Sinaloa.- Dusting off the trunk of memories, the General Historical Archive of the State of Sinaloa gave its followers on social networks an image from the past: Mazatlan women in 1921 wearing bathing suits.

"Image of the day: The impudent bathing suits in Mazatlán in 1921" was how the Sinaloa Historical Archive account accompanied the image.

It was at the beginning of the 20th century when women began to be able to access swimming pools and the sea to a greater extent due to medical recommendations, with the so-called "sea baths" for health but with many restrictions, their bathing suits distancing themselves in every aspect. to those of today.

“From 1910, people began to enter the water, just to get wet, since the weight of the suits made swimming complicated, which, until then, was rarely practiced. The beach was a destination for tours, walks and rest and those who dared to go into the sea were dressed in common clothes”, says designer Vicky Salías, director of the Museum of the History of Argentine Costume.

In the photograph shared by the Sinaloa Historical Archive, you can see a group of women posing on the shore of the beach and whose swimsuits, which were created since the end of the 19th century, and which consist of a short-sleeved dress , with pants underneath and hats to avoid tanning (a symbol of social status), accompanied by stockings so as not to show off the legs.

For reasons of morality at the time, women used to use small changing cabins, with wheels, to be transported to the seashore, away from the male gaze. However, as time progressed and women became more liberated, the female swimsuit underwent great changes, becoming a more practical and comfortable garment for women.

"From the 1920s, the one-piece swimsuit began to be used, with wider necklines and allowing the thighs to be seen. Latex yarn appeared, which was incorporated into cotton, and in the 1960s, with the appearance of elastomeric fibers, the suits are anatomical, on polyester or nylon fabrics with lycra that makes them more comfortable and quick drying”, says the expert.

Now on the beaches of Mazatlan you can see all kinds of swimsuit models for women, from full pieces to small bikinis, very far from the suits used more than 100 years ago in the same place by women with a very different from the current one.