Popular Culture
Fashion – Swimwear
Popular culture, according to the Society and Culture syllabus glossary, is a shared set of practices and beliefs that
have attained global acceptance and which can be normally characterized by: being associated with commercial
products; developing from local to national to global acceptance; allowing consumers to have widespread access to
it and are constantly changing an evolving.
My popular culture topic of swimwear is associated with commercial products as swimwear is the commercial
product itself because it is sold all over the world, making money through the different designs and what swimmers
are in fashion for the new seasons of summer. There are also many products that come with swimwear brands such
as Roxy, Billabong, Quiksilver and Speedo. These brands design and make other products such as beach towels, drink
bottles, watches, sunscreen, board shorts and shirts that people will buy as they have been influenced by the brands
of swimwear through advertising. Swimwear and the fashion of swimmers are a significantly global area. Designers
are designing swimwear from all different parts of the world which can then be seen within national and local areas.
Fashions can be taken from the large designing companies and brought to local areas. Swimwear started mainly in
Roman times where only men were allowed to swim, but the swimwear would only be a small piece of loincloth.
Swimwear became more like clothing by the 1900’s when men wore tunics and women with bikini-like garments but
this would be different in all different parts of the world. Swimwear changed from covering the whole body and
made from thick woolen fabrics to much more exposing pieces made from stretch material made for water. These
changes were influenced from many key people that had their faces all around the world including Audrey Hepburn
and Annette Kellerman, which influenced the designers of swimwear and the new designs that were becoming
popular all around the world. Consumers have always had wide access to all swimwear but maybe more so in the
present days when technology has become very popular with things such as online shopping. Nowadays, swimwear
can be bought on the internet with just the click of a button and sent to your doorstep which is very popular with
society as it is quick and easy for busy people with busy lives. There are always new designs and new products of
swimwear being designed and made and put straight into stores for the consumers to buy. Many small, local
businesses may not get the quickest stock of new designs and products because of their location and it may be
slower than larger companies in more city areas meaning that the people living there may be at an advantage with
being able to buy the newest designs out in stores. In the past, swimwear would be accessed through department
stores, specialty stores and small businesses which are also still used today. Without the use of online shopping and
the advanced technology, this type of shopping was the only option to shop. This may have meant that people would
not have gotten much variety within all of the stores. The advantage of online shopping today is that there is many
more products for sale that aren’t in stock in stores, it is easy to access without having to leave the home and may
be very convenient to certain people because of their location and where they live.
I have an interaction with swimwear, as do most people that go swimming or to the beach. I love seeing the new
designs and the fact that old designs of swimwear from the 40’s to 80’s coming back into fashion these days really
interests me. I love the idea of having swimmers that have been newly designed but taken from a design way back in
those earlier periods. I studied the history of swimwear in textiles for the preliminary course which really made me
become really interested in the first place; I loved seeing how swimwear had changed over the years and how the
older designs are coming back into fashion. I wanted to find out more about swimwear and the popular culture
assignment was the perfect opportunity. I own about 5 or 6 pairs of swimmers. Most of them would be bikinis, and I
have one one-piece that I used to wear in the diving competition at school and the all-schools competition. I usually
like to buy at least one pair of swimmers each season because the designs and new styles are always changing and I
want swimmers that are going to be in fashion for that new season of summer. It depends on what brand and where
I buy my swimwear from as to how much a pair would usually cost. If they are of very good quality and are
comfortable and are under $100 at least, I will buy them. Throughout primary school it was very ‘cool’ to have the
brands of Roxy or Billabong swimmers. They were the biggest fashion within those years and probably would have
been the throughout the early years of high schooling years. These days, I would usually buy my swimmers from
department stores such as Myer, from the Miss Shop section. I like my swimmers to be fashionable!
Central Material:
The creation of popular culture:
Pre 1900: The earliest evidence of swimwear comes from the classical period when public bathing was
very popular, which was in the Roman times. People used to bathe either completely naked or partially
so, with men and women both wearing only a small piece of material called a loincloth. Men would also
be seen bathing in tunics and women in bikini-like garments. Swimwear was not a very important
garment as swimming was still only a ‘small dip’ in the water, not an actual ‘swim’ as such. But the
earliest ‘actual’ bathing suit may have possibly been an old smock resembling a kind of ‘bathing gown’.
Modesty was a very large factor when it came to clothing and swimwear in those days as style was not
much of a consideration. But in Australia in 1833 the New South Wales government passed an act
prohibiting swimming in Sydney Harbour from 6am till 8pm. Women were never allowed to swim in
public. If men went swimming, they wore one-piece wool flannel suits that covered them from neck to knee.
