A history of women's swimwear
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https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/a-history-of-womens-swimwear/
It's hard for me to imagine how women safely went in the water in some of the earlier outfits.
Big Al
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I see Jantzen, formerly Portland Knitting Company, in the article. I remember the iconic red swimsuit/swimcap figure at Jantzen Beach, an amusement park here in the 1970s. And the Jantzen building, where swimsuits were sewn. A family friend worked there in the 70s.
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Interesting article!
Small lead weights are sewn into each quarter of the dress, just above the hem. This was to ensure the dress did not float up in the water, helping women to maintain their modesty.
This sounds complicated! Also, I wonder what it looked like out of the water...
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Great article! It made me think of one of my favorite movies, The Ghost and Mrs Muir. It's set in the early 1900s and the heroine goes for a swim in the sea. There's a little shack on wheels at the water, and she walks out the back of it and climbs down a few stairs to get to the water. Here's her daughter in the shack. bonus points if you recognize who the young actress is.
Here is Mrs Muir coming back from the sea. Dig the swimwear.