From its beginnings to the present day, how has the swimsuit evolved?
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Before the swimsuit, there was... bathing in the nude! And yes, in ancient times, men and women bathed naked (but not together) in public baths. In reality, it would take several centuries, not only for swimming to become a leisure activity again, but also for the first bathing suits to appear. Because long before the bikini, the swimsuit looked like a slightly baggy pair of pants, tightened at the waist by a belt. Rule number 1: the swimsuit should not reveal feminine curves and especially not expose the skin to the gaze of men... and to the sun. In the 19th century, women therefore bathed in particularly uncomfortable outfits. Bathing was not sporty, it was linked to relaxation. Women simply stood in the water, and their outfit would not have allowed them to swim even if they had wanted to!
Annette Kellerman, the pioneer
Everything would change at the beginning of the 19th century with the Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman. Hindered in her movements by these uncomfortable swimsuits, the young woman developed a suit that hugged her curves in 1907. When she decided to cut off the legs, revealing her thighs, the scandal broke out. Annette Kellerman was even prosecuted for “indecency”. But that's it, the revolution was underway and the ancestor of our one-piece swimsuit had just seen the light of day!
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1930s-40s: swimsuits get shorter cm by cm
In the 1920s, thighs and arms were revealed at the same time as women's hair got shorter. But beware of those who dared to show off in an outfit that was too revealing and were sent away manu militari from the bathing areas. Over the years, and as vacations became more democratic with the advent of paid leave, the swimsuit would undergo a transformation. Women asserted their place in society and the swimsuit would be one of the architects of this liberation. Cm by cm, the swimsuit would get shorter and it would now be displayed in stretchy fabrics that hugged the shape and facilitated movement.
My tiny bikini, the one that freed women
The bikini first appeared in 1946. Invented by Louis Réard, this two-piece swimsuit takes its name from the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Quite a program! At the time, Louis Réard had great difficulty finding a model to wear his creation and so turned to Micheline Bernardini, a nude dancer. In the aftermath of the Second World War, this swimsuit that showed the hips and navel caused a real scandal.
Actresses like Ava Gardner and Brigitte Bardot will popularize it, but for many years the bikini remains adorned with a sulphurous aura and even remains banned on certain beaches until the end of the 60s. It is around this time that everything will change. With sexual liberation, the authorization of the contraceptive pill, women want more than ever to free themselves from the dictates imposed by society and by men. Married woman, single woman, mother or not, all now want to wear a bikini and assume it.
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80s: anything goes!
The 80s saw the emergence of very low-cut swimsuit models, in bright and even fluorescent colours. The bikini no longer surprised anyone and tanned skin was shamelessly displayed on beaches all over the world.
2010s: ecological awareness
Most swimsuits are made with polyester and elastane. Practical, pretty and often economical, but disastrous on an ecological level. While the fashion industry is one of the most polluting, young brands are now committed to offering swimsuits made from more environmentally friendly materials. At Canopea, we have chosen Econyl ®, a 100% recycled and infinitely recyclable nylon thread, made from fishing nets abandoned in the oceans. A commitment to sustainability and transparency that is at the heart of the brand's values. Our swimsuits are modern in their manufacture but also carry within them a little of the history that we have just traced. Pieces with an elegant and slightly retro line, truly timeless.
Discover our collection of anti-UV swimsuits here .
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