E how, 1999 – 2012, History of swimsuits, Demand Media, last viewed 19/05/2012
http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8716444_evolution-swimsuit.html
1900 – 09: - woolen swimming dress with sailor collar, bloomers and mop cap
- These first bathing suits were very comfortable and not practical, and women would
go as far to hand-sew small weights into the hem of their bathing suits so that it would
not float up to expose their legs.
- to cover their legs they also wore black stockings and lace-up shoes
- men and women swam in different areas at the beach
- 1907 – Annette Kellerman was arrested in Australia for wearing a one-piece swimsuit. The swimsuit challenged
society’s concept of morality
1910 – 19: - sleeveless two piece woolen tank suit
- desire to sunbathe rather than swim brought about style changes in swimwear after
WWI.
- More fitted, although they were still made from wool
1920 – 29: - short leg swimsuit
- people were going to the beach in their thousands
- laws were introduced stating what could be worn at the beach and what couldn’t be
- skin-tight tubular swimsuits made from wool jersey were becoming popular
- these swimsuits bared arms and backs
1930 – 39: - glamour swimsuit inspired by the film industry
- lifesavers bare their chests for the first time in the 1930’s
- swimwear designers used people and movie stars such as Esther Williams, to
promote their designs.
- Necklines became lower, hemlines higher and cut-out sections were popular
- shoulder straps could also be lowered for sunbaking
1940 – 49: - two-piece spotted halter neck swimsuit
- bikini was patterned in 1946by Louis Reard
- Corsets or bra cups were built into swimsuits to create shape
- zippers were still used in the centre back of the swimsuit
1950 – 59: - shirred one-piece swimsuit
- striped high-waisted bikini
- new swimming pool culture was becoming acceptable in the 50’s
- to sit by the pool and sunbake but not get wet
1960 – 69: - skirt bikini
- Lycra and nylon were introduced in the 60’s
- these gave stretch to swimwear and there was no longer a need for zippers
- elastic was used around the edges to hold them in place
1970 – 70: - crocheted bikini
- string jersey knit bikini
- 1970 – Australia became leader in bikini designs
- a surf culture evolved with its own music, values and surf brand clothing
- e.g. Roxy, Billabong, Volcom, Quicksilver, Tiger Lilly, Seafolly, Speedo’s
Roselyn Hsueh, 1997, History of women’s swimwear, last viewed
17/05/2012 http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~roseying/ids110/WHIS.HTM
1980 and onwards: - fashion swimwear
- by the 1980’s it was acceptable to wear anything to the beach
- one-piece swimsuits, bikini’s wetsuits and tan-through fabrics
- In today’s society it in very interesting to see that many swimsuit designs
from the 40’s to the 70’s are coming back into fashion with designers and
consumers today. Swimsuits such as the bra cups from the 40’s, the highwaisted bottoms, the crocheted bikini, and the fashion swimwear from the
early 80’s are all in fashion today. If you walked into a surf shop to buy a pair
of swimmers you would find yourself looking into the past of swimwear. The designers of swimwear are bringing in
these old designs and making them new which people of this age are loving. In recent years there has been lots of
awareness encouragement in Australia, and many other nations, with warnings such as covering up under the sun
due to major concerns such as skin cancer. We now see so many people, probably mostly women are wearing rash
tops with short or long sleeves and board shorts so that they do not burn their skin under the harshness of the sun.
Because of this reason, there is more demand by society and designer for these rash vests and board shorts to be
fashionable and with the appropriate and fashionable designs as they are covering up people’s swimmers that are
hidden under the rash vests and board shorts. Some people may also just want to wear these over clothes because
they are self-conscious of their bodies, and because designers have made sure that the rash vests and boardies they
are able to wear these things so that they are sun safe, covered up and fashionable.
The consumption of popular culture
Identify the consumers of popular culture:
All people around the world, of all ages and gender are
consumers of this popular culture of swimwear. Many people
buy swimmers so that they are able to swim in the summer time
and many people may buy them just for the fashion. From my
questionnaire that I conducted on swimwear, I found that from
the people that answered my questionnaires, there was 65% of
females that consume my popular culture and 35% of males
that consume my popular culture from the people that I got to
answer my questionnaires. Within these genders the ages of all of these participants are shown in the graph above. I
found that between the ages of 13 to 19 the majority owned 6 – 10 pairs of swimmers, of different types and styles.
These people obviously have the money to be able to afford these many pairs of swimmers, or their parents have
the money to buy them for their young children i.e. 13 and 14 years. This may not be the same for everyone in
society as it is depending on the people’s socio-economic status for some people. Some people may not be able to
afford to buy their children this many pairs of swimmers as they do not earn enough money from their job, or they
may be living off the dole. This will affect the consumption of swimwear and what kinds of people consume this
popular culture. Some brands of swimwear are targeted at certain people in society, depending on this socio-
economic status. Brands like Seafolly, Victoria’s Secret, and sometimes Roxy, Billabong etc. can be very expensive
and therefore being targeted at people that have enough money to be able to afford these expensive swimmers.
