Swimsuits

/ˈswɪmsuːts/ noun

Definition

Clothing designed to be worn while swimming, covering the body partially or fully in water-resistant material.

Etymology

From 'swim' (Old English 'swimman') and 'suit' (from French 'suite,' something that 'follows' or fits). The modern one-piece swimsuit emerged in the early 1900s; before that, swimmers wore full covering.

Kelly Says

The invention of the modern swimsuit in the 1910s-20s was actually controversial—women showing their legs was shocking, but it happened because practical freedom beat out Victorian modesty.

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