in the nude stripped to their underwear. The English practice of men swimming in the nude was banned in the United Kingdom in 1860. Drawers, or [[caleçon]]s as they were called, came into use in the 1860s. Even then there were many who protested against them and wanted to remain in the nude. [[Francis Kilvert]] described men's bathing suits coming into use in the 1870s as "a pair of very short red and white striped drawers".<ref>Quoted in Cec Cinder, PhD: ''The Nudist Idea'', Ultraviolet Press, Riverside, California: 1998, p. 333. {{ISBN|978-0-9652085-0-5}}</ref>

[[File:Punch - Masculine beauty retouched1.png|thumb|Cartoon by [[George du Maurier]] in ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'', 1877, showing men's and children's bathing suits]]

Female bathing costumes were derived from those worn at Bath and other spas. It would appear that until the 1670s, nude female bathing in the spas was the norm, and that after that time women bathed clothed. [[Celia Fiennes]] gave a detailed description of the standard ladies' bathing costume in 1687:

<blockquote>The Ladyes go into the bath with Garments made of a fine yellow canvas, which is stiff and made large with great sleeves like a parson's gown; the water fills it up so that it is borne off that your shape is not seen, it does not cling close as other linning, which Lookes sadly in the poorer sort that go in their own linning. The Gentlemen have drawers and wastcoates of the same sort of canvas, this is the best linning, for the bath water will Change any other yellow.<ref>Quoted in Byrde, Penelope. "That Frightful Unbecoming Dress: Clothes for Spa Bathing at Bath", Costume, No 21, 1987, pp.48–9</ref></blockquote>

The Bath Corporation official bathing dress code of 1737 prescribed, for women:

<blockquote>No Female person shall at any time hereafter go into a Bath or Baths within this City by day or by night without a decent [[Chemise|Shift]] on their bodies.<ref name=Bath /></blockquote>

''The Expedition of Humphry Clinker'' was published in 1771 and its description of ladies' bathing costume is different from that of [[Celia Fiennes]] a hundred years earlier:

<blockquote>The ladies wear jackets and petticoats of brown linen, with chip hats, in which they fix their handkerchiefs to wipe the sweat from their faces; but, truly, whether it is owing to the steam that surrounds them, or the heat of the water, or the nature of the dress, or to all these causes together, they look so flushed, and so frightful, that I always turn my eyes another way.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smollett |first=Tobias George |date=1906 |title=The Expedition of Humphry Clinker |location=New York |publisher=The Century Company |pages=38–39 }}</ref></blockquote>

Penelope Byrde points out that Smollett's description may not be accurate, for he describes a two-piece costume, not the one piece shift or smock that most people describe and is depicted in contemporary prints. His description does, however, tally with Elizabeth Grant's description of the guide's costume at Ramsgate in 1811. The only difference is in the fabric the costumes are made of. Flannel, however, was a common fabric for sea bathing costumes as many believed the warmer fabric was necessary in cold water.<ref name=Austen>{{cite web|url=http://www.jasa.net.au/seaside/Bathing.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514035307/http://www.jasa.net.au/seaside/Bathing.htm|title=Bathing – Jane Austen at the seaside|archive-date=14 May 2013|work=jasa.net.au}}</ref>

In the 18th century women wore "bathing gowns" in the water; these were long dresses of fabrics that would not become transparent when wet, with weights sewn into the hems so that they would not rise up in the water. The men's swim suit, a rather form-fitting wool garment with long sleeves and legs similar to long [[underwear]], was developed and would change little for a century.

In the 19th century, the woman's double suit was common, comprising a gown from shoulder to knees plus a set of trousers with leggings going down to the ankles.

In the [[Victorian era]], popular beach resorts were commonly equipped with [[bathing machine]]s designed to avoid the exposure of people in swimsuits, especially to people of the opposite sex.

