Claudia Brush Kidwell's book tracks the surprising history of the American swimsuit from the 1850s to the 1970s. It starts with a simple, startling fact: for much of history, women weren't really supposed to swim. Their "bathing costumes" were often just modest street dresses, sometimes even weighted down to prevent them from floating and showing their legs. The story follows the slow, often hilarious, and sometimes infuriating journey from those cumbersome outfits to the modern bikini. It's a fight played out on beaches, in newspapers, and even in courtrooms, as women pushed against rules about how much knee or shoulder could be shown.

Why You Should Read It

This book completely changed how I look at my own swimsuit drawer. Kidwell makes you see each stitch as a political statement. She shows how the struggle for a practical, comfortable suit was directly tied to women gaining independence—the freedom to move, to play sports, and to simply enjoy their own bodies. It's filled with incredible photos and ads that tell their own story, from serious women in bloomers to 1920s flappers causing scandals by showing their calves. It’s history you can feel, and it’s way more dramatic than it sounds.

Final Verdict

Perfect for history buffs who like stories about social change, fashion lovers curious about the 'why' behind the clothes, and anyone who enjoys a good underdog story. It's not a dry academic text; it's a fascinating, human look at how something as simple as taking a swim was a hard-won freedom. You'll never look at a beach vacation the same way again.