Just in time for Miami Swim Week, which runs May 28 through June 1, "Waves of Style: Swimwear Through the Decades" explores how swimwear and Miami history shaped one another. Spanning more than a century and featuring more than 50 swimsuits, the exhibition's artifacts reflect changing attitudes about leisure, health, gender, and fashion in Miami.
Visitors can get up close with the garments, many of which are drawn from the museum’s archives. Visuals by HistoryMiami’s Special Collections Library and Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Archive round out the experience.
In a preview of the exhibition, HistoryMiami's resident historian, Dr. Paul George, spotlighted some of the oldest suits on display and expanded on their history.
“Swimming was once a hygiene thing back in the Middle Ages," he said. "Then the whole idea of leisure begins to appear in a big way in the late 19th, early 20th centuries of America, and now people go to the beach and they're covered.”
The Early 1900s
The exhibition allows visitors to trace this evolution firsthand, starting with the heavy wool bathing costumes of the 1910s, when both male and female beachgoers were expected to be fully covered, even in the sun.Among the pieces on display are a modest turquoise wool suit for women and a black wool one-piece suit for men. The perfectly preserved pieces serve as examples of how functionality once took a backseat to modesty. You can almost feel the physical weight of each piece when imagining them soaking wet.
The Roaring '20s and the Great Depression
That modesty went out the window during Miami Beach’s roaring rise, led by developer Carl Fisher and his bold, free-spirited wife, Jane Fisher. Tired of the restrictions of traditional suits, Jane famously stepped out in a more abbreviated, form-fitting swimsuit. It was scandalous at the time, but the trend quickly caught on and ultimately helped put Miami Beach on the map.Later, during the Depression, Olympic swimmer and Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller helped popularize the rise of men’s shirtless swimwear. “Before the war, he was diving off high boards at the Biltmore Hotel,” Dr. George explained. The Coral Gables hotel hosted free swimming exhibitions to attract visitors, and Weissmuller normalized diving topless.
The 1940s and World War II
World War II ushered in more practical changes. With materials like metal and fabric rationed for the war effort, swimsuits shrank in size. Zippers disappeared, fabric became more minimal, and form followed function. Wartime thriftiness paved the way for the bikini, which shares its name with the Bikini Atoll nuclear testing sites in the Pacific.One eye-catching piece on display from the era is a black-and-white one-piece suit with a rope-like strap that ties in the back. It looks a little itchy, but, admittedly, it’s pretty cute.
The Swingin' '60s
Viewers can also look at an adorable yellow polka dot two-piece and a bright orange and yellow men’s tank suit, both examples of how swimwear evolved from full coverage in tandem with the sexual revolution.
The Swimsuits of Today
"Waves of Style" also features more modern designs from contemporary locals. One of those designers is Alessandra Durand, the visionary founder and creative director of fashion brand Kené Kaya. Her pieces, inspired by her Peruvian heritage, blend bold textures and patterns with indigenous craftsmanship.At an interactive station at the end of the exhibition, guests are invited to use what they've learned to envision and design the swimsuit of the future.
"Waves of Style: Swimwear Through the Decades." On display through Sunday, October 5, at HistoryMiami Museum, 101 W Flagler St., Miami; 305-375-1492; historymiami.org. Admission costs $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $8 for children ages 6 through 12. Admission is free for children under 6 and visitors with disabilities and their accompanying caregiver.