In the United States, [[beauty pageant]]s of women in bathing costumes became popular from the 1880s. However, such events were not regarded as respectable. Beauty contests became more respectable with the first modern [[Miss America]] contest held in 1921, though less respectable beauty contests continued to be held. Miss America ended its swimsuit competition in 2018.<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/secrets-miss-america-bikini-battle-063058085.html|title=In 'Secrets of Miss America,' the bikini battle rages on|date=July 18, 2023|website=Yahoo Entertainment}}</ref>

<gallery widths="160px" heights="200px">
File:Bathing suit MET 1979.346.18ab.jpeg|1870s [[bathing dress]]
File:Bathing suit MET CI58.67.3ab F.jpg|Bathing suit, {{circa|1885}}
File:Bathing suit MET 1975.227.6 F.jpg|Bathing suit, 1890–1895
</gallery>

===20th century===
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2013}}
[[Image:BathingMachineDontBeAfraid.jpg|thumb|right|Man and woman in swimsuits, {{circa|1910}}; she is exiting a [[bathing machine]]]]

The [[1907 Sydney bathing costume protests]] were carried out in Australia after an ordinance was proposed that would have required males to wear a skirt-like tunic. In 1935, a similar ordinance was proposed, requiring males to wear the [[Eric Spooner#Spooner bathing costume|Spooner bathing costume]] instead of the 'disgraceful' [[swim trunks]].

In 1907, the swimmer [[Annette Kellerman]] from [[Australia]] visited the United States as an "underwater ballerina", a version of [[synchronized swimming]] involving diving into glass tanks. She was arrested for [[indecent exposure]] because her swimsuit showed arms, legs and the neck. Kellerman changed the suit to have long arms and legs and a collar, still keeping the close fit that revealed the shapes underneath. She later starred in several [[film|movies]], including one about her life. She marketed a line of bathing suits and her style of one-piece suits came to be known as "the Annette Kellerman". The Annette Kellerman was considered the most offensive style of swimsuit in the 1920s and became the focus of censorship efforts.<ref name="www1.assumption.edu">{{cite web |url=http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/vanities/default.html |title=Vanities |publisher=.assumption.edu |access-date=2013-06-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530160551/http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/vanities/default.html |archive-date=2013-05-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Meagan Hess |url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma04/hess/fashion/inthiscorner3.html |title=Skirting the Skirts at the Bathing Beach |publisher=Xroads.virginia.edu |access-date=2013-06-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619153105/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA04/hess/Fashion/inthiscorner3.html |archive-date=2013-06-19 }}</ref>

Despite opposition from some groups, the form-fitting style proved popular. It was not long before swimwear started to shrink further. At first arms were exposed and then legs up to mid-thigh. Necklines receded from around the neck down to around the top of the bosom. The development of new fabrics allowed for new varieties of more comfortable and practical swimwear.<ref>http://modadellacqua.com/blogs/news/32188611-history-of-male-swimwear-the-origins-of-the-bathing-suit-1880-1930-modesty-and-transgression{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=SheriffIsInTown |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" widths="200px" heights="200px">
Image:Annette Kellerman1.jpg|[[Annette Kellerman]] in her one-piece athletic swimming suit
File:Cotton jersey bathing suit 1910s DSCF2210.jpg|Cotton jersey bathing suit ca.1910s
File:Bathing Beach 1920t.tif|Tank top and pants: group, 1920, Washington
File:Balokány fürdő. Fortepan 11944.jpg|Swimsuits, 1924, Hungary
File:Kettős portré, Rudas fürdő tetőterasza. Fortepan 8460.jpg|Swimsuits, 1936, Hungary
File:Portré, Palatinus strandfürdő. Fortepan 4125.jpg|Swimsuit, 1939, Hungary
File:Jantzen knitted Helanca nylon swimsuit 1955-1965.jpg|Jantzen [[Helanca]] knitted nylon swimsuit {{circa|1955–1965}}
File:JAG Bathing Suit hi-cut zipper swimsuit 1985-1995.jpg|JAG high cut zippered swimsuit {{circa|1985–1995}}
</gallery>

Due to the figure-hugging nature of these garments, [[glamour photography]] since the 1940s and 1950s has often featured people wearing swimsuits. This type of glamour photography eventually evolved into swimsuit photography exemplified by the annual ''[[Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue]]''. Beauty contests also required contestants to wear form-fitting swimsuits.

