The Evolution Of Swimsuits Throughout History

With swimsuit season around the corner, there are a lot of questions demanding to be answered: Bikini or one piece? Tankini or high waisted? Bathing suits didn't always come in the jumble of varieties we're spoiled with today, and BuzzFeed’s "Women’s Swimsuits Through History" short film shows us the dramatic evolution of the woman’s swimsuit.

Now that we're in 2015, there's no single style that's in vogue. Unlike decades past, almost anything goes when it comes to swimwear. In fact, a lot of those vintage suits have actually come back into style, alongside itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikinis of all colors. I mean, Taylor Swift pretty much exclusively wears '40s-inspired, high waisted two piece suits these days.

Still, we've come a long way from the 1920s — and thank goodness for that. A swimsuit made of wool and paired with matching socks sounds like the best way to get heat stroke within about thirty seconds of landing on your towel. One and two pieces have fluctuated in and out of style, but the goal has always been to let everyone flaunt their beach bodies (achieved simply by putting your body on a beach, preferably in a super trendy swimsuit).

The 1920s

Talk about getting hot and heavy! In the 1920’s women wore one piece suits made of wool, and maybe that’s not so bad when you’re casually catching some rays, but take a dip into the ocean and you’re basically wearing a wet dog around your waist. You’ll also never catch me pairing my swimwear with high socks or shoes, which was apparently a thing.

The 1930s

In the 1930s, women began to see a bit of a shift in their suits. A more form-fitting material was introduced, showing off a woman’s curves with a molded fit highlighting the bust line and stretchy material hugging all the right junk in all the right places.

The 1940s

All hail the 1940s for introducing my beloved bikini. Two pieces were accepted as a result of cutting down on fabric usage during wartime. Still on the conservative side, however, the naval was covered by high waisted bottoms (which are totally coming back, by the way).

The 1950s

Poodle skirts and cuffed jeans were long forgotten on the beach. The 1950s were all about that bass and hour glass figure. Underwire was introduced and, though high socks and shoes were a thing of the past accessorizing was not, with cat-eye sunglasses at the ready.

The 1960s

Swimsuits saw some major shrinkage over the course of the 1960s and 70s. Between the rock and roll era in the '60s and a sexual revolution at an all time high in the '70s, colors got brighter and bikinis got smaller.

The 1990s

A mix of sexy and sporty was on trend in the 1990s as Bay Watch served as beach-spiration. If you were born anytime between 1980-1999, you will definitely remember that red one piece number with a high-cut leg. Baywatch Barbie, anyone?

The 2000s

In the 2000s, body acceptance has become a movement and swimsuits come in shapes, sizes, cuts and colors by the thousands, giving everyone the option to cover up or show it off. BuzzFeed sums up their video in one, perfect sentence that I could not have written better: Wear what makes you feel good.

Images: BuzzFeed/YouTube