Summer 2019

Sun, Sand & Modesty

During the early 1900s, people eagerly flocked to oceanside beaches to enjoy popular seaside activities such as swimming and surf bathing. For women, the only ocean activity permitted involved jumping through the waves while holding on to a rope attached to an offshore buoy, reflecting the modesty standards of the time. Their Victorian-style bathing suits were often quite cumbersome and heavy, making swimming more challenging. Our exhibit proudly features typical women’s and men’s suits from this era, offering a glimpse into the fashion and social norms of the period. Many of the swimwear suits on display were generously loaned by the Morris County Historical Society at Acorn Hall, which significantly enhanced the depth and variety of our own collection.

Women were required to wear stockings with their bathing suits in Ocean Grove until 1926. The use of white suits instead of the usual navy blue or black was banned until 1932.

Find out more about the Bathing Suit Controversy of 1870

Men’s Swimwear

An abridged version of the full article “Men’s Bathing Suits: “We Don’t Want Gorillas on Our Beach” by David H. Fox

Topless Men and Ocean Grove Ocean Grove enforced modesty standards for men’s beachwear as early as 1891, when a man was fined for wearing an “improper bathing suit” in public. Rules required full covering to and from the beach, and signs were posted warning against indecent dress. Early men’s swimsuits featured long sleeves, pants, belts, and even stockings. By 1910, styles had shortened, but bathing shirts were still mandatory. Other towns, like Bradley Beach, also banned shirtless swimsuits. In the 1930s, swimsuit designs evolved, and shirtless styles became more common, though still controversial. Atlantic City and others resisted, fearing “gorilla-like” appearances. Public opinion shifted by 1939, with 67% approving of shirtless bathing. Ocean Grove remained strict until the 1940s, and as late as 1971, appearing shirtless in public areas was still prohibited. Today, under Neptune Township, only general decency laws remain in place.