Swimsuit

A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn while engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.

Glamour photography and magazines like Sports Illustrated's annual "swimsuit issue" feature models and sports personalities in swimsuits.

There is a very wide range of styles of modern swimsuits, which vary in relation to body coverage and materials.

In Classical antiquity swimming and bathing was done nude. There are Roman murals which show women playing sports and exercising wearing two-piece suits covering the areas around their breasts and hips in a fashion remarkably similar to a bikini of ca. 1960. All classical pictures of swimming show nude swimmers.

For example, the Bath Corporation official bathing dress code of 1737 prescribed, for men:

Francis Kilvert described men's bathing suits coming into use in the 1870s as "a pair of very short red and white striped drawers".

Female bathing costumes were derived from those worn at Bath and other spas. It would appear that until the 1670s nude female bthing in the spas was the norm and that after that time women bathed clothed. Celia Fiennes gave a detailed description of the standard ladies' bathing costume in 1687:

The Bath Corporation official bathing dress code of 1737 prescribed, for women:

Flannel, however, was a common fabric for sea bathing costumes as many believed the warmer fabric was necessary in cold water.

 

In the United States, beauty contests of women in bathing costumes became popular from the 1880s. Norman Rockwell judged the Miss America 1922 bathing beauty contest along with Howard Chandler Christy and James Montgomery Flagg. Kellerman changed the suit to have long arms and legs and a collar, still keeping the close fit that revealed the shapes underneath. The development of new fabrics allowed for new varieties of more comfortable and practical swim wear.

Due to the figure-hugging nature of these garments, glamour photography since the 1940s and 1950s has often featured people wearing swimsuits. This subset of glamour photography eventually evolved into swimsuit photography exemplified by the Sports Illustrated annual swimsuit issues.

At the same time, fashion designer Rudi Gernreich introduced the monokini, a topless suit for women consisting of a modest bottom supported by two thin straps. Although not a commercial success, the suit opened eyes to new design possibilities. 

There are many reasons why people wear certain swimsuits. The swim trunks are the most common type of swimsuit seen on men. These trunks are loose fitting and very comfortable compared to more constricting suits.

Athletic suits for men are also an option. The fabric of these suits feel like the fabric that a diving suit is made out of, which enables the body to stay warm in cold water temperatures. Sun protection and sporting suits are usually full body suits made from material much like diving suits. 

Most women swimmers wear a racer back suit when they are swimming. This suit is common for women to wear during the Summer Olympics. This suit is a one piece that allows the arms to move freely, enabling the race to swim faster.

The design of one piece suits enable women who do not like to show off their body that much a chance to get into the water. One type of one piece suit, a bandeau, is a cut strapless suit that has pleated fabric coming together in the middle. A type of revealing one piece is the monokini. 

This suit is very peculiar. This suit is essentially a one piece suit with the sides cut out, making it look more like a bikini. Swim dresses are a type of suit that are designed for greater coverage of the belly and the hips. This type of suit is very commonly used as a maternity suit, and is usually carried in larger sizes just for that reason. The most revealing and most popular suit for young women is the bikini. Avoid suits which are too tight and light colored.