"Girls who can stand in line and look pretty are as numerous as laborers who can swing a pick." --Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie, 1900.
The Gibson Girl
At the turn of the century, the swimsuit becomes more practical...and provocative. It accomplishes this by shedding layers of fabric, trimming away its extremities, and fitting itself more to the body. This vector culimates with the contour of the Gibson Girl, the hourglass figure silhouette inspired by American illustrater Charles Dana Gibson around 1900.
This is not to say that previous silhouettes don't persist, and the persistance of the bathing dress shortsleeved bloomered (LM0565, PC0720) is seen on many a beach.
Bloomers Gone
The first major development after the turn of the century is the elimination of the bloomers, producing the bathing dress shortsleeved bloomerless silhouette (BG1050). Initially hose is a requisite (GG0150, GG0550), as are shoes (BB0110), but in time the risqué abandon them.
Sleeveless and Bare Arms
Beyond shedding bloomers, the bathing dress sleeves became shorter. By 1905 the bathing dress has neither boomers no sleeves, and a new silhouette, the bathing dress sleeveless bloomerless represents the freedom on the new century. The sleeveless permits the armpit to be exposed, and combined with a more open neckline the fabric between the neckline and armhole compresses into a shoulder strap, further baring the shoulder.
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1901--Boxer shorts are introduced.
1901--Edward VII becomes the King of England. The Edwardian period lasts until 1914.
1902--The Peoples Institute of New York and Dr. Charles Spregue Smith establish a "National Board of Censorship" to review films.
1903--German Paul Zimmermann opens the world's first naturalist colony, near Lubeck, Germany.
1903--Following a barrage of peep-show films of real executions, the English ban the filming of public execution. Filmmakers retaliate with a short biography on a real criminal, The Life of Charles Pearce, in which his hanging is simulated on film.
1903--Again, bare breasts in National Geographic magazine: "Primitive Tagbanua Women Harvesting Rice on Cataminnus Island."
1903--Florenz Ziegfeld opens the 1700 seat New Amsterdam theater on 42nd Street at Times Square as the home for his legendary Follies.
1904--James Joyce in the novel Ulysses describes Nora masturbating a man.
1904--French film producers Bamont and Pathé bring tableau vivant to the cinema, and produce titles like The Birth of Venus (after Botticelli) and The Model en Déshabillé. The tableau vivant actresses hold nude poses on stage. And filming them is a most amusing paradox: a medium designed to show motion instead shows frozen nude positions.
1905--Birth of Claire McCardell, who will popularize the cutout midriff maillot in the 1930s and innovate many swimsuit designs. McCardell dies in 1958.
1905--Birth of Christian Dior, a European designer whose work includes swimwear. In 1947 Dior introduces the New Look. Dior dies in 1957.
1905--Richard Ungewitter writes the book Nakedness, in which he theorizes a utopian society that encompasses nakedness. The following year he founds the Alliance for Better Life, a naturalist society.
1905--In New York Bernarr Macfadden is arrested for posters depicting bathing beauties at his Physical Culture Show at Madison Square Garden. The posters depict young women dressed in white union suits with sashes around their waists and a man wearing a leopard skin loincloth.
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