The maillot (; ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'' 3rd Ed. (2003)) is the fashion designer's name for a woman's one-piece swimsuit, also called a tank suit. A maillot swimsuit generally consists of a tank-style torso top with high-cut legs. However, a maillot may also include a plunging neckline, turtleneck-style top, or revealing cutouts. In addition to describing women's one-piece swimsuits, the word maillot has also been used to refer to

tights Tights are a kind of cloth garment, most often sheathing the body from the waist to the toe tips with a tight fit, hence the name. They come in absolute opaque, opaque, sheer and fishnet styles — or a combination, such as the original concep ...

or leotards made of stretchable, jersey fabric, generally used for

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

. The term maillot was first used to describe tight-fitting, one-piece swimsuits in the 1920s, as these swimsuits had been manufactured from a similar stretchable, jersey fabric.

Modern usage

In the present day, the phrase "one-piece swimsuit" has almost completely replaced the term "maillot" in colloquial language. While the word has now become somewhat obsolete in common language, fashion designers and consumers used it quite often in the early days of the modern swimsuit. It is now most often used to distinguish between several different types of one-piece swimsuits, including the tank maillot and the pretzel maillot. The term is also used in bicycle racing. For example, the leader of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

wears the ''maillot jaune'', referring to the yellow jersey that the overall race leader is awarded after each leg of the race.

Etymology

The term maillot was inducted into the English dictionary in 1928; it derived from the French phrase for

swaddling Swaddling is an ancient practice of wrapping infants in blankets or similar cloths so that movement of the limbs is tightly restricted. Swaddling bands were often used to further restrict the infant. Swaddling fell out of favour in the 17th cen ...

clothes. In the French language, the word maillot means "shirt" and is used to distinguish leaders in the

. The modern French term for a swimsuit, maillot de bain, also makes use of the word. The name "tanksuit" or "tank suit" (as well as "tank top") alludes to the "tank" or pool in which the wearer swims. In colloquial

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, particularly in the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

region, the term maillot (مايوه) is a generic term used to refer to a swimsuit for both men and women.

References

{{reflist

External links

Swimsuit Styles and Facts
A source for swimsuit style explanations, fashion advice, and shopping tips

A list and explanation of different maillot styles
Maillot swimsuit style & information
Fitting tips, style & fashion, sizing & more. 1910s fashion 1920s fashion Swimsuits One-piece suits

Modern usage

Etymology

See also

References

External links