Exhibition in Juodkrante “Interwar Resort Fashion (1918–1938)” from the collection of Alexandre Vassiliev

July 15, 2019 - September 29

Pamario Gallery

L. Rėzos g. 3, Juodkrantė, Neringa

Paroda

Nowadays, when we feel tired of the day-to-day, we often head for the beach, where we can enjoy the sun and the sea. However, it was only recently – a mere 100 years ago – that beach apparel appeared as its own type of clothing. In ancient times, people would swim naked without being self-conscious of their body or their suntan, even though there were no specially-made beaches like the ones we have now. However, the Christian morality condemned the naked body and all bodily matters. It took quite a while for swimming to become trendy in Europe. The trend came from the Near East during the Crusades and had a lot to do with Turkish baths. Meanwhile, for example, in Russia, people would swim wearing undergarments and more often chose rivers and lakes rather than the sea. People only became interested in swimming in the sea towards the late 18th century, along with the appearance of special bathing areas for the brave. The therapeutic benefits of swimming in the sea where only discovered in the 19th century. Back then, only men would bathe, while women strolled along the beach, breathing in the healing marine air. Also, they where wary of acquiring a suntan, because it was considered the mark of the commoner. But then the swimming movement began in Victorian England. In late 19th century, the first swimming costumes started to become popular. They covered a large area of the body and were quite heavy, like a wetsuit made of blue wool with baggy pantaloons. Ladies would put them on in special booths. The swimming booths would be transported into the sea by horse and left in a shallow. The driver would leave the booth in the water, the lady would put on the swimsuit and cap, go for a swim and then change back into regular clothes, so barely anybody would ever see these swimsuits.

Woollen knitwear swimsuits only started to become popular in the early 20th century, often adorned with horizontal stripes. These swimsuits made both sexes more equal – men would never swim bare-chested, as it was considered indecent.

Changes to the appearance of the swimsuit came with the First World War and the emancipation of women. Swimsuits started to become narrower, more attractive and, as opposed to their precursors, would not put additional kilograms on the ladies. Swimsuit contests began taking place during the 1920s, as the swimsuit ensemble saw the addition of tights, caps and swimming slippers. However, having a suntan was becoming trendy, and therefore the design of the swimsuit became simpler. Unisex beaches began to appear – many consider the first one to be the Florya beach in Constantinople established by Russian emigrants.

Towards the end of the 1920s, Elsa Schiaparelli popularised the bell-bottom beach trousers, while Russian emigrants Mary Nowitzky and Sonia Delaunay were considered the most luxurious designers of Art Deco style swimsuits. Even film stars began to pose for photographs in swimsuits! The first dedicated female swimsuits appeared in the 1930s and were often made of percale. Later on, the trend of swimming trunks and Bermuda shorts came in from America. After the war, swimsuits that emphasise the female figure became preferred and began to include plastic cups, while with the hippie movement that shook the world in the 1960s, it became acceptable for women to swim and sunbathe without the top of the swimsuit!

Today, many fashion houses offer swimsuits decorated with flowers, chains and colourful glass beads. They can be boundlessly luxurious and pricey. This exhibition is dedicated to the history of the early retro-style swimsuits. It will reveal the fascinating evolution of the swimsuit, without which beach fashion would be unimaginable.