No summer would be complete without at least one trip to the beach.
While people have enjoyed surf and sand for leisure since the 19th century — before that, coastal landscapes were viewed as a frightening extension of the wilderness— swimwear and beach-going has undergone a major evolution over the years.
From the knee-length wool dresses Victorian women wore to the seashore to the bikini revolution in the 1940s, here are 27 photos that show what going to the beach was like the year you were born.
Going to the beach wasn't really a thing until the late 1800s, when physicians started touting sun, sea air, and refreshing dips as curative.
Before that, coastal landscapes were viewed as a frightening extension of the wilderness.
Beach chairs, then "beach baskets," were invented by German basket maker Wilhelm Bartelmann in 1882.
According to lore he was approached by a woman whose doctor told her that the ocean air would be good for her, but who didn't want to sit in the sand. Thus the "strandkorb" (beach basket) was born, shielding beach-goers from sand, wind, and sun.
At the turn of the century, women wore knee-length wool dresses to the beach.
When women went to the beach in the early 1900s, they wore knee-length wool dresses with capped sleeves. These outfits, typically black, often featured a sailor collar and were layered over bloomers.
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