Georgian Bathing Machine

The fashion history of swimwear took its lead from ordinary dress and the outfits were very modest, almost totally covering the body. 

One of the early images of swimwear is the dress shown in this Yorkshire picture right and depicting coastal life in Georgian Britain in 1813.  Note how the bather is assisted into the sea from a bathing machine.

One reason people often find themselves on this webpage, is that they are looking for a swimming costume for re-enactment.  One website I have found with a selection of swimming costume patterns is the online site Ageless Patterns and there is link further down the page.  Check which style you really need before visiting them.

 Victorian Swimwear

Once the railway arrived in Britain the masses visited the seaside regularly and it spawned a need for new fashions.

In the early Victorian era women had worn serge or dark flannel bathing dresses, but by the 1860s two piece belted costumes replaced the earlier styles.

The swimwear bodice top was jacket like and the swimsuit bottom part three quarter trousers which had been rejected only a decade earlier when Amelia Bloomer urged women to adopt them.

The later Victorian swimsuit outfit was still cumbersome, but was more practical and more attractive than earlier bathing clothes.

Pictures - Early and Mid-Victorian swimwear for women.

Although the trouser was acceptable as Victorian beachwear it did not enter mainstream fashion until the 1920s when trousers were accepted after practical wear in the Great War of 1914-18.

Late Victorian Swimwear

Even when bloomers were accepted by many late Victorians as cycling wear in the 1890s they still remained only on the fringes of fashions of the day. 

Swimwear fashion changes moved very slowly. Differences in swimsuit styles were simple such as the introduction of short cap sleeves.  Eventually sleeveless styles with more ankle showing beneath the bloomers became usual.

Edwardian Swimsuits

Edwardian Swimsuits were very similar to Victorian styles. They were still made of wool and now consisted of bloomers and a wool over dress.

The dress was now a sleeveless version and the outfit was worn with black stockings and laced footwear.

Pictures of Edwardian swimwear.   

Gradually by 1920 necklines were lowered and the overdress shortened even more.

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Ageless Patterns have a range of swimming and bathing suit costume patterns suitable for re-enactment. The swimwear related pattern dates they currently offer are from 1868 to 1898.  They also offer some 1920s and 1930s beach pyjamas.

Go to Swimwear in the 20^th Century.

If you love sports quizzes try my husband Guy's new website at

guy-sports.com

• NEW My Fashion Template eBook

• Costume History Section On Cloaks, Mantelets, Pelisses, Redingotes, Paletots etc.

For more information about the Victorian Era
1837-1901 click on the title links below:-

For superb Victorian or Edwardian
re-enactment costumes in USA, try the reproduction costume range at:

recollections.biz

• Victorian Fashion History
• Early Victorian Fashion
• Mid-Late Victorian Fashion
• Pictures of Victorian Mantles
• Pictures of Victorian Sleeves
• Aesthetics
• A Woman's Place
• Book Review
• Victorian Womens Occupations
• Christening Dress
• Mourning Dress - Victorians
• More Victorian Mantelets 1852
• Homelife Changes
• Victorian Recreations
• Rational Dress
• The Seaside
• The Great Exhibition

• What's in a Name
• Shopping in the Past
• Jewellery History
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• Fashion Eras 1800-2000
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Go to Swimwear in the 20^th Century.