thereallieutenantcommanderdata:
The Sketch, England, July 19, 1933
What, in this context, would be the expected type of suit? I’m guessing it’s “one-piece suits are too revealing”, hence the humor of her wearing a more revealing two-piece suit, but what would the less-revealing two-piece suit be?
A two piece would traditionally be 1) “bloomers” or stockings and 2) a second piece which was a combination skirt and blouse, so a traditional two piece was more “modest”. By the 1920s, rubber soled bathing shoes that laced up halfway to the knee were out, but those were part of the earlier two piece. A one piece, basically a two piece but with no stockings, was considered pretty shocking at the time - so you can imagine how shocking the new two piece was!
The Times, Shreveport, Louisiana, May 11, 1922
(via datasoong47)