Men's swimming costume, maroon with white belt, made by Jantzen

Maker Jantzen (American, founded 1910)

Date1930s

Object number00009444

NameSwimsuit

MediumMachine knitted wool

DimensionsOverall: 360 x 340 mm, 0.183 kg

ClassificationsClothing and personal items

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Dale O'Sullivan

Terms

DescriptionA 1930s man's pair of Jantzen swimming trunks with belt. These maroon woollen rib-knit trunks feature contrasting white piping at the side, a white belt with silver buckle, and the Jantzen diving girl logo is visible above the left thigh. They were were sold through Myer department stores in Melbourne and Adelaide. The swimming trunks are representative of the designs introduced by Jantzen in the 1930s. It is significant that their range included both high waisted and low waisted trunks in skirtless and half-skirt styles at a time when topless bathing for men was considered controversial. Swimming trunks replaced one piece costumes that had previously been worn with their tops rolled down as swimmers challenged the modesty standards of the day. HistoryBy the end of the 1930s the fashion for men's swimwear was topless, high waisted, knitted wool or jersey swimming trunks, often with a half skirt for modesty, a leg line on the upper thigh and a belt for support. Though there had been a move towards topless suits throughout the 1930s, until 1937 men in the US were banned from wearing trunks without a top on public beaches. This sparked the development of convertible styles that permitted the top to be removed. Belts and buckles were also often included in the design, primarily as a way of differentiating men's swimwear from undergarments.