Swimsuit in Europe and Burkini

[Ilma]

The swimsuit is a clothing worn in purpose to swim, having a bath, surfing or just spending time on the beach during summer.

Usually wearing a swimsuit nowadays leads to show off your body, specially because sunbathing is a trend in many occidental countries (while it is trend to stay white in Asian countries). In Europe, beaches are full of people and tourists during summer spending time playing, laying, bathing and enjoying sun in family, alone or with their friends. This custom became popular in Europe (France) during summer from the 1900's, specially thanks to the sea resorts success. People were very prude and started to wear some uncomfortable clothes to swim, covering a lot their bodies. Specially for women.

The first swimsuits, 1883.


1900's, Cooney Island, NY, USA.

Swimsuit were submitted to some rules like the lenght of the clothes and the colors you would wear. Rules were different for men and women. Gradually those swimsuits became shorter and shorter, leaving more freedom to move the body while swiming, allowing sunbathing and more creativity for the stylist designers.

1920, mesure of the swimsuit.

1919, Deauville beach, Normandy.


1926, Deauville beach, Normandy.

The famous and provocative bikini was born in 1946 but would only become popular in the 1960's thanks to actresses spreading that trend through movies. We remember the beautiful and glamorous Brigitte Bardot in the movie "Et Dieu créa la femme..." in 1956.

Marilyn Monroe, 1951.


Brigitte Bardot, 1956.

Since the 1960's the new women rights to free their sexuality and assume their body led to many trends in swimsuits, often denonced as shorter and shorter. Also since the 2010's the trend seems to be more prude and decent than before even in Occidental countries. Prude and discreet women in France for example use for decades to cover their bodies, if they don't want to show off, with clothes like pareos, beach dresses and light clothes to feel confortable on beach and stand the sun.

Pareos, kimonos, beach dress etc... used by europeans women since the day they go to the beach and are free to show their body or NOT

Yes you can be european, prude, decent and respect laicity law by wearing non-religious clothes.

Also for 5-10 last years a new trend in some european countries such as France came from muslims to cover the bodies of their women and girls. A new swimsuit started to appear on beaches called "burkini". Born in 2006 this total covering swimsuit comes from the cloth "burka" and suffix "ini" as in "bikini, monokini" even though this resemble more a hijab than a burka. The suit covers the whole body except the face, the hands and the feet, while being light enough for swimming.This is a religious cloth worn to swim by women in order to respect the precepts of Islam. The design is intended to accord with Islamic traditions of modest dress.

This new custom coming with muslim immigrants tends to face the laicity law used in France and causes polemical debate in Europe. What about the women rights to free their bodies from the pressure of society and men on them ? What about the freedom of wearing what you want to wear as a woman if you want to show off your body or not without being judged ? What about the laicity and wearing in public area a visible religious sign, causing attacks and troubling the public area ? What about muslims in Europe beaches starting to insult and attack European women wanting to keep their tradition to wear swimsuit and show off their bodies ?

Please discuss.

Sources :

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimsuit
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkini
-https://nuitsdesatin.com/2015/07/04/histoire-du-maillot-de-bain-2/
-http://www.meltyfashion.fr/l-histoire-du-bikini-de-la-grece-antique-jusqu-a-nos-jours-a124451.html
-http://www.ouest-france.fr/normandie/deauville-14800/deauville-maillots-de-bain-une-mode-qui-na-pas-depoque-473761

[Dandelion]

Option three. I think one-piece swimsuits and bikinis both are modest enough. And if a woman wants to be immodest, she also has the right too without getting harassed over it.

Where I live people aren't prudes, however, we have our prude people too. Generally we aren't though.

[Heather Duval]

Brazilian bikinis are better

[Dandelion]

Interesting how most choose option 2. I thought bikinis were considered mainstream and accepted. However, "the muslim world should not force to wear burkinis" can also be true for option 3.

[Wadaad]

Burkini is a joke and unislamic...

[ÁGUIA]

I think the key here is respect.

For me the burkini is a non issue, as they are not covering their faces, so it's not a matter of security. Let them wear it and not throw more wood to the fire for such insignificant matter. The same way a woman should be able to use whatever the type of bathing garment she wants without being disrespected or harassed.

Just common sense folks.

[crazyladybutterfly]

What about the freedom of wearing what you want to wear as a woman if you want to show off your body or not without being judged ?

exactly why not allowing them to wear the burkini if they wishes so?

[crazyladybutterfly]

Burkini is a joke and unislamic...

burqa is da thing. right?

[Kazimiera]

I think everyone should be able to choose what they would like to wear to the beach. If a Muslim wants to wear a burkini, why not? If a non-Muslim woman wants to wear a bikini, why not? As long as neither one of them wants to force the other into it I don't have a problem with either.

[Ilma]

Interesting how most choose option 2. I thought bikinis were considered mainstream and accepted. However, "the muslim world should not force to wear burkinis" can also be true for option 3.

Yes they are actually, I think this is just that lot of people understand that women can sometimes prefer to not show off their bodies if they don't want too. Specially because nowadays people are judging a lot physical appearance (at least in France it is the case, a lot) and also because with this immigration in Europe, personnaly as a woman I don't feel secure anymore to show off my body on beach and at swimming pool. When I was younger, 10 or 5 years before, there was no problem. Now everytime I go to the swimming pool or beach there is always arabs or black guys looking at my body, smiling to me, very unfamiliar and this is very disrespectful. I don't feel good that people look at my body, this is mine not theirs. But I will never cover my entire body nor obey to islam law. I'm not living in a muslim country, we are laïcs. If I want to protect my body from the eyes of muslims around I can just wear my kimono or scarf and that's enough Also I don't judge other women if they want to wear their bikini around, they are free, I want they feel free and good.