DID YOU KNOW ?
Canton beach , to the west of the Palace and villa Noghès , should wear a swimsuit or other appropriate clothing ’. A part of a seashore from villa Noghès up to Fontaine Vieille belonged to women only . depositphotos . com
BODY EXPOSURE
The summer season of 1895 saw the arrival of a wealthy European clientele to Monaco . Aristocrats started coming to the Principality not only in winter , but were also enjoying the hot summer days in Monaco .
The woollen clothing gradually gave way to a new , more ‘ stretching ’ type of material such as jersey and latex . Tanning was still not in fashion . Pale skin remained a synonym of good manners among the wealthy . The swimsuit , however , was now getting tighter and shorter .
In the 1960s charming French actress Brigitte Bardot was called the ‘ Queen of Bikini ’. alamy . com
One-piece swimsuit , the most popular model in the middle of the last century …
Haute couture designer , Jean Patou , then came up with the first luxury swimwear , presented in French Deauville , in 1925 . Since then , the swimwear has kept ‘ shrinking ’. High society eventually abandons swimming shorts , fully exposing their hips . Tanning becomes more chic . In 1930 the one-piece swimsuit comes into fashion , revealing a tanned body . Girls are wearing open back models . A one-piece swimsuit is now omnipresent on the summer beaches and marinas .
The beach lifestyle — water skiing , swimming pools , badminton — comes in vogue ... Lady ’ s swimwear is not the only one to be affected by the changing trends . Instead of traditional T-shirt and shorts concealing their chest and hips , the men are now parading with iconic swimming trunks , still in vogue to this day .
With the First World War and the 1930 economic crisis , winter resorts experienced a decline . Monaco then opened up for summer tourism , beautifying its coastline . The Monte-Carlo Beach Club and the Country Club were constructed . Monaco becomes the centre of luxury summer life on the French Riviera .
28 / Hello Monaco Summer — Autumn 2021 www . hellomonaco . com