Depending on the types and designs of these brands of swimwear, people with a lower or mid-class status in society
may be able to afford these higher brands in the designing department. Another aspect of society not consuming in
this popular culture may be for religious or belief and moral practices. To the left, is a picture of a group of Amish
women in modest dress at the beach. They believe in staying covered for modesty so they wear dresses from the
neck to the ankles with small little hats. Religions such as Orthodox Judaism, Traditional Christian religions such as
the Amish, and Islam appear to have a focus on women’s modesty, covering the hair and concealing the body,
especially parts of the body that could attract strangers. These beliefs then cause obvious problems in developing
modest swimwear, where it can be dangerous to add extra clothing, weighing the body down, which can be very
dangerous when swimming, especially in the ocean. The
manufacturers of these types of swimwear have created
designs that get around these problems through the
various new ways such as inventions and redirections.
No author stated, (2009-2012), Modesty Swimwear, last
viewed 25/05/2012 http://www.enjoy-yourstyle.com/modest-swimwear.html
types include Ahiida who makes
leggings, long-sleeved shirts under a
Wholesome wear who make culottes,
calves and lower arms exposed with a
swimwear made by Princess Modesty
Some of the manufacturers of these modesty swimwear
swimwear that incorporates swimming caps, burquinis,
skirted garment, which cover the entire body. Also,
skirts and plus-size swimwear which leave the lower
high neckline. To the right is an example of modesty
swimwear.
Identify the processes involved in consumption and the
nature of the product
Where people purchase their swimwear depends on their
location, where they live and where they can afford to shop.
The most common places for people to purchase their
swimwear are department stores, specialty stores, large outlets,
small businesses and through online shopping. This can be seen
in this graph shown to the left. This graph shows that that most
popular place for people to shop for their swimmers is at large
department stores including places like Myer and David Jones. Shops like these have very popular brands, other than
surf brands, like Seafolly and Tiger Lilly. These brands are reasonably priced but are mostly aimed again at a certain
group/ socio-economic status people. These shops usually have lots of sales that attract people to shop here and
good deals. There is so much variety at places such as David Jones and Myer and this may be why people choose to
shop for their swimwear here. I shop a lot in small businesses because of where I live, it is smaller town and most of
our shops are small. We have one large department store, Myer, and I also shop there as well. I am just getting into
online shopping as it is so easy and what I buy can come quickly without me having to leave the house. Online
shopping came in second to the department stores as it is coming much for popular and convenient in society today.
People don’t need to leave the comfort of their homes when buying their new swimwear as you order it online and it
gets sent straight to your doorstep. Others that do not use this way of shopping because there is no chance of trying
the swimwear on to see if it fits properly or if it looks good and suits your body type. This can be a big disadvantage
with online shopping and why people are still shopping in stores.
The nature of my popular culture of swimwear is naturally that it is an item of clothing which can be taken as a very
fashionable item of clothing. People may pride themselves in buying the ‘hottest’ pair of swimmers for the season,
or buying swimmers that are the new style that is very popular for that season also and simply just to make a fashion
statement. Swimwear comes in many different styles and designs which can be seen earlier throughout the history.
Some of these styles include string bikini, one-piece, halter neck, fashion swimmers, skirt bikini, Racerback, thong
bikini, board shorts and rash vests.
Consider the aspects of continuity and change in consumption
Swimwear is always changing. But there are also aspects within this popular culture that have stayed the same over
years. The designs, patterns, types, styles, and ways of making, designing and the way people are buying swimwear
are constantly changing. The styles, types and designs are always changing as the fashion in society changes.
Clothing goes in and out of fashion, so new things have to be designed to meet the wants and needs of society. The
ways of making and designing swimwear and their new designs have been changing to keep up with the ever
changing ways of technology and new manufacturing techniques. Lots of designs would be computer generated
these days as technology is becoming the easier and most sufficient way of completing these things now. As I have
stated before in the previous few questions, the ways of consumers buying this popular culture is changing as well,
at a very fast rate. Online shopping is becoming so popular because for lots of people it is the most convenient and
easiest way of buying swimwear within their busy lives these days, compared to only having the choice of going own
to the shops, buying whatever you wanted and then driving home again. Online shopping on most websites there
will be more variety and more stock in compared to the actual shop, such as department stores, shop outlets and
small businesses, with much more variety and choice.
