What was the 18th century swimsuit like?

Nowadays, we inevitably associate summer with bathing, to make the high temperatures, intensified by climate change, more bearable. As soon as the thermometers rise, we pack our swimsuits, put on our flip-flops, fight for a spot on the increasingly jagged stretches of sand, and begin a day polarized between tossing and turning under the solar toaster and soaking like a tea bag.

It seems unbelievable, but what is now the main activity of summer hasn't been around that long. In fact, until relatively recently, beaches were only used for fishing and were far from being considered leisure spaces. But this perception began to change in the mid-18th century, when salt baths and cold sea water were discovered to be a therapy beneficial to health, thanks to doctors like Richard Russell, who published in 1753 In dissertation on the use of sea voda in diseases of the glansThis coincided with Enlightenment rationalism and the rediscovery and appreciation of nature, in this case to seek remedies for human illnesses such as nervous and skin diseases, and melancholy.

Thus, enclaves such as Brighton, Biarritz, San Sebastián, and Sitges became areas frequented by the aristocracy and upper middle class of the time, who began to develop urban planning related to this new activity, based on seafront promenades, casinos, hotels, and spas. But bathing required a widget so people could submerge themselves without their bodies being exposed to public view, which would seriously compromise their moral status. But what could have been the birth of the swimsuit required a previous stage, since society at the time was far from tolerating a garment that showed or defined anatomy, especially the female one. That is why the first solution, which was born in England around 1750, was closer to architecture than to the world of fashion: bathing machines (or bathing machines).

If you were a member of a privileged class and wanted to enjoy a swim in the sea, you had to do so in a cart about 2 or 3 meters high with a gabled roof, which was parked on the sand. This gave direct access to the water. For women, this exit was covered with curtains or awnings to further preserve their privacy. Furthermore, many beaches had professional bathers (dippers) that helped people get in and out of the water, as it was considered dangerous to do so without assistance. They were left on the sand as changing areas, giving rise to the typical little houses that still exist in many coastal areas. From class privilege to a popular leisure activity associated with modernity. And it was at this point that, truly, there was a need to invent a new garment to be able to practice it freely and comfortably: the swimsuit.