Strip away the myths, and the actual facts from the archives of beach fashion prove even more remarkable than any adventure story.

🥰1. The Wool Swimsuit: The Standard Until the 1930s
Before the invention of nylon and elastane, wool was the only elastic material available. In the early 20th century, manufacturers (including the famous company Jantzen) mass-produced swimsuits made of 100% natural wool.

Engineers of the time genuinely believed wool was the best choice because it stretched to fit the body. However, in the water, a wool suit would absorb moisture, increasing its weight several times over; it would sag down to the knees and was so scratchy that swimming became a test of endurance.

💖2. 1912: The First Olympics for Women and the Silk Shock
At the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, women were allowed to compete in swimming events for the first time. British swimmer Sarah "Sissy" Cooper and her teammates took a radical approach to the problem of heavy wool: they competed in ultra-fine silk swimsuits.

Silk was lightweight and ideal for speed. However, the athletes overlooked one characteristic of wet white or semi-transparent silk: it became completely see-through when wet. A scandal erupted in the press, and photographs of the Olympic champions in wet silk were debated in sports committees for a long time.

🎀3. Lastex: The Lifesaver of the 1930s
In 1931, the chemical industry revolutionized the field with the arrival of Lastex (a thread made of rubber wrapped in yarn). For the first time in history, swimsuits began to hold their shape, dry quickly, and not drag the wearer down. It was thanks to Lastex that swimwear could hug the body without bunching up, finally allowing people to swim in comfort.

😎4. The burkini and the 2016 legal precedent
Do you think swimsuit bans belong to the 1920s? In August 2016, the mayor of Nice and the leaders of about 30 other French coastal towns officially banned the burkini—a modest swimsuit for Muslim women—on their beaches.

Police officers issued fines right there on the sand. However, on August 26, 2016, France’s Council of State (the highest administrative court) ruled the ban illegal and a violation of fundamental human freedoms.

It is surely a good thing that, in the modern world, a woman can wear whatever she wants to the beach.