Simple designs within swimwear have mostly been kept the same and as fashion has changed over time designed
have modified these designs to keep up with people’s ideas of the fashion in society. The amount of swimwear/pairs
that people buy these days has changed dramatically. For example, in the past people may have only owned one or
two pairs of swimmers, maybe because this was all they
seemed to need or they didn’t have the money to be
able to buy as many as people and individuals would own
today. From my questionnaire I found that the people
from this modern wealthy society owning many pairs of
swimwear. This may be because of mass production, and
the lower costs relative to their higher incomes
compared to earlier decades. Even when I was a younger
child, which was only around 10 years or so ago, I used to
only own one or two pairs of swimmers. Nowadays, I
own 6 pairs of swimmers. The amount of pairs of swimmers that people own these days can be seen in this graph to
the left.
Examine the role of the media in consumption and interaction
The role of media in the consumption of the popular culture of swimwear is very important because it helps
companies sell all of their stock and introduces the new designs to the consumers of the popular culture. Magazines
would have to the largest media use to make sure that society are up to date with the latest fashions. Magazines
such as Dolly, Girlfriend, Shop, Vogue, Madison, Harper’s BAZAAR, Frankie, and Marie Claire are very popular
magazines that have tips and ideas about the newest designs and fashions of swimwear. Most of these magazines
will have the prices and shops that they are from which can become very handy
for the consumers as they know what they can buy, where to get it and how much
it will be costing them. I get many of my own ideas for the new designs for
swimwear from some of these magazines that I buy.
Consider the roles of heroes and mythology
The roles of heroes in the
consumption of swimwear as my popular culture is very
important. It is pretty much
another way of advertising the newest styles and
designs within the fashion
world, which then gets passed on to stores. Many
people look up to some of these
heroes within the swimwear world, as this may be
where they find these new
swimwear types. These heroes of swimwear would be
swimwear models who had an
influence on swimmers as a whole. Some of the earliest
and most popular would have
to Marilyn Monroe and Cindy Crawford. Especially
Marilyn Monroe, as her
modeling was a major role model and sex symbol for young people throughout her famous life. She was seen
modeling some of the most iconic pairs of swimmers throughout her career and people looked up to this. Marilyn
modeled types of swimwear such as simple two-pieces, two-pieces with high-waisted bottoms, swimmers with
patterns such as polka dots, a two-piece with the pointed bust, swimmers with frills, onepieces, skirt bikini’s, halter-neck bikini’s string bikinis and many more.
Some of the more recent heroes and most popular within his popular culture of swimwear
are Miranda Kerr, Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, Megan Fox and Beyoncé Knowles. The most known
out of all these very influential women is Miranda Kerr through her swimwear modeling and
very highly sought after career with Victoria’s Secret. Her role in the consumption of
swimwear is from her influential career and how her modeling of swimwear can change and
influence consumers ways of thinking and buying of swimwear.
Mythology:
The mythology within swimwear, you could say, is that swimmers are very much associated with sex appeal with the
modeling and the way that producers sell their products. Photos taken of models can be very sexual and sexualized
to anchor people into thinking and feeling a certain way. Sometimes people with think that because these models
look so good in these pairs of swimmers they would look the same so they will buy these swimmers. Some other
mythology types within swimwear come with the fact that advertising and ways of making people buy their
swimwear using a marketing style with the fun and carefree lifestyle that apparently comes with swimwear,
beautiful sunny weather all year round, and the idea of always being on holidays and having a good time. These
kinds of marketing ways help for the producers and shop owners to sell their products easier.
Identify the associated paraphernalia
The associated paraphernalia with swimwear include many things such as sun hats – wide brims and caps,
sunscreen, sunglasses, beach towels, drink bottles, watches, socks, jewelry, wallets, handbags and clothing such as
dresses, denim shorts, jeans, hoodie jumpers, shoes, singlet’s, t-shirts, and board shorts.
Consider the role of technology in the interactive process
The role of technology in the interactive process of swimwear is becoming more and more used because of the fact
that technology is becoming such a big part of our lives within society. Technology is used now in the way of online
shopping as I have stated before, it’s becoming one of the biggest and most popular ways of shopping for clothing
and swimwear because it is the most convenient and easiest way for some people. With the new creations from
IPhones and Ipads it is becoming so much easier for people to shop online and on the go with these devices.
The designing process nowadays includes much of graphic designing which is performed on a computer on a specific
program. This is a much faster way of drawing up designs compared to a good old pen and pencil.
Examine the influence of business, marketing and/or advertising
The influence of business on this popular culture can change the way people buy these products, what they buy and
how much they spend on them. In the business, the government is probably the most influential part of society on
swimwear. The government receives tax revenue from all of the sales from swimwear from all stores such as small
businesses and large department stores. They also have the power over society to regulate and make laws about
what types of swimwear can be worn in public in some locations/countries/cities. This may influence the way that
designers go about their designing process because if the country has these laws then the designer isn’t going to
want to produce the products if the consumers are not going to buy them.
