The Henry, Garments, Swimsuit

Choose on garment and describe it, reviewing its historic context. What speculations can you make as to how this garment may continue to influence culture?

The garments that were presented to us at the Henry were all interesting and beautiful but the one that stood out the most to me was the swimsuit. As a feminist (are you sick of hearing this from me yet?), I found this to be fascinating. Obviously, I am not unaware of how fully clothed and restricted women were expected to be, and how far we have come from that, but I wasn't aware that swimsuits were ever so heavy that some women would drown from the weight of them. I found this garment to be significant and tragic as a stage in the history of women. There was nothing about the swimsuit that looked like it belonged on a woman's body. It was completely unshapely and drab, leaving everything to the imagination. Not that I am an advocate of "itsy-bitsy" bikinis, but it is ridiculous that men could wear skin tight suits, while women were forced to fight for their lives in a web of thick fabric from head to toe. Sadly, this isn't even a far cry from what women in India and Iran have to wear as a swimsuit today. There are so many different ways to discuss the swimsuit and how it links to the treatment and objectification of women then vs now. I think women have been convinced that the shrinking of the swimsuit over the years is a representation of progress for women. As if it is a granting of their freedom and social acceptance. However, I personally think that it is a result of the rapid and progressing blind and shameless objectification of women. Women today see their sexual freedom as power, but I think there is a fine line between sexual freedom and self-objectification. Obviously, I am not saying that women should go back to wearing these burlap and unshapely swimsuits, but I do think that there is some value in covering up more than we do today. The media has been capitalizing on women being objectified by themselves and by men, and very few women realize that they are contributing. The swimsuit is a cultural icon and the shape and appearance of them will always relate back to the treatment of women during that time. Hopefully, there will come a day when what a woman wears does not define her.