Swimming has changed a lot over time. Not just the techniques, but also what people wear in the water. The late 1920s saw some interesting innovations in swimwear, especially for people who weren’t strong swimmers. One of the most unusual inventions was the wooden bathing suit.
These wooden suits were designed in Washington state. They were made from thin pieces of spruce wood. The idea was that the wood would help people float. This would make swimming less scary for those who weren’t comfortable in the water.
The suits were a product of their time. The lumber industry in Washington saw this as a good way to advertise their products. It was a unique marketing strategy. The idea was to show off the versatility and usefulness of wood.
Around the mid-1920s, people in Germany tried a different approach. They used old bicycle tires as flotation devices. They would wrap the tires around themselves to stay afloat. This was another creative, though perhaps impractical, solution to the problem of staying afloat.
Both the wooden suits and the tire method were short-lived. They didn’t become mainstream swimwear. There were a few reasons for this. One of the biggest reasons was how they looked. They weren’t very flattering on most people.
The wooden suits were quite bulky and rigid. They didn’t conform to the body’s shape. This made them uncomfortable and not very stylish. They were more about function than fashion.
We have some interesting photos of these wooden bathing suits. These photos show “Spruce Girls” on a beach. They’re wearing suits made of thin sheets of spruce wood. These photos were taken during “Wood Week” around 1929.
“Wood Week” was an event designed to promote the products of the Grays Harbor lumber industry in Hoquiam, Washington. The photos were part of this promotional effort. The lumber industry wanted to show how versatile wood could be.
The photos provide a unique look at this unusual moment in swimwear history. They show the women posing on the beach in their wooden suits. The suits look stiff and boxy compared to modern swimwear.
The wooden suits were a creative, if ultimately impractical, attempt to solve a common problem. They also provide a fascinating glimpse into the marketing strategies of the time. Using fashion to promote a product like lumber was a unique approach.
