Lined lace bodysuit as part of a typical window portrait in lingerie - Joanna Eva Photomodel

A bodysuit is a one-piece

form-fitting A form-fitting garment is an article of clothing that tightly follows the contours of the part of the body being covered. A feature of Western societies is the popularity of form-fitting clothing worn by women, compared to equivalent male garment ...

skin-tight garment A skin-tight garment is a garment that is held to the skin usually by elastic tension using some type of stretch fabric. Commercial stretch fabrics ('elastomerics') such as spandex or elastane (widely branded as 'Lycra') came onto the market i ...

that covers the torso and the

crotch In humans, the crotch is the bottom of the pelvis (the region of the body where the legs join the torso) and is often considered to include the groin and genitals. Etymology ''Crotch'' is derived from ''crutch''; it "was first used in 1539 to ...

, and sometimes the legs, hands, and feet, and cannot be used as a swimsuit. The style of a basic bodysuit is similar to a

one-piece swimsuit A one-piece swimsuit most commonly refers to swimwear worn primarily by women and girls when swimming in the sea or in a swimming pool, playing water polo, or for any activity in the sun, such as sun bathing. Today, the one-piece swimsuit is usua ...

and a leotard, though the materials may vary. A bodysuit, unlike a swimsuit or leotard, has snaps, hooks or

velcro Velcro, officially known as Velcro IP Holdings LLC and trading as Velcro Companies, is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of hook-and-loop fast ...

at the crotch.

Thong The thong is a garment generally used as either underwear or in some countries, as a swimsuit. It may also be worn for traditional ceremonies or competitions. Viewed from the front, the thong typically resembles a bikini bottom, but at the ...

or T-front thong bodysuits usually have the crotch opening moved up to the front to underbelly area to increase the wearer's comfort. A bodysuit may have sleeves and varying shoulder strap and collar styles. Bodysuits can be made from a number of fabrics, including

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pe ...

, etc. In general, textile bodysuits include expandable fiber such as

spandex Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US. The g ...

for a better fit to the shape of the body. A bodysuit is normally worn with trousers or a

skirt A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards. At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts ar ...

. The top, torso part may act as a top for the smooth line it gives or because it cannot become untucked from trousers or skirt. They may also be worn generally by women as

underwear Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...

activewear Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons. Typical sport-specific garments ...

, or

foundation garment image:Kim_Kardashian_at_Madame_Tussauds.jpg, Kim Kardashian in Shapewear-dress A foundation garment (also known as shapewear or shaping underwear) is an undergarment designed to impermanently alter the wearer's female body shape, body shape, t ...

s. Unlike a leotard, a bodysuit is not usually considered a form of athletic wear. Onesies (or snapsuits) are bodysuits for younger children, toddlers, and some adults that help keep diapers in place. The purpose of the opening at the crotch is to facilitate access to a baby's diaper or for a visit to the toilet. There are also bodyshirts, like the counterpart to the bodysuit, they are loose-fitting garments that cover the whole torso, with sleeves in short to long lengths and crotch snaps. The difference is that they look like a shirt on the top portion of the garment, and may have a different stretch fabric in the waist to the crotch area to make them fit better. Cheerleaders also wear long sleeved crew neck and turtleneck bodysuits as part of their uniform.

History

The bodysuit was a progression from the leotard. It was presented in the United States after 1950 by fashion designer

Claire McCardell Claire McCardell (May 24, 1905 – March 22, 1958) was an American fashion designer of ready-to-wear clothing in the twentieth century. She is credited with the creation of American sportswear. Early life McCardell was the eldest of four childr ...

. It was worn as a blouse or T-shirt. The first recognized bodysuit was worn by

Bettie Page Bettie Mae Page (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.

in the 1950s, and was a trademark attire of the

Playboy Bunnies A Playboy Bunny is a waitress who works at a Playboy Club and selected through standardized training. Their costumes were made up of lingerie, inspired by the tuxedo-wearing Playboy rabbit mascot. This costume consisted of a strapless corset ted ...

from the 1960s, as well as

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

in the animated series ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...

'' and

Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of th ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

Azzedine Alaia Izz ud-Din, Izz al-Din (Arabic: عزّ الدين or commonly written عزّ الدين, ''‘izzu ’d-dīn'', ''‘izza ’d-dīn'', in the modern day mostly written as Azzedine or Azzeddine) is an Arabic male given name meaning "high rank (honour ...

and

Donna Karan Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. Early life Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabin ...

helped make the bodysuit a fashion item for both men, women and even tweens, teens, and young adult/college age in the 1980s to mid 1990s seen a lot in short cap sleeved or turtleneck versions worn in popular fashion style as a top especially with high waisted jeans and also with regular and dress shorts and skirts. After a slowdown, it was resurrected as shaping underwear or lingerie, and in the 2010s it reappeared as a blouse bodysuit, cap sleeve style, and classic turtleneck bodysuit, as well as a part of evening wear. And has continued in style I to the 2020s.

References

External links

* {{Clothing 1980s fashion 2010s fashion Costume design Fetish clothing Lingerie One-piece suits

History

See also

References

External links