Not Waving But Gowning

The joy of swimming for pleasure and sport wasn’t rediscovered until the Enlightenment, but a couple of lengths must have been quite a slog for the ladies of the 18th century, who wore ginormous, billowing bathing gowns made from wool, flannel or canvas.

Forget gliding through the water like a graceful swan – these heavy dresses were made even more cumbersome thanks to the lead weights sewn into their hems to prevent a glimpse of calf alarming fellow swimmers.