Yes, Bathing Suits Came With Zippers
This bathing suit is made of cotton duck, a heavy, closely woven, utilitarian fabric often used to make heavy work clothes like overalls. But this cotton duck is made much less utilitarian with the addition of embroidered butterflies which is from Augusta Auctions. They think it is from the late 1930s/early 1940s. Suits covered much more of a woman’s body back then as there was no such things as high cut legs even if strapless was around.
Duck has no stretch at all which is why a long zipper runs down the center back of the suit and why the legs are gathered with elastic at the hemline. This makes them a little puffy and allows for some movement. Look closely at the front and you see shaping by center pleating at the bustline and princess style seams and the side fronts that then flare as they reach the hips.
I am of two minds on the zippered, cotton bathing suit. On the one hand, it sure must have got heavy with water and cannot have been that easy to swim in. On the other hand, while knit bathing suits with spandex in them move much more easily, they often seem to need some pulling and tugging to stay on anyway. And they always disintegrate by the end of the season. Some longer lasting knit suits I have don’t have spandex, stretch a bit less, and then last for years.
But of course, swimming may have been besides the point! This suit may have been worn by a woman who was not interested in doing laps, but wanted to look pretty at poolside.
Augusta Auctions has an upcoming sale at the end of the July featuring this suit: https://augusta-auction.com/
