REMEMBER THIS? That time swimsuit season got cheeky

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

Have you picked out your summer swimsuit yet? Throughout the years, fashions change as often as the seasons, and swimsuit fashion is no different. Surely at some point, we have all heard or taken part in a conversation about the appropriateness of certain beachwear. One such conversation took place in the ‘Dear Annie’ feature of our local newspaper. Do you remember the dialogue about a fourteen-year-old’s choice of swimwear?

The conversation took place in the advice columns, where people ask for insight into how to handle an issue. This periodical, ‘Annie’s Mailbox’, received a message from a concerned mother about her son’s choice of swimsuit and the potential implications of their choices. The original question to ‘Annie’ was posed in ‘The Sun-Times’ where the fourteen-year-old’s mom was “starting to wonder if this is just a stage, or if it may lead to cross-dressing. Have these styles simply not reached our area yet?” (p.16). You may wonder what style of swimwear would compel a mother to seek advice via a ‘Dear Annie’ column. The answer…a thong.

Before the concerned mother raised her question, she described the scene which led to this choice of swimwear. The mother-son duo was on vacation in Florida, where the son took note of the attire that paraded around the beach: In particular, the ‘scanty bathing suits’ that some boys donned. Intrigued, ‘Jonah’ was able to purchase a few styles of ‘scanty’ swimwear, and “thoroughly enjoyed himself [the rest of the trip]”. It is important to note that after Jonah expressed interest in the procurement of this style of swimwear, she supported her child, which led to their happiness.

However, her concern came from how others treated her child when bringing the style to their hometown. When wearing the bikini-style swimsuits, ‘Jonah’ would receive ‘wolf whistles’ and on one “occasion, the landlady mistook him for a topless girl”. To many, being teased about what you have on at the age of fourteen would lead a person to stop wearing that clothing; not for ‘Jonah’. Who, despite the teasing, continued to wear his preferred swimwear and was able to get the same enjoyment as was had on their vacation.

As you can imagine, this letter to ‘Annie’s Mailbox’ garnered some attention from readers, two of which appeared in our local newspaper. Both responses supported the teen for different reasons but shared ‘Jonah’s’ choice in swimwear. The first, that appeared in the Sault Star, offered a rather practical reason they would prefer a scanty swimsuit. They state they “cannot stand the long, flappy variety that is popular now. Not only are they ugly, but how can you swim in them?” (Sault Star, 02 September 2003, p. 15). ‘Love to Swim’, as they were deemed, went on to say if the “preference is connected to ‘cross-dressing’, who cares? Women have been…for decades” (p.15).

The other response came from a heterosexual male in his thirties, who was dubbed ‘naked’. This gentleman argued that “wearing these items, which leave little to the imagination, enhances my workout because it gives me extra energy” (Sault Star, 23 December 2003, p. 16). ‘Naked’ liked how onlookers would notice him, which contributed to the ferocity of his set. Could it be that wearing skimpy swimsuits gave ‘Jonah’ confidence? The author of this letter; however, addressed the mother’s concern about her child’s choice of swimwear ‘leading to cross-dressing’, when he mentioned his age and orientation.

Regardless of how the respondents felt about the chosen swimwear, ‘Jonah’s’ mom did what many mothers would do in a similar situation: ask for advice. Some may choose a respected family member, but this mother chose an advice column. In her response to ‘Jonah’s’ mom, ‘Annie’ agreed with the mother about what most people’s reaction would be when being teased about something they wear: to not wear it any longer. The advice columnist stated, “either Jonah has tremendous self-assurance, or he is enjoying these bikinis on an entirely different level”, in the Sun-Times instalment of ‘Annie’s Mailbox’. Ultimately, there was a strong bond between mother and teen, and Annie urged ‘Jonah’s’ mom to have a conversation with her child, but cautioned her to “be non-judgmental, so he will feel comfortable confiding in [her]”.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provide SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more "Remember This?" columns here.