Sunday, August 17, 2008

Making a Splash

With swimming now on virtually every television viewer's mind, questions are popping up left and right over athlete's underwater wardrobes. Questions like, do those new Speedo swimsuits really make a difference? And what's the point of wearing a swim cap if you hardly have any hair, anyway?


"Our new swim caps double as gardens!" Corbis.com.

Swim caps weren't always designed with competition being the main concern - in fact, there was a time when every swimmer wore one, regardless of how intense their swim would be. For a significant period of time, many pools required the caps, only relaxing on the rules about thirty years ago.

Women wore swim caps for one particular reason above all: Their hair, of course! Why, can you imagine the effects of chlorine on those lovely locks? Neither could they, so every time they went out for a swim, their caps came along with them.


Today's athletes are equipped with personalized swim caps. GettyImages.com.

And we're not talking ordinary swim caps, either. After all, if you had to wear one, why not make it somewhat pleasant? During the 1950s and 1960s, colorful florals were all the rage, with some especially elaborate designs costing up to $50 in today's money. Expensive, but keeping hair healthy and dry seemed to justify the cost.

Now, the question that really matters: Think Michael Phelps would wear one?

3 comments:

FASHION CHALET said...

Bathing cap beauty, back then it was a statement, and a gorgeous one at it, I still love the 1950's bathing suits. :)

FASHION CHALET said...

Wait a sec, are you from tfs forums? I saw your "webpage" is flickr under 'seanutbutter' if so, I have to tell you your avatars are always amazing, they blow my mind!

Thanks for your sweet comments as well! :)

Fashion_Girl22 said...

Maybe this is where Miuccia got her inspiration. There are swim caps in the Miu Miu Fall 08 collection. It really is true, like I said last time, thins of the past really are relevant to today. This proves it. O_O