Lots of advertising for swimwear can be found online. Many of the ads that I read and that I associate with online
come from Facebook. When you sign into your profile on Facebook, there is a side bar that pops up every time you
log in with many ads for different things, usually clothing websites, shoe websites and swimwear websites. When
you click on them it takes you straight to the website for you to shop and browse with no effort in looking for the
website that you want, it is right there for you. This type of advertising is really effective as it in a way distracts
people from what they are doing in the first place, catches their eye and gets them looking and shopping for things
that they weren’t intending to do in the first place. This has a major effect on when, how and why people shop
online. Other sorts of advertising of swimwear includes billboards on highways or different local and larger stores
that sell that certain product, in shop windows there is much advertising without even walking into the shop,
clothing pamphlets that come in the mail sometimes and magazines that are bought in shops with examples of the
latest fashions as I have stated earlier.
This billboard showing and advertising a certain
brand of swimwear is very effective in the way that
it makes people feel and think. It uses some of the
mythology that I have talked about earlier in that
making the consumers think that if they these kinds
of swimmers that they will look like this, with a very
attractive man lying beside them next to sky blue
water in the beautiful, hot summer weather. These
sorts of advertising through businesses allow
people to think these things, therefore making
them want to buy these products.
The control of popular culture:
Identify the stakeholders in the control of popular culture, including: media, groups, marketers, governments,
family, peers.
The stakeholders in control of this popular culture means the people who are closely involved or interested in it. The
government is a big stakeholder in this popular culture of swimwear as they receive tax revenue from the sales of
swimwear. Everything that is sold within swimwear shops and online there is always the government receiving this
tax revenue and return. Without these taxes from sold products, the government would not run as it should. The
government also has the power to regulate what can be worn in some countries and areas within the country and/or
city. The media is also a very big stakeholder within the popular culture of swimwear as this is where most of the
advertising of new designs and types of products happens. People buy products like magazines and clothing
pamphlets because they see things that catch their eye within these that make them buy them so that they can look
some more at new clothing and swimwear styles and find ideas for what they might buy themselves.
Family such as parents as stakeholders have some of the same power over their children as the government has such
as being able to choose what swimwear styles and types they are and aren’t allowed to buy and wear. This power
will run out when the children reach a certain age and can make their own decisions.
Your peers could most definitely influence the way you shop for swimwear and what you types you buy. Especially in
teenagers, when image is very important, your friends are usually the ones where you go to for fashion advice with
your swimwear. You wouldn’t buy a pair of swimmers if your friends didn’t like them. This is conforming to society’s
views and ‘the fashion’.
Consider the ownership of the popular culture
Every company and big brand of swimwear has an owner and ownership. Very large brands such as Roxy, Victoria’s
Secret, Billabong, Speedo’s, and Seafolly all have their owners and a time when they were first introduced to the
society as a brand of swimwear. Roxy, as one of the leading surf swimwear and clothing brands, was founded by the
major brother brand Quiksilver in 1990, meaning that the founder of the company if Alan Green. Victoria’s Secret
swimwear was founded by Roy Raymond in 1977 because he was too embarrassed to buy his wife swimwear and
lingerie in a large department store where many others could see him. He wanted to have a smaller shop where he
lived so that he wasn’t feeling so embarrassed about many people seeing him. Victoria’s Secret as a brand of
swimwear and many other products and paraphernalia is one of the largest brands and American retailer of
women’s lingerie and swimwear which has now moved all over the world, and is now a very popular one in Australia
with one of our own priced models Miranda Kerr.
Examine the issue of access, including: class, age, gender, location, ethnicity, sexuality
The access that consumers have to the popular culture of swimwear can be influenced and changed by factors such
as age, gender, class in society, location and sexuality. Age limits and sets boundaries of what you should and
shouldn’t buy, and for younger people, there are parents that have the power over what they buy their children for
their swimwear. Some designs of swimwear are just not suitable to younger ages of the society. There are
boundaries that are set by society and by parents that make them acceptable in the society today. Some parents
may not want their young children to wear revealing swimwear that may be acceptable for teenagers to wear but
not acceptable in society for young children to wear. Saying that, teenagers are getting to the ages where they are
able to choose what designs and types of swimwear are in fashion and what they like. Over the years, modesty levels
in society have changed due to the new designs that are available in stores. It is much more acceptable in society
today to have lots of skin showing compared to earlier decades. In a box at home I have many memorable things
from when I was born including my first haircut and my first little booties with my birth certificate and with these
things I had my first pair of swimmers that were pink and yellow, with small frills around the stomach area as it was a
one piece. These would have been bought in 1994 or 95 showing the fashion coming through, even in babies
swimmers. Maybe in earlier years, these types of swimwear for young children and babies would not have been
acceptable in society.
