A swimsuit, bathing suit, swimming costume, tog, bather, or cossie (short for "costume") is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.
A swimsuit can be worn as an undergarment in sports that require a wetsuit such as water skiing, scuba diving, surfing, and wakeboarding. Swimsuits are also worn when there is a need to display the body, as in the case of beauty pageants or bodybuilding contests. Glamour photography and magazines like the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue feature models and sports personalities in swimsuits.
There is a very wide range of styles of modern swimsuits, which vary in relation to body coverage and materials. The choice of style of swimsuit is dependent on current fashions and community standards of modesty, as well as on personal preferences.
Read more about Swimsuit: Swimsuit Styles, Body Coverage, Competitive Swimwear, Swimwear and Hygiene, History, Alternatives To Swimsuits
Famous quotes containing the word swimsuit:
“This program has helped me to keep physically healthy and to eat the right foods ... and that’s really what the swimsuit competition is about.”
—Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (b. 1968)