An Edwardian swim suit

Women wore wool dresses to swim in, with bloomers, socks, and shoes. The outfits got extremely heavy when wet, and many women sewed lead dress weights into their hems to keep their skirts from floating up, which made it worse.

Swimming was often segregated, with women-only beaches located where they could not be easily seen by passers-by. Men would peep on them with spyglasses, thrilled at the sight of women who were nearly naked by the standards of the day.