Gender may be an issue of access more so in today’s society rather than in later dates. Throughout history and over
time swimwear has been very much targeted towards women in the way of fashion and the many different styles.
Men and women, from Roman times when swimwear was first ‘introduced’, they wore almost the same types of
things, not distinguishing between the styles of men and women’s swimwear. Over time, the styles have evolved
into many different designs and patterns with a distinguished look to show the difference between men and
women’s swimmers. In today’s society, lots of men’s swimwear is made up of board shorts and speedos. Whereas
women’s swimwear has many categories, styles, types and designs specifically made for women and their body
shapes. It is then seen that women have more choice with the style of swimmers that they buy and wear compared
to men.
Location would be a significantly large issue of access because it can affect how much of this popular culture the
consumers would buy, and how much they would be exposed to. I live in a fairly small town compared to the cities
such as Sydney and Melbourne, meaning that we only have so much of this popular culture. We have many shops
that sell swimwear but we are confined to the types and styles that we are exposed to, meaning that we may not get
the newest designs out compared to shops, outlets and department stores in Sydney. New styles of swimwear are
designed in large factories or small businesses of designers in these larger cities and countries all over the world
reiterating the fact that smaller places and towns may not be exposed to these new designs and types of swimmers,
whether it be a much later date than it designed and made or if it is not at all.
Your class in society may affect the way you shop for your swimwear, where you buy them from, or how much you
pay for them. Most of the higher and more popular brands of swimwear can become very expensive, depending on
the type, the design and where you buy it from. There are other brands that made cheaper swimwear but they are
still good quality such as small businesses that are owned by the designer themselves or outlets shops that may have
good brands of swimwear but for a much cheaper price.
Ethnicity is also one of the main issues with access as many ethnic groups have rules about their clothing and what is
morally acceptable for people of these ethnic backgrounds to wear. Some religions or some cultures may not believe
in their people wearing swimwear, or if so they may have to be very conservative and up to demands of their beliefs.
Muslim religion states that their women have to wear clothing that covers their entire body other than their face
and hands and their head dress is called the Hijab. Muslim women still like to participate in water sports and
swimming which requires them to wear swimwear but suitable coverage for their religion and beliefs. It was very
difficult for Muslim women to do what they wanted in the way of swimming and going to the beach because of
Islam’s traditional emphasis on modest dress. There are now people designing swimwear made for Muslim women
so that they are able to conform to the rules of their religion but also so they are able to do what they would like
with swimming and sitting at the beach. Before these new designs of swimmers for Muslim women were
introduced, it was apparent that it was very difficult for them to access clothing and swimwear that did conform to
their beliefs and religious rules/laws but now that have been introduced it has made it much easier for them as a
whole.
Consider the role of official and unofficial censorship
The role of official censorship is not as popular in the popular culture of swimwear in Australia as there may be in
other countries. Swimmers are usually required to be worn in most public places where swimming occurs such as a
beach so that is prevents public nudity where it is not welcome or legal. There are many designated beaches
throughout Australia where it is legal to be naked on the beach in public. Nudist beaches such as Werrong beach on
the South coast of NSW, Port Phillip Bay zone in Perth and Southside beach in Victoria are all places where people
can swim, bathe and sunbake naked within a legal zone.
Unofficial censorship comes with the parents of the children within society as I have stated before. Parents have the
power over their children to choose the swimwear that they buy and what they wear as they want their children to
be dressed within the modesty levels for that age group in the society.
Relate the control of popular culture to issues of power and authority
As I have stated in many areas earlier and in the previous question that parents have lots of power over their
children and what they can and can’t wear due to their age and the modesty values within that society.
Designers have power over the rest of society in choosing what styles of swimwear are in fashion for the season and
what is being sold around the world. This power of the designers may come from the power and authority of the
government. The government makes rules and regulations about what people are allowed to wear, in general and in
public. This comes with the views of society’s modesty and beliefs.
Different perceptions of popular culture:
Identify resistance to popular culture and introduce examples
People that resist to the popular culture of swimwear will usually have some reason behind this resistance. For
example, people that are overweight may have this resistance because of the way that they feel about themselves
and how society perceives them. Overweight people don’t really have the chance to wear some the certain designs
and styles of new swimwear pieces these days because they are not made for people that are larger than the
majority of the society, making them feel pinned to a certain place in society. People will judge them by the way that
they and because of this, they may not feel the need to buy swimwear, ending up in them resisting in participating in
this popular culture.
Others within the society may resist to swimwear as the popular culture because they do not like any of the designs
that have been introduced, therefore ending up in these sections of people in not participating in the popular
culture. Some new designs of swimwear may only be targeted at people that are going to conform to these new and
‘out there’ styles within the swimwear.