[[Louis Réard]], a French automobile engineer and clothing designer, introduced the modern two-piece [[bikini]] on July 5, 1946.<ref name="Gold2009">{{cite book|author=David Louis Gold|title=Studies in Etymology and Etiology: With Emphasis on Germanic, Jewish, Romance and Slavic Languages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l015C5vm1XkC&pg=PA99|year=2009|publisher=Universidad de Alicante|isbn=978-84-7908-517-9|pages=99–|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528015803/http://books.google.com/books?id=l015C5vm1XkC&pg=PA99|archive-date=28 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://corporate.britannica.com/press/inventions.html |title=Encyclopædia Britannica's Great Inventions |access-date=17 September 2008 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105005042/http://corporate.britannica.com/press/inventions.html |archive-date=5 January 2007 }}</ref> He introduced his design four days after the first test of a nuclear weapon at the [[Bikini Atoll]]. The newspapers were full of news about it and Reard hoped for the same with his design, hence the name.<ref name="wiesner">{{cite news|last1=Wiesner|first1=Maria|title=70 Jahre Bikini: Vier Dreiecke und etwas Schnur|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/stil/mode-design/der-bikini-feiert-70-jubilaeum-nach-erfindung-in-st-tropez-14323637.html|website=FAZ.NET|access-date=17 May 2018|language=de|date=5 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=navy>{{cite web|title=Operation Crossroads: Fact Sheet|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq76-1.htm|publisher=Department of the Navy—Naval History and Heritage Command|access-date=13 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024121304/http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq76-1.htm|archive-date=24 October 2012}}</ref>

Through the 1950s, it was thought proper for the lower part of the bikini to come up high enough to cover the [[navel]]. From the 1960s on, the bikini shrank in all directions until it sometimes covered little more than the nipples and genitalia, although less revealing models giving more support to the breasts remained popular.

In 1964, the monokini, also known as a "topless [[bikini]]" or "unikini"),<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto1"/> was designed by [[Rudi Gernreich]], consisting of only a brief, close-fitting bottom and two thin straps;<ref name="auto3"/> it was the first women's [[Toplessness#Topless swimwear|topless swimsuit]].<ref name="auto"/><ref name="alac"/> Gernreich's revolutionary and controversial design included a bottom that "extended from the midriff to the upper thigh"<ref name="everything"/> and was "held up by shoestring laces that make a halter around the neck."<ref name="nangle"/> Some credit Gernreich's design with initiating,<ref name=alac/> or describe it as a symbol of, the [[sexual revolution]].<ref name="elle"/>

Anne Cole, later the inventor of the [[tankini]] (see below), designed several swimsuits for the [[Cole of California]] and Anne Cole Swimwear brand, including the “Scandal Suit,” a one-piece swimsuit with mesh inserts that became the first swimsuit to break $1 million in sales in 1964.<ref name="tankiniauto"/>

Also in 1964, [[Babette March]] became the first [[Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue|''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue]] [[cover model]].<ref name=Slate>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2113612/ |title=The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: An intellectual history |last=Curtis |first=Bryan |access-date=2007-11-13 |date=2005-02-16 |publisher=Washington Post Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127013208/http://slate.com/id/2113612/ |archive-date=27 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20060705-bikini-swimming-suit-louis-reard-micheline-bernardini-paris-brigitte-bardot.shtml |access-date=2007-11-13 |publisher=American Heritage Inc. |title=60 Years of Bikinis |author=Hoover, Elizabeth D. |date=2006-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113142052/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20060705-bikini-swimming-suit-louis-reard-micheline-bernardini-paris-brigitte-bardot.shtml |archive-date=13 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.sicollection.com/html/swimsuit_issues.html|access-date=2007-11-13|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|title= Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues 1964–2006|publisher=sicollection.com| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071020022357/http://sicollection.com/html/swimsuit_issues.html| archive-date= 20 October 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> She was on the [[List of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover models|swimsuit issue cover]] of the January 20, 1964, issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/swimsuit/coverfeatured/7854/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810204830/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/swimsuit/coverfeatured/7854/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 10, 2009|access-date=2007-11-13|title=SI Cover Search: 1964 swimsuit|publisher=Time Inc.|year=2007}}</ref>
 
In the 1980s the [[thong]] or "tanga" came out of [[Brazil]], said to have been inspired by traditional garments of native tribes in the Amazon. However, the one-piece suit continued to be popular for its more modest approach.

