Women's Bathing Suits Swimwear

The world of women's bathing suits, swimming and swimwear developed throughout time with the expectations of making bathing an enjoyable social experience.(Kidwell, 117) While the focus of my advertisement draws on the bathing accessories women bought and wore in 1914, it opens up the entire realm of morality and modesty in that age. I will touch on the social, political and cultural implications of the advertisement I chose and ask why things were the way they were not so long ago. While researching this advertisement, I've realized that everything is relative. No wonder women wore dresses and shoes while swimming. They weren't even given the capability to learn to swim. The expectations from the early

1900's are so different than what they are today that we need to realize that they were in a completely different mindset. On the surface, the advertisement I chose is about women's bathing accessories, but as we dig deeper, we can see that it deals with women's equality. Women once wore shoes, hats, and bathing dresses to swim in. A bathing dress alone weighed about 30 pounds when wet, aside from the accessories that women felt obliged to wear.

Women were not expected to swim in that attire, they were expected to bathe.(Carter, 223) This advertisement for swim accessories at Macy's was made during a time of change. The fact that women were expected to wear all of this attire in the water confirms the fact that women were not expected to swim as of 1914, but instead to bathe for social pleasure. Women were starting to learn to swim athletically instead of standing in the water socializing.(Kidwell,118) This was not only the turning point for women's clothing and swimwear to become less restricting, but also the time for athleticism and for women to stand up for themselves and gain equality. This ad was written 6 years before the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution was ratified, the amendment that gave equal voting rights to women. Back then, it was illegal for a woman to vote. I guess it doesn't surprise me that we were wearing dresses in the water. In reality, though, "back then" was only 79 years ago. America was free but not equal.

This poem about female swimmers in the 1920's written by

Grantland Rice depicts the male perception of women's ability as a whole: With the women in their swimmin'

Turning Records into wrecks With the ladies raising hades

In a matter quite complex, With their biceps getting stronger Where their strides are getting longer In about four generations Who will be the weaker sex?(Kidwell,120) It sounds like this man is scared that women might someday