Consider the acceptance and rejection of popular culture
The rejection of the popular culture of swimwear would be the same as the resistance in the point above as it deals
with people that have reasons behind them not wanting to conform within this popular culture. The acceptance of
this popular culture comes with swimming as such a popular sport and just a way of people having fun together and
it’s a great past time. So this fact shows how the use of swimwear is so accepted within society now because you
can’t swim and have a good time without owning a pair of swimmers.
Identify tensions between producers, owners and participants
The tensions between producers, owners and participants can create problems within the popular culture of
swimwear. As online shopping is becoming more and more popular throughout society, with actual shops with
products are not making as many sales, especially small businesses that do not have online websites where people
can buy their products. Without these sales at these small businesses, they are losing customers because of online
shopping as people are finding this easier and the most convenient way of shopping. There may be tensions
between owners and participants with the prices of the pairs of swimwear. Participants may think that some of the
products may be overpriced and there causing this tensions between them. This overpricing could also stop people
from buying their products as they may not be able to afford them compare to someone else in society. Other
tensions could include tensions between the participants and owners such as models of the swimwear. People in the
society could argue that swimwear models are too skinny and not realistic for the everyday person. This could give
people the wrong idea, making them think that this is how you have to look to be able to wear these pairs of
swimmers, or this is how you are supposed to look when you are wearing swimwear. These tensions can stop people
from buying swimwear products.
The contribution of popular culture to social change:
Identify the positive and negative aspects of popular culture that
have become a part of society
Positive aspects that have become part of society within the
popular culture of swimwear would include things such as people
being able to express themselves through their pairs of swimwear
as they can buy pairs with designs that may show they are all about
and show their personality.
Swimwear has become a very fashionable item within society
compared to later days when it was just all about being something to swim and sunbake in without worrying what it
looked like and so that it was comfortable for the wearer. In my questionnaire I asked the question of who would
rather buy swimwear for the comfort or the fashion and the results of this question can be seen to the right. As you
can see from this graph, people stated that they usually went for both fashion and comfort when it comes to buying
swimwear. People like to be comfortable in their swimmers but also very fashionable to keep up with the fashion
nowadays in society.
The negative aspects of popular culture that have become a part of society come with issues such as body image and
skin protection. As I have stated earlier, some people may feel uncomfortable in the fashionable swimwear today
that they may feel they need to wear to fit into society because of this high demand of needing to conform to
everything within society. This can be a very negative view and aspect that has become part of society. The other
major negative aspect that comes with this popular culture is skin protection, especially these days when skin cancer
has been a major issue with people becoming more and more prone to it. Swimwear and the idea of going to the
beach and swimming comes with the idea of staying out in the sun all day, having a great time, but this comes with a
price of getting sunburnt and getting closer and closer to sin cancer and other diseases such as this. These are the
negative aspects and views of this popular culture that people within this society have on swimwear.
Identify ways in which popular culture may have contributed to social change
Swimwear has been a very major part of social change and society’s views within this popular culture. The modesty
levels within swimwear have confronted the ways that designers have made swimwear as there have been views by
society that change styles and designs to meet these needs of people and their views and beliefs.
In 1907 in Australia, Annette Kellerman, a professional swimmer was arrested for wearing a one-piece swimsuit
while swimming a race. Kellerman was famous for advocating the right for women to wear a one-piece bathing suit
while swimming, which a very controversial topic at that time in society. She was arrested at the height of her
popularity on Revere Beach for indecency; she was wearing one of her one-piece fitted costumes. This swimsuit
challenged society’s concept of morality and therefore contributing to the social change within society and how
people viewed modesty within the swimsuit.
The Future: Conclusion
Evaluate continuity and change in relation to the popular culture
Earlier I have talked about continuity and change within consumption which is much the same as continuity and
change as a whole with swimwear. There are many different types of swimwear that have not changed over time
and were introduced a lot with the modesty levels that were obvious in society. These styles may include ones such
as the one-piece and basic two-piece. These basis designs that were popular years ago have stayed the same and
have been added onto from designers to keep up with the latest fashions of society today.
There is much change within this popular culture of swimwear as these fashions in society have changed and
become up to date with time. Many new types of fabrics have been introduced that would have never been used to
make swimwear before now such as crotched fabric, very colourful, patterned fabric, and very ‘out-there’ patterns
that people would have never worn before now as well as the ‘skimpy’ swimsuits that have not very much coverage
of the body at all. Swimwear is always changing to keep up with the fast changing and evolving designs and fashions
of today.
Considering the implications of globalization for the popular culture
The globalization of the popular culture of swimwear has evolved over the years. Technological advances in society
today have made it easier for people to travel, communicate and do business internationally. Two major driving
forces are advances in telecommunications infrastructure and the rise of the internet. Globalization in the world of
swimwear has meant that there is now much more completion between big brands, and much more variety with
these big brands because they have grown to be the major sellers of swimwear all over the world, making massive
sales with their advertising.