Men's swimsuits developed roughly in parallel to women's during this period, with the shorts covering progressively less. Eventually racing-style "speedo" suits became popular—and not just for their speed advantages. [[Thong]], [[g-string]] and [[bikini]] style suits are also worn. Typically these are more popular in more [[tropical]] regions; however, they may also be worn at public [[swimming pools]] and inland lakes. But in the 1990s, longer and baggier shorts became popular, with the hems often reaching to the knees. Often called boardshorts and swim trunks, these were often worn lower on the hips than regular shorts.

Anne Cole (1926–2017),<ref name="tankiniauto"/> the founder of the brand [[Anne Cole]] named after her, was the woman who invented the [[tankini]] in 1998.<ref name="HUGHES"/>

[[Miss America]] ended its swimsuit competition in 2018.<ref name="auto4"/>

==Alternatives to swimsuits==
Since the early twentieth century a [[naturist]] movement has developed in western countries that seeks to enjoy non-sexual nakedness when swimming and during other activities.<ref name=BNWeb>{{Citation| title =British Naturism (BN)|journal = British Naturism | url =http://www.bn.org.uk/pages/pages.asp?page_Id=3| issn =0264-0406| access-date =2011-08-30| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120331110705/http://www.bn.org.uk/pages/pages.asp?page_Id=3| archive-date =2012-03-31}}</ref> Some women prefer to engage in water or sun activities with their torso uncovered. The practice is often described as "[[toplessness]]" or "[[topfreedom]]".  In some places around the world, [[nude beach]]es have been set aside for people who choose to engage in beach activities in the nude.

As an alternative to a swimsuit, some people wear [[trousers]], [[underpants]], or a [[T-shirt]] either as a makeshift swimsuit or because they prefer regular clothes over swimsuits. Using a T-shirt can also provide extra protection against sunburn. This practice may be more accepted at beaches than at swimming pools, which tend not to permit the use of regular clothes as swimwear<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/parks/_documents/Appendix%20D%20-%20Swimming%20Pool%20Rules.pdf|title=El Paso, Texas, swimming pool rules Rules for swimmers. See rule 1|website=elpasotexas.gov|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425010732/http://www.elpasotexas.gov/parks/_documents/Appendix%20D%20-%20Swimming%20Pool%20Rules.pdf|archive-date=2012-04-25}}</ref>  because regular clothes are unlined, they may become translucent.

<gallery mode="packed" widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Goa, India -- Calangute beach, one evening ... before the tourist deluge.jpg | [[Calangute Beach]], [[Goa, India]]
File:Mid-Area for Beihai Silver Beach.jpg | T-shirts, Silver Beach. [[Beihai]], China
Getting wet with clothes on - pool party - wetlook.jpg|Wearing regular clothes in a swimming pool
</gallery>

==Swimsuit outside the water==
Swimsuits can also be worn outside the water, for example as a [[fashion]] item,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beltran |first1=Frances |title=This Is How You Style A Swimsuit Outside of the Water |url=https://thread.zalora.com.ph/this-is-how-you-style-a-swimsuit-outside-of-the-water-18fd962a3b0c |website=Medium |access-date=6 July 2021 |language=en |date=29 June 2018}}</ref> for sports,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blogging |first1=P. I. S. |title=Bikini Skater Girl |url=https://gonesk8ing.com/2013/07/31/bikini-skater-girl/ |access-date=8 July 2021 |work=Gøne ツ Ska†îηg |date=31 July 2013 |language=en |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184721/https://gonesk8ing.com/2013/07/31/bikini-skater-girl/ |archive-date=9 July 2021 }}</ref> or while [[sunbathing]].

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
At the pool in the sun.jpg|A woman [[sunbathing]] in a bikini near the pool
Looking great in a Wow factor swimsiut (IMG 7671a) (5459493717).jpg|A woman [[Model (person)|modelling]] a one-piece swimsuit
File:Woman looking away from camera at beach.jpg|A woman frolicking at the beach in a bikini bottom
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[1907 Sydney bathing costume protests]]
*[[Bikini in popular culture]]
*[[List of swimwear brands]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline|Swimwear}}
*{{wiktionary inline}}

{{Competitive swimwear}}
{{Clothing}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:17th-century fashion]]
[[Category:18th-century fashion]]
[[Category:19th-century fashion]]
[[Category:20th-century fashion]]
[[Category:Swimsuits| ]]
[[Category:Sportswear]]
[[Category:Swimming equipment]]