The concept of fashion has shaken societies foundation from the moment humans began wearing clothes. Today’s generation laughs at the style that came before them, and the previous generation is appalled by the clothing of today. With every new fashion cycle, and every new runway show, there is always one item that manages to stir up some controversy; the swimsuit. The swimsuit has seen some drastic changes throughout the years and has evolved from a simple cover up, to a intense fashion statement when hitting the beach. To study the history of this garment we must reach far back into our ancient ancestors past.
The first appearance of the swimsuit was around 350 B.C in ancient Greece. The Greeks are known for their long togas, and often worn when swimming and bathing grew vastly popular ((“Women’s Swimwear History,” n.d.) It seems so strange to us to wear so much clothing while in the water, and soon the Greeks realized that the long draping togas were not ideal for swimming. A particular piece of artwork emerged that depicted Greek women in scantily clad bathing attire. This painting known as Ladies of Pompeii features Greek women running about in what look like modern day bandeau tops and bikini bottoms(Examiner, 2012). This swimwear was worn by most women, but it was not uncommon for women to bathe or swim in the nude. Contrary to popular belief, the practice of recreational swimming was quite popular especially among young women. With the Greeks being big time athletes, although there is not much evidence, it is assumed that they may have participated in certain water sports. Swimming continued for quite some time. During the Roman Empire the communal bathhouse was a place of business and socializing. After the fall of th...
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...ike a tank top at the top, with a midsection that connected to shorts on the bottom. (“121 Professional Vintage Sport Photos Taken Before 1925 ~ Crack Two,” n.d.) For the next few decades nothing much changed in the style of the swimsuit, however the materials did begin to change. A silk swimsuit was introduced in the 30’s (“Not So Fun in the Sun: A History of Women’s Swimsuits | Jennifer McQuiston | Historical Romance Author,” n.d.). In 1946, designer Louis Reard decided to hire Micheline Bernardini to model his latest creation – the ‘Bikini’ – because his regular models refused to wear it. This garment revolutionized the swimwear industry.This is a garment well known today as having two separate pieces exposing the mid section. It is believed that because of wartimes, to save money, the government decided to cut back on fabric production, thus the bikini was born.
Rudi Gernreich, a clothes designer originally from Vienna, is accredited for inventing the string bikini in 1974. They became all the rage in Brazil, but gained wider popularity in the United States in the early 1990s. Bridgett Bardot, a French actress from the 1960’s sported this charming type of bikini with abandon, while songs like “Itty Bitty String Bikini” attributed to the swimwear’s success. They are a more revealing version of the standard bikini. There are now popular spin-offs like the V and C-string, and T-Backs. Although they are predominately worn by women, some men also enjoy the freedom that they provide.
Rushin, S. (2014, 07 13). History of the Bikini Bathing Suit. Retrieved from Bikini Atoll: http://www.bikiniatoll.com
with idealized hourglass figures shaped by corsets. This trend in women’s clothing lasted through the 1920s (http://tirocchi.stg.brown.edu).
Bonfante, L. (1989). Nudity as a costume in classical art. American Journal of Archaeology, 93(4), 543-570. (greek male nude, excellent )
No shoes, No shirt, No service. These three girls wore some very inappropriate clothes. Their actions cause conflict. I think what they did was very wrong. My reasons are: People shouldn't wear a swimsuit in a store, They should respect stores dress codes, and people can focus.
Before the early to mid 1800’s, women were forced to squeeze into corsets made of whalebone, steel or buckram. It gave them the figure eight profile which resulted on a number of health problems, including their organs and body to become deformed. Over the corsets, women wore heavy layers of petticoats despite the weather. (Small Business Administration 3) Dresses emphasized the bust and hips, attempting to make women look very voluptuous. With the spread of commercialism, hundreds of new beauty products were introduced. These ever-popular restricting fashions were later outdated.
The Chronicle of Western Fashion: From Ancient times to the Present Day.
On July 5th, 1946 Louis Réard revealed his prototype of the suit. A women’s two-piece bathing suit consisting of 4 triangles tied together with string. The entire suit was made of only 30 inches of fabric. The bathing suit was so small; it could be pulled through a ring. He named his creation “Bikini” after the south pacific island of Bikini Atoll.
AMERICAIN INTELLIGENCE in behalf of better health and pure enjoyment sponsors the fashion of sensible swimming attire.” delineates the background of the ad. In other words, the phrase “false modesty” refers to the women who are fully dressed on the beach; those who are still attached to the old prejudice against the light swimwear then against smoking overtly. In contrary, ”AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE” used as an ethos in the ad, had at that time many commercial organizations that helped in promoting American society. As a result, it sponsored a sensible swimsuit for “better health” and “pure enjoyment”. The words “better” and “pure” along with “false modesty” were used to prove that the old moral prohibitions are simply wrong; the new swimsuit is pure and the enjoyment is more intense once “false modesty” about the female body is banished. In addition, drawing a male hand represents a pathos. It highlights the strength and power used by the American intelligence to omit social narrow-minded
In ancient Greek society, nudity was revered as a natural state of being. In exercise, art, and daily life, nudity was closely associated with the Greeks’ concept of youthfulness and beauty. The era was and continues to be famous for the depictions of precise, idealized anatomy that proliferated sculpture, pottery, and paintings produced by artists from the time. But this obsession with and celebration of the au naturel wasn’t afforded to all members of society. The lugubriously low social standing held by women at the time forced them to assume a more conservative way of dressing, as they continued to be disenfranchised and devalued.
Lawson, David "History Of Renaissance Clothing - How Today's Fashion Is Affected." 6 Jul. 2011 EzineArticles.com. 16 Nov. 2011
middle of paper ... ... It also analyzed the influences of modern dresses. As Palmer and Clark (2005) mentioned earlier, both decades are the classic era in fashion history.
Clothing has been around for thousands of years; almost as long as the modern human has. At first, it served the practical purpose of protection from the elements; but, as life for early humans stopped being a constant struggle to survive, they started noticing how they looked and the concept of fashion began to take shape. These first few garments were typically dyed draped cloth that was pinned at the shoulder and/or waist. This was seen in many ancient civilizations around the world, Greek and Roman the most notable. Over time, clothing began to get more and more complex and formed to the body’s shape, eventually leading up to the tailored style we now have today. However, the sophisticated world of Haute Couture; or high fashion, can distinctly trace its roots to Paris during the mid-19th century. Clothing from there was thought to be superior to those from anywhere else, and women began to come from all over Europe just to buy dresses. This was probably due in part to one notable dressm...
Therefore, in an attempt to both show the gravitas of fashion’s impact and justify its mirroring of times and therefore society, a walkthrough of fashion throughout history and its adaptation is exceedingly appropriate. To begin with, Britain’s Industrial Revolution in the 1850s to 1900s came with the introduction of sewing machines and chemical dyes. However, this movement of clothe manufacturing rendered its availability strictly to the opulent. This is a direct relation to the economical situation of the time, showing that people’s expenses were not directed towards the most up to date fashion i.e. luxury products but rather necessities indicating a slowly developing economy. As we move from the 1900s to the mid 1920s, the inception of the First World War influenced the need for more ‘practical’ garments. To illustrate, one of the greatest designers of the century Paul Poiret, designed his garments in a style known as the Directoire. His dresses were simple straight tube sheaths defining simplicity and exemplifying both the political and economic situation of the times justifying the necessity for a free moving design in clothing. Why adopt the notion of simplicity and free moving garments? Women had to leave their traditional domestic roles and become part of the working class or work force and adopt and replace many roles that were normally given to men. Furthermore, the Great Depression in the 1930s comes to play its own role in fashion history further pushing the necessity for a fashion to be translated to accustom a busier lifestyle. This created an economic gap between the rich and the poor. Therefore, fashion in the 1940s in the substantial sense portrayed the necessity for work and socioeconomic background and furthermore encased the economic situation where, as previous times in the 1900s, high-end fashion was restricted to the rich. Following a chronological timeline comes the
From a historic point of view, Western travelers had remarked on the slow pace of lifestyle and fashion change in Turkey and Persia. On the other hand, many people were of the opinion that the western culture is getting out of hand in terms of dressing fashion (Cumming 234). In most cases, change of fashion and dressing style took place hand in hand with economic and social changes. In the developing world, changes in fashion began with the coming of the whites in Middle East. Changes began in the 11th century when the Turks came to central Asia and Far East. In Europe, continuous change in clothing fashion is believed to have started in middle 14th century. It started by a sudden introduction of shortening and tightening of male garments, it further brought the introduction of trousers and leggings that were worn by men (Cumming 235). After the advent of change in men fashion, it was followed by changes in female c...