Identifying the impact of technology upon the popular culture
Technology has not been a big impact on the popular culture of swimwear in the past but has been more so in the
latest days as technology has been growing. Much more technology would be used in the manufacture, designing,
and selling of swimwear. Nowadays, factories have been replaced with big machines that produce patterns of
material, and put the swimwear together, replacing actual employees who would have always done everything by
hand in the later days. This is makes an easier and faster process in the manufacture, and because of technology
becoming bigger and much more advanced, these machines with keep becoming newer and more advanced.
Designing of patterns and designs of swimwear is now completed with computer aided design, with advancing
technology. Instead of having people drawing up designs themselves and making the patterns themselves, people
are working on computers with specific programs that assist with computer-aided designing.
As I have stated in many of my points throughout, online shopping is growing and growing because of how easy, fast
and convenient it is now for busy people. The use of computers and the internet through technology allows people
to be able to do this, impacting on the sales of this popular culture of swimwear.
Considering future directions for the popular culture
I feel as if the future directions for swimwear are going to become much more elaborate in their colours and their
designs, even more elaborate than in today’s society. Maybe designs will become more ‘skimpy’ than today, and
more of the swimsuits that will be seen will be the thong bikinis as such. It will be modestly acceptable to be wearing
these types of swimmers in public. Younger children’s designs of their swimwear is starting to become very much
like the designs that are made for adults and teenagers, and in the future I think that this may change and happen
even more in the future a significant amount. Society’s concept of morality, I feel, will become less strict in the way
of rules and regulations that the government holds over the society.
New technologies are starting to be made and introduced so that it is easier to shop, try on swimwear and clothing
and purchase them without having to search and search for your own perfect sizes of clothing and pairs of
swimwear. A new system called Symcad 3D will allow people to shop in an easier and quicker way without having to
spend hours on end trying on clothes and having different sized clothes in every different shop that you go into. This
system involves you standing in a booth, and it taking your measurements through a scanning process. It then prints
out what they call a ‘Body Card’ which has all your measurements on the card. In the future, this machine and
system will make sure that everybody has their own Body Card and they will be able to insert this card into a small
machine in shops, this tells you what size you are and what you should buy. Every shop in the future will have these
so that it takes less time out of people’s busy lives and makes shopping easier and faster.
Referencing:
Glamour Surf, 2012, Decades of Vintage style, last viewed 18/05/2012
http://www.glamoursurf.com/swimwear_timeline.html
E how, 1999 – 2012, History of swimsuits, Demand Media, last viewed 19/05/2012
http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8716444_evolution-swimsuit.html
Roselyn Hsueh, 1997, History of women’s swimwear, last viewed 17/05/2012
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~roseying/ids110/WHIS.HTM
Wikipedia, 2012, The Swimsuit, last viewed 20/05/2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimsuit
No author stated, (2009-2012), Modesty Swimwear, last viewed 25/05/2012 http://www.enjoy-yourstyle.com/modest-swimwear.html
Swimwear
My name is Maddi Tancredi and as a part of my year 12 Society and Culture HSC course I am required to investigate
the consumption of swimwear. All information in this questionnaire will be kept confidential and anonymous. If you
could please take the time to fill this out it would be much appreciated. Thanks!
1. Sex: Female
Male
2. Age: ________
3. What brands of swimwear do you own or have purchased in the past? (Tick more than one if need be)
Roxy
Billabong
Quicksilver
Victoria’s Secret
Volcom
Tiger Lilly
Seafolly
Speedos
Ripcurl
Other ________________________
4. How many pairs of swimmers do you own?
1-2
3-5
6-10
10+
5. How much money would you usually pay for a pair of swimmers?
$20-30
$35-50
$55-70
$75-90
$95-110
$150+
$115-150
6. Do you own or have purchased any of these products of the same brands as above? (Tick more than one if need
be)
Sun/Beach hats
Sunscreen
Beach towels
Sunglasses
T-shirts
Board shorts
Drink Bottles
Watches
Singlet’s
Other ______________________
7. Where do you get your inspiration for new swimwear? (Tick more than one if need be)
Magazines
Television
Clothes pamphlets
Advertisements and billboards
Other _____________________
8. What type of swimwear style do you wear/purchase? (Tick more than one if need be)
One-piece
String Bikini
Skirt bikini
Racerback one-piece
Fashion swimwear
Thong Bikini
Halter neck swimsuit
Other ______________________
9. Do you buy swimwear for fashion or for comfort? Please explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
10. Where do you purchase your swimwear?
Specialty stores
Department stores
Online
Small businesses
Other ______________________
Why is this? (Explain your answer from above)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________