Swimsuit to make big splash at museum

LONDON — It caused moral outrage a century ago when it made its world debut.

Now one of the first original Speedo swimsuits is set to make a splash at the new V&A Dundee museum which opens in September.

Curators at the Scottish facility revealed on Sunday that a Speedo swimsuit from the 1920s will feature in its Scottish Design Galleries.

The Racerback caused moral outrage when it was first revealed and was banned from some beaches for being too revealing, but it revolutionized the swimwear industry.

The hydrodynamic design allowed swimmers more freedom of movement and reduced drag, quickly becoming a favorite among Olympic record breakers.

It was the swimsuit that made Speedo, an Australian company founded by Scottish immigrant Alexander MacRae, a household name and paved the way for future controversial innovations.

The firm supplied the Australian Army with socks during the World War I before catering for the growing popularity of beach sports.

At the time swimsuits were made of wool and had sleeves to protect the wearer’s modesty.

Instead, the Racerback had straps that crossed at the back and was made of cotton or silk, which absorbed less water. The design was also significantly more tight fitting than other swimwear and included the distinctive Speedo tick logo.

In 1936, Speedo caused yet more controversy when it dressed the Olympic men’s Australian team in swimming shorts instead of the traditional one-piece during the Berlin Games.

Moral codes challenged

V&A Dundee Assistant Curator Meredith More said: “The Racerback challenged moral codes in the 1920s, when mixed bathing was only just becoming acceptable, but nobody could deny his hydrodynamic design allowed swimmers to achieve faster times.”

Swedish swimmer Arne Borg won five Olympic medals and broke 32 world records wearing the daring new design.

In 1932, Claire Dennis was almost disqualified from the Olympics in Los Angeles for wearing a Speedo deemed to show too much shoulder.

However, it was not just athletes who were won over by the new design, which was also marketed to surfers and sunbathers.

The Speedo will be one of around 300 beautiful and innovative objects from the V&A’s world-famous collections of art, design and performance, together with objects from other lenders.