|
The requirement
of uniforms for physical education courses first appears in the College
Calendar of 1899, when it is stated that  each
student will need "a gymnasium suit of the pattern prescribed by
the director." There are no records that define it, but a newspaper
article from March 1896 describes the "costume" or "gymnasium
dress" as consisting of
a short divided skirt
made very full and having the appearance of an ordinary short skirt,
a shirt waist of the same material, black stockings and heelless shoes,
known as the "Bryn Mawr" pattern. They are slippers made
of soft, black kangaroo leather, with buckskin sole and laced in the
front. Corsets are not worn while exercising in the gymnasium. Thus
the costume allows perfect freedom of movement.
The Times Sunday Special, city unknown
March 29, 1896 |
Similar
gy m
suits, based on styles suggested by Dudley Sargent, Dio Lewis and others,
were in use at Vassar, Wellesley, and Mount Holyoke. Over time, the very
full skirt diminished in volume and became more like a bloomer. The bloomer
suit style, with variations on the style of blouses, eventually changed
into tunics and blouses. By the early 1930s short socks had replaced the
long stockings.
Different styles of clothing
were used for outdoor sports. The Athletic Association set the
standards for apparel for team activities, including the length of the
skirts, the p rohibition
of corsets, the style of the team blouses and the placement of the college's
initials and class year, and the necessity of swimming caps. That the
students liked the clothing is suggested by a 1911-1912 ruling that says
"only gymnasium suits or jumpers and regulation bloomers may be worn
without skirts for track, and only within the enclosure." This was
modified soon afterward to restrict the wearing of basketball uniforms
in any venue other than the playing field. As late as 1921, stockings
still needed to be worn above the knee.
It is
unclear what Bryn Mawr students wore in the first swimming pool. The earliest
existing photo of students in swimsuits suggests a one or two piece
outfit with sleeves and pants that came about knee length. An advertisem ent
for swimsuits from 1907 shows a modest outfit with a skirt as well as
leggings.
The clothing for individual
outdoor activities was not specified by Athletic Association guidelines.
Ice skating apparel seems to have been based on what was practical and
warm; no particular ensemble was required. Bicycling, which rapidly became
popular for women in the 1890s, demanded a shorter skirt and leggings,
or a split skirt, plus gaiters, for safety as well as
ease of movement. However, the accompanying jackets, hats and gloves were
opportunities to display individual style.
|
th.jpg)
