Boy's royal blue knitted woollen trunks
Maker
Seagull
Datec 1940
Object number00028061
NameSwimsuit
MediumWool, cotton, metal
DimensionsOverall: 225 x 245 x 15 mm, 0.1 kg
Clothing size: 22
Clothing size: 22
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThese navy woollen Seagull Sunshine Fashion trunks follow the early 1940s fashion trend for boy's and men's swimwear that was topless and high waisted. The design features a half skirt for modesty, white cotton cord stripes down each side and an embroidered white seagull logo. The adjustable machine woven cotton webbing belt fastens with a double ring metal buckle.
HistoryDespite a move towards topless swimsuits throughout the 1930s in Australia and the United States of America, government regulations still promoted the one piece swimsuit for men. In 1935 the New South Wales Minister for Local Government, Hon. E.S. Spooner, announced dress regulations that stipulated men's swimsuits must have legs that covered at least three inches of the thigh and covered the front body up to the armpits and the back body up to the waist.
In the USA men were banned from wearing trunks without a top on public beaches until 1937. This sparked the development of convertible styles that permitted the top to be removed, such as the Topper in 1932. Belts and buckles were also often included in the design, primarily as a way of differentiating men's swimwear from undergarments.SignificanceThese men's swimming trunks are representative of changes in boy's and men's swimwear design during the 1930s and 1940s.
