by Maria Bellotto @thecashmerediaries 

“Per quest’anno non cambiare, stessa spiaggia, stesso mare”… and what shall we say about beach outfits? Nothing is more indicative of true buongusto than the umbrella outfit, n’est pas?

Choosing a swimsuit, in fact, is by no means a trivial matter; one-piece or two-pieces? Briefs or boxer shorts? How many shall we pack? And as a cover-up, do I steal a linen shirt from him and prepare to escape when he notices, or do I rely on a silk sarong?

But stop, stop my Gou Gou, before slipping into an existential crisis because of not knowing what to pack, today we want to tell you about the compelling history of swimwear, which begins in the eighteenth century. But let’s follow the order.

While in the 18th-century Gou Gou adopted a more nature-based approach, as far as women’s fashion was concerned, the style was – ça va sans dire – different, albeit very uncomfortable and impractical.

The very first swimsuits were in fact made of wool and cotton, and I’ll let you imagine what could happen once the mermaids of the time came out of the water. The specific weight of the item became the same as that of the travel bag you prepare for a weekend getaway, where the “bare essentials” approach was not even remotely considered.

The color issue also left something to be desired, and swimsuits were mostly red, blue or black – plus, you can imagine, they covered almost the entire body, but not just as a matter of decency. In fact, at the time, tanning was considered to be avoided like the plague because, horreur, it was not elegant at all!

We then must wait until the 19th century to see a swimsuit that resembles – vaguely – contemporary ones.

First, finally even the Gou Gou have their own garments to enjoy the beach without embarrassment: the men’s swimsuit is also in vogue, and the new outfits include collars and pants that reached above the knees.

We have the fashion of the period to thank for the marinière style: it was in the nineteenth century that delightful blue-and-white striped bathing suits made their appearance – and if you don’t have one in your drawer yet, we highly recommend getting one for next summer.

But it wouldn’t be a captivating story without some scandal: it’s the 20th century, 1907; an American beach, outside, during the day. Anette Kellerman at the top of her shape as an Australian swimmer dares to show up in a two-piece swimsuit. She was arrested but made history: however, it must come the 1930 and the early postwar period for early 20th-century fo the ladies to find in the stores bolder styles that left their backs exposed, while men could finally take off their t-shirts at the beach.

The post-World War II era arrives, and as usual it is the French who make the fashion history. The bikini that leaves the navel exposed is born; it is the Atome, designed in 1946 by Jacques Heim, and the model, for the time is decidedly… shrunk.

But for the bikini as we know it today, the engineer on duty, Louis Réard, who took the name of the island of Bikini, where a nuclear test had taken place that year, to work on it. What can we say, Louis did not lack creativity and a certain wit.

Obviously, such a sexy garment shocked the fashion world and beyond, so much so that bikinis were initially banned in the United States and many Catholic countries. But attention, the world is changing, because this are the Fifties!

While in the Fifties swimsuit bottoms still reached above the belly button and tops completely covered the bust, however, the lycra and nylon revolution began, making our beachwear much more practical and comfortable.

With the turn of the century and the sexual revolution that began in 1968, beach outfits also changed: tanning became fashionable, and styles designed precisely to leave as much skin uncovered as possible were born – the great-great-granddaughters of the 1970s Gou Gou are having a little miss here. Monokinis are born and the Eighties are the decade of excess with Brazilian-cut briefs and thongs – for the brave Gou Gou.

Nowadays, we have seen a comeback of one-piece swimsuits, often untucked, and a somewhat retro style (what did we say about the marinière style?) but what matters, after all, is feeling comfortable and relying on your own buongusto.

Whether you’re Gou Gou by sunflower-print bikini or one-piece swimsuit and straw hat on the French Riviera, what matters is that you express your style… but without forgetting the sunscreen